Page 42 of Hiss and Make Up
“They’ll do that?” she said, her voice lifting at the possibility.
He squeezed her shoulder and walked to the counter. Sierra wished he’d stay and keep that hand on her a little longer. Like forever. Partly because she enjoyed having him nearby, but also because his absence left her alone with Chloe.
Sierra caught her mistake too late. She should have offered to get the order. Then Marc could be alone with Chloe. But the idea of watching while Marc and Chloe giggled together out of earshot…that was a torture Sierra had no idea how to deal with.
She looked out the window to check on her new friend. The dog had relaxed even more and plopped down at the edge of the sidewalk with his front paws crossed in front of him. He glanced at each person who walked past him, but he looked completely content, like he’d happily wait there forever.
“Is that your dog?” Chloe asked.
“Yeah. I mean, no,” Sierra said, not sure what he was. “Sort of.”
“He’s…cute.”
Of course, he was cute. He was freaking adorable. But Chloe’s tone implied otherwise.
Marc saved her from an assault charge by sliding a cup of half Biscoff, half dark chocolate gelato in front of her. She still wasn’t particularly hungry, but the sight of it made her mouth water.
He fiddled with the tiny vase containing a single red-orange zinnia. “This is a nice little place.”
“It’s one of my favorite places in town,” Chloe said.
The shop really was gorgeous. The sun was setting now, so the place was lit up with strings of white lights and tea light candles. And all the tables had fresh flowers. Super cute. And a wee bit romantic, if you were up for that sort of thing. It made Sierra feel like a third wheel.
“So.” Marc cleared his throat. He never did know how to ask for a favor without turning into an anxious puddle of mush. “Do you think you’ll be able to give me a hand with this email?”
“Oh! Right, the email.” She dug in her messenger bag and placed a manila folder on the table in front of Marc. “I thought the whole story about you helping with a piece on your old college team sounded weird. But I couldn’t imagine why Marc would lie to me about it.”
“What’s this?” Marc asked.
Chloe tugged at a strand of hair. “Um, I thought you wanted me to find out how to track that email? I called my brother and had him talk me through the process. He tried to explain it all to me, but I didn’t understand. So I took notes. I hope this helps.”
Marc stared in disbelief at the contents of the folder. Sierra stole a glance over his arm at a list of detailed, step-by-step notes, typed in outline form.
“Your brother?” Sierra asked.
“He’s our IT guy at the paper.” Chloe looked back at Marc. “I’m sorry, did I do something wrong? Because I thought—”
“No, not at all.” He chuckled and smiled at her over the folder. “This is exactly what I needed. Thanks.”
“No problem.” Chloe beamed with pride like she was a cat who’d just dropped a dead bird in his lap.
“What does it say?” Sierra asked. “Can we trace it?”
Marc closed the file and grinned like he’d eaten that dead bird dropped in his lap. Then, he winked at Chloe before facing Sierra again. “Oh, I’m sureIcan.”
Sierra’s face flushed hot with anger. She wasn’t sure if she was angry because he wouldn’t tell her what the notes said or because he’d winked at Chloe. And she couldn’t believe she was letting either of them piss her off.
She pushed her chair back and it screeched against the floor. Let him ask Kassie-Part-Two for a ride home.
Marc put a hand on her thigh, gently pinning her to the seat. His hand was warm and her thigh tingled beneath his palm.
“Calm down and eat some chocolate, will ya?”
“Calm down?” She wasn’t sure if she was most angry about him trying to manage her emotions or about his hand on her thigh or about how part of her wished he’d slide it up just a little farther.
Marc stuffed a spoonful of gelato in her mouth. She wanted to spit it at him, but it was good gelato. Really good.
While it melted in her mouth, Marc’s eyes locked on hers, and Sierra forgot all about Chloe and that folder and everyone else in that shop.
