Page 68 of The Reality of Us
Owen had never seen her like this. Her eyes sparkled, and she was so calm, so confident. Hearing Alice speak so eloquently and emotionally about a place he’d loved all his life made Owen want to tell everyone the truth about his feelings for her. Or at least tell her.
“You guys should get a picture.” Eloise pointed at Owen and Alice. “For the article.”
Owen thought he saw Alice’s eyes widen a fraction before her big, toothy grin slipped back into place.
“An excellent idea,” Lulu said.
“Sure, sure,” Alice said, her words rushing out on top of each other. He watched as she took a deep breath, her face flushing. “This guy’s going to have to listen to all my whinging during the race, after all. He deserves some recognition. In fact, Owen’s only recently opened his law firm here in Wattle Junction, but he’s been supporting Kathleen’s Place for years now, offering free legal advice and sitting on the Board of Directors. I can’t think of a better partner …” Their gazes met before she looked back at the reporter. The cheeky gleam in her eyes gave him … feelings. So many feelings. “He’s promised to do all the heavy lifting and sing pop songs when I need a pep up.”
Everyone laughed, and Alice tilted her head towards the space next to her. Owen stepped around the table, all the different candle scents making his head swim. At least, that’s what he told himself. It wasn’t because she’d called him her partner. Nope. Not that.
“Right, you stand here.” Eloise shifted Alice towards the light, ignoring the photographer who’d come along with the reporter. “Owen, you here.” She shifted out of the way, handing him an Alice Loves Kathleen’s Place candle, checking the label was towards the front.
He stood stiffly next to Alice, her wildflower perfume mixing with the heady scent of the candles. Don’t look like you sucked chocolate syrup off her tits last night, don’t look like you sucked chocolate syrup off her tits last night marched through his mind.
“Big smiles,” Eloise said, her grin a little too big … suspiciously big, actually, as she snapped a few pictures on her phone.
Owen blinked when the camera flashed, looking down at Alice. She was still smiling at Eloise, a few loose strands of hair escaping from behind her ear. His fingers itched to smooth them, tuck them away. To touch her in a way that made it clear to everyone she was his, and he was hers.
But he knew that wasn’t what she wanted, not yet. The debacle in the storeroom had made that perfectly clear.
“And now some of Alice on her own,” the reporter said.
Owen leant forward and put his candle back on the table. He settled on a polite nod as he said goodbye, wishing everyone luck for the rest of the afternoon.
Silently, he wished himself luck as well. He was going to need it.
It had been the perfect day, except for when Camille and Lulu had caught her and Owen together. “About before”—Alice cleared her throat as she and Lulu were wrapping up for the day—“with Owen.”
Lulu patted her hand. “No need to explain.”
“He’s so great, but it’s … complicated.” Alice sat on one of the fluffy stools behind the counter, reaching for her glass.
Lulu clicked on the screen, finalising the day’s sales before answering. “Alice, it’s okay. I promised Owen I wouldn’t say anything.”
“Thank you.”
The printer spat out a long receipt, and Lulu pulled a small canvas bag from the drawer under the till. She shook it out, plastic cash bags and rubber bands tumbling onto the counter. “Why don’t you take off? I’ll tidy up in the morning. I’ve got an early delivery.”
“Are you sure?”
Lulu winked. “Go celebrate and have some fun. Maybe put Owen out of his misery. He worries a lot more than he lets on.”
“About us? Not that there is an ‘us’ technically.” Alice swallowed her last sip of drink, the taste souring as she tried to glibly dismiss what they shared. She didn’t want to cheapen it, even if she wasn’t sure exactly what it was. Sure, they were playing by her rules, but her heart kept moving the goalposts.
“I think you’ll find Owen disagrees,” Lulu said as she tipped out all the two-dollar coins and started counting them. She grouped them into piles of five—little gold towers all in a row.
Alice ran her finger around the base of her champagne flute. “You do?”
Lulu laughed, nodding towards the open bottle of fizz. “Take the rest of this with you too. I’ll be asleep before my dinner if I have any more.”
“Thanks again for everything,” Alice said.
She grabbed her bag from the storeroom, smiling at the empty corner where her stock had been, tucked the flowers her family had sent—organised by Rico she’d bet—into the crook of her arm and picked up the champagne bottle. She had a huge few days ahead of her now, making more candles and mailing all the orders she’d sold but right now, she knew exactly who she wanted to celebrate with.
Scratch that. She’d stop at home first to pick up Murphy and take him to Owen’s with her.
Waking up in his arms for the first time would be the best reward for all her hard work.
