Page 69 of Pucking Matt
“Oh, thank God, it’s just you,” she says, basically crawling on the ground. She’s in a squatting fetal position. I glance around, wondering what she’s hiding from. Her apron is sprawled on the ground a few feet away.
“Everything okay?” I ask.
She stares up at me, probably realizing how ridiculous she looks. She reaches for the apron, but I pick it up instead. I reach out my hand to help her.
Reluctantly, she glances at my palm and then back to my face. She grabs my hand and stands.
I hand her the apron and ask, “Are you going to tell me why you’re on the ground, stripping at work?”
She ties the apron around her waist as she observes the hat on my head.
“There was a wasp inside my apron, so naturally, I fell to the ground.”
“Oh,” I take a look around. “Naturally, huh?”
She rolls her eyes. “Shut up, Matthew,” she says playfully.
“Should I check your apron for the wasp?” I reach for her and then catch myself. Her stunning eyes pull me in, making me wonder why I just hesitated. Would she let me?
If things were different and we didn’t meet the way that we did, maybe I would be here on the opposite side of the counter, flirting with her. I could give her the Matthew play-by-play, ask for her number like a normal person, instead of stealing it off the clipboard in the back. Maybe we could have been friends if we started off on the right foot, instead, we’re here, and she only likes me because I’ve forced myself into her life. Maybe she’s only nice to me because of the guilt.
“I’m sorry but that would be extremely inappropriate, Mr. Pearson.” She leans in, her eyes gleaming. “This apron is wasp-free and the only person removing my apron will be me.”
Challenge accepted. I take a mental note that now I need to take off her damn apron because she thinks she won’t ever let me.
“Are you going to stand there and gawk?” she whispers in my face. “Or are you going to clock in?”
My eyes drag down her face, noticing how close she is to me. She’s comfortable. By that smirk tugging at her lips, I can tell she’s feeling very comfortable.
When the wasp flies by, I smirk, bracing myself for the potential scream that’s about to happen. When she notices it, her eyes widen. But instead of running, she grabs me and putsme in between her and the damn thing. She’s using me for a shield.
The grip she has on my shirt makes me laugh. Then she pushes me toward it and runs out of the store. I watch as she shakes out her jitters. I need to catch this thing before it stings one of us.
Chapter 19
The bell above the door chimes as Matt pushes it open, a paper cup held carefully in his hands. There's a new lightness in his eyes as he looks at me, one I'm not quite used to seeing. He steps outside, releasing the trapped wasp onto the curb.
"There," he says as the insect takes flight, a small smile playing on his lips.
"Thank you," I murmur, relieved that we won't have to share our shift with an angry, stinging coworker.
As we head back into the Grind Stone, my mind is racing. The way Matt's looking at me, the almost-touch from earlier... Is he flirting with me? Or am I reading too much into this? I give my head a little shake, trying to clear it. If he's messing with me, two can play at that game. Maybe today will be fun after all.
"So," I say as we make our way behind the counter, "there are a few tasks I'm supposed to pass along to you."
"Okay," he replies, his tone casual.
I nod towards the hallway, and Matt takes the lead since the store is empty of customers.
"See those cups?" I ask, gesturing to a stack on the shelf.
He nods, eyeing them curiously.
"They need to be facing the same way. Like this." I demonstrate, aligning a few cups so the designs match perfectly. "Got it?"
Matt gives the cups a skeptical look, but before he can comment, I press on. "That's not all. Everything needs to face the same way. These boxes, the utensils inside - all lined up. Boss says it should only take an hour tops. I'll handle the front while you organize back here." I grab some metal tins. "These need dusting and organizing too."
He looks around the closet, disbelief etched on his face. "The containers too?"
