Page 9 of Embers of You
Sutton looks around like she’s expecting someone else to appear, but I think it’s just the two of us. And the bird.
“What—” She clears her throat. “What’re you doing here?”
“I’m actually here for professional matters,” I lie.
“Professional matters?”
I nod. “I have to do some fire safety checks; did Trish not tell you one of us would be by for this?”
She shakes her head.
“It shouldn’t take me long, unless you’d prefer I come back when Trish is here?” I offer, though I’m holding my breath.
“No, no, it’s fine. Do what you need to do.” She waves me off.
“Shut up, Vern,”the bird squawks.
“What did he just say?” I ask Sutton who looks like she’s trying to hold back her laughter.
She just shrugs before turning and walking down a short hallway to another room. I pretend to busy myself with checking things around the shop. I have absolutely no real reason for being over here other than trying to talk to Sutton, so once I’ve spent a fair amount of time in the other rooms to not seem too obvious, I enter the room she’s in.
While I pretend to check outlets and lights around this room, I catch her subtly trying to look at me. I smother my smile before breaking the silence between us.
“So, how’re you liking it here so far?” I ask, glancing over at her as she brushes out a scruffy looking dog on the table.
“It’s fine. Quiet.”
“Do you like the quiet?”
She shrugs. “I guess.”
I walk a little closer to her and lean against the wall next to where she’s working. “Have you thought more about having a friend in town?”
She snorts out a small laugh, and it’s extremely adorable. “I’m not against friends here.”
“You just don’t want to bemyfriend,” I taunt.
She turns slightly to look at me, her green eyes locking on me with intensity. “I said I don’t think I could be friends with you, not that I don’t want to.”
“Sounds like the same thing to me.”
“It’s not.” She turns back to the dog, taking some scissors and cutting around the dog’s legs.
“Then why not give it a shot,” I try.
“Are you done with your check?” she asks, ignoring me.
“Almost. Can I see your keys?’
She furrows her brows at me. “Why?’
“It’s the last thing I need to check.”
She opens a drawer behind her and jingles her keys in front of me.
“Just had to make sure you weren’t going to need me to rescue you again.” I wink at her before she rolls her eyes.
“I’ll make sure to only lock keys in my car when you’re not around,” she sasses.
