Page 116 of Butter My Biscuit

Once I’ve picked out my bouquet, I make my way up to the counter, where Vera finishes with another customer.

“That all?”

“Yep.” I smile, and she gives me the total.

Harrison inserts his card before I can pay.

“Don’t let him buy those for me,” I tell Vera.

The register dings, and she hands him a receipt.

“Y’all have a nice day.” She gives me a wink, then strolls off to help another customer.

I glance over at him, tucking my hair behind my ears. “You didn’t have to do that.”

“I know. I wanted to. A pretty girl should never buy herself flowers.” He shoves his hands in his pockets.

The electricity streams between us again, and I don’t like it one bit.

“Well, thanks.” I hold them up as I continue down the sidewalk. He stays in line with me, and when we make it to the end of the block, I stop walking and turn to him. “It was great seeing you.”

“Yeah. We should do this again soon.”

“I think you have my number. Maybe you should text me sometime.”

He laughs, returns my smile, and then we exchange a weird side hug. And just like that, we transform back to when we were fifteen years old, when hormones couldn’t be controlled and we didn’t want to touch the other.

As he turns and walks away, I watch him. He turns and looks over his shoulder at me, and I shake my head. Of course he looked back. I just wish this stupid smile on my face would go away.

Maybe we do have a chance at getting our friendship back on track and we can go back to when we weren’t a runaway train heading for derailment. Who fucking knows?

* * *

ONE WEEK LATER

Kinsley comes over to my desk and sets down a stack of papers. “Can you look at these and tell me which one I should answer next?”

I force a smile and slide them toward me. “Sure.”

“Going to Boot Scooting tonight to watch London play with her band?”

I shrug. “Not sure yet.”

“Something wrong?”

“Nothing,” I tell her honestly. “Things are fine. Just thinking about my life and how something other than the daily temperature needs to change.”

I thumb through the previews of the first few questions.

Q1: Dear Kinsley … I have a crush on my dad’s best friend.

Q2: Dear Kinsley … I know my neighbor is having an affair.

Q3: Dear Kinsley … The person I’m in love with doesn’t love me the same way.

Q4: Dear Kinsley … My family has a dark secret that I want to share.

Q5: Dear Kinsley … I’m in love with my best friend.

---