Page 5 of My Summer Fling

He looks so fucking smug. I want to smack that look right off his pretty face.

“So, it looks like if we did a three-tier with all the same flavor, you’re at $350.00. But if you want to mix it up, and do different flavors, that would bump it up to $425.00.”

I look away from Noah and make a note in my phone of the flavors I liked—and the pricing. I thank her and push away from the table to leave.

“Thank you so much for seeing me today. I will talk to the bride and groom and get back to you tomorrow.”

She smiles at both of us, even as Noah picks up what’s left of the dark chocolate to take it with him. I roll my eyes as she hands him a fresh plastic fork. He winks at her—again—and I grab his arm, pulling him with me toward the door.

“Hold on, pretty girl!” He laughs. “You’re gonna make me lose my cake!”

“Noah, seriously,” I growl as I whip around to confront him on the sidewalk. “I don’t need your help. I told you I would tell you if I couldn’t handle it.”

“Ah, come on Millie-Moo!” he teases, backing up with his hands held high in surrender when he sees I was serious about my threat last summer.

His smile lights up his face as he steps back closer to me, using his free hand to tuck some stray hair behind my ear. I know what that look means. I know how it used to make me go weak in the knees. No more. I’m not letting this happen again. Especially not now when I have my shit together.

“Let me tag along. At least for today.” He tugs on my hair, making me roll my eyes. “Let me show you just how helpful I can be. I’ll even drive us to the next place! Where to next, buttercup?”

It could be worse. I could be doing this with Brandon. He may be an okay lay, but that guy has zero interpersonal skills. He’d probably just sit there and play FarmVille on his phone or scroll Reddit.

I once asked him to take a trip with me inland to the mountains. I wanted to get a change of scenery. But he was too worried there wouldn’t be any signal at the cabin and there was a big update coming to FarmVille he didn’t want to miss.

He’s an asshole. But he scratches an itch that I can’t really scratch myself. So I keep him around.

I sigh.

“I need to go to the florist and see the options she made for them.”

“Let’s go then!” he cheers, tossing his cake in the nearest trash can and swinging back around to loop my arm through his. “My car is right over here.”

I gently free myself from his arm and put some distance between us.

“Just a friendly touch, Mills. I’m not going to grope you in public.”

There was a time when I hadwantedhim to grope me literally anywhere.

“I know that, Noah. But my boyfriend probably wouldn’t like me linking arms with another guy.” I pull out my phone to check if I missed any messages. Of course I didn’t. Brandon would never dare express any interest in my life.

I notice Noah has gone quiet, and when I look back up at him, his stern face is set in stone. He opens the door to his rental car and doesn’t even look at me before shutting the door.

I’m not sure what I did to suddenly render Noah Harding speechless. It’s kind of eerie. I always want him to shut up, but now that he actually has…I’m not so sure I like it.

“You have the address?” he asks, his voice void of emotion.

I read it off to him and he types it in the GPS. Without another word, we take off down the road.

Looks like it’s going to be a silent trip.

She has a boyfriend.

I’m not sure why I’m gripping the steering wheel like I’m trying to break it the fuck in half, but I am. I’m sulking like a kid who didn’t get his candy. I don’t like that anyone is touching her, let alone dating her.

Does Teddy know about this? He didn’t say anything to me when I told him I was heading out here for the summer.

Brandon. I try not to scoff out loud. I’ve never met a Brandon I like. You can’t moan the name Brandon.

I try to shake myself free of the bad mood it put me in because if I don’t, it’s going to ruin my chances of being allowed to help her. She fidgets in the seat next to me, tying and untying her hair in little knots as she looks out the window.

---