Page 67 of Nerdy or Nice
I rolled my eyes. "Well, it's a little hard to say, considering that I don't know whatitis."
In reply, Drake reached into his shopping cart and pulled out the top bag. He dumped its contents onto my counter and said, "I hit housewares first."
In front of me, I saw maybe a dozen dish towels in various Christmassy designs along with a few random soap dishes. "You seriously want me to wrap all of this?"
"Sure, if it keeps you out of trouble."
I was still eying the pile. "So…should I wrap it separately? Or together?"
"Whatever's easiest." He lowered his voice. "But takes the longest."
I looked up with a snicker. "What?"
"I'm not picky," he said. "For all I care, you can toss the whole mess into a box and call it good. I wasn't joking, by the way. You can have it if you want."
"So…you're not planning to return it?"
"Hell no," he said. "That would be a dick move, don't you think?"
I did, actually.And the fact Drake did, too, helped explain why I'd fallen so hard. For someone so hot, he was surprisingly nice. "So let me get this straight," I said. "You're going to buyallof this just so we can talk?"
"Nope."
Heat flooded my face. "Oh, um—"
"Ialreadybought it," he said. "And now we're talking. So it's a done deal. See?"
The gesture was so sweet that I felt my eyes grow just a little misty. It was true that we hadn't solved a single thing. But Drake was here. And he looked so happy that I felt my own mood lift accordingly.
Based on his current demeanor, it suddenly seemed not only possible – but entirelyprobable– that everything from yesterday had been nothing more than a terrible misunderstanding.
Wishful thinking?
Maybe.
And yet, the spark of hope was flickering brighter with every passing moment.
Even so, I hated the thought of Drake literally paying to talk to me. I glanced at the clock on the far wall. "Youdorealize that we close in only fifty minutes, right?"
"I know." His gaze softened. "But that's fifty minutes too long." He glanced at the towels. "And just for the record, I meant what I said about helping." He gave me a wicked smile. "Hey, I know. Let's switch places."
I laughed. "What?"
"You standhere, and I'll get behind the counter.I'llwrap, and you can listen to what I have to say."
"Oh, I'm sure my manager would lovethat." I hadn't seen Mister Greenly since Drake had disappeared to do his shopping. But if my past experience was any indicator, he would be popping up at any moment, ready to catch me having too much fun.
In front of me, Drake winked. "Hey, I'll even wear the costume."
I stifled a giggle. "You're joking."
"Hey, call it penance."
"For what?" I asked.
"For not understanding why you were upset." His expression turned serious. "And I promise to explain. But first, I've got a question of my own."
"What's that?"
