I head out the door and do the ten-minute walk to the bus stop. I’m only waiting a few minutes before it pulls up, and I jump on to take a seat.
I pull my sketchpad out of my bag and continue working on a new sketch I’ve had stuck in my head since yesterday.
Before I know it, the bus is pulling up to my stop. I get off and make my way to the store. Grady is just opening up as I arrive.
“Morning, Evie Girl,” he says. Opening the door, he lets me through first.
“Hey, Grady. You want some coffee?”
“You see? This is why I hired you. Because you know just what people want at the exact right time.”
“It’s a gift.” I smile at him.
“Damn good gift to have.” He chuckles. “It’ll take you far in this world.”
I let out a laugh. “If only that was the truth. I’ll make us that coffee.”
The day is dragging like hell, and my days never drag here. There’s always something to do. We’re always busy with customers, or we have new stock coming in. The place is always buzzing.
Today hasn’t been any different. I’ve been nonstop busy, but that hasn’t stopped the clock from slowing down.
I can only put it down to one thing. I want it to be five p.m.
At five p.m., I’ll get to go to the beach, and I’ll get to see Adam.
I’ve turned into one of those girls who go all dreamy-eyed over a boy.
Do I walk up to his beach house or just go straight to my rock?
I mean, he’s usually out there when I’m walking along the beach.
I guess if he’s there, I can go over and say hi.
And if he’s not, I’ll just go to my rock and wait for him to come over.
What if he doesn’t come over?
Oh God, I’ve turned into one of those annoying overanalytical girls.
To stop myself from going insane, I go into the stockroom and grab a box of T-shirts that’s just been delivered, intending to get them out on the shelves. I hear the shop bell ring as I’ve just lugged the box down from the shelf.
Grady’s out back with Base, cleaning the boards from the lesson they’ve just done, so I’d better get back out on the shop floor.
Armed with my box, I walk back into the store and then freeze on the spot.
Adam.
He’s here in the Shack.
He looks so much more imposing here in the shop than he did yesterday. I mean, I knew he was tall, but I feel doll-sized compared to him.
And he looks even more gorgeous, if that’s possible. He’s wearing a pair of black board shorts, a red T-shirt, and flip-flops.
He even has nice feet. And I don’t like feet, especially men’s feet. They’re usually all hairy and gross.
But Adam? Well, he has nice feet. They’re all tan and sexy and not too hairy.
Oh God.
I lift my eyes back up his body to his face, my eyes meeting with his.
There’s a sexy smile on his lips.
He totally knows I was checking him out. And you know what? I don’t even care that I got caught.
He’s hot. It should be illegal not to stare at the man.
I grin at him, and that smile of his deepens.
And I melt into a puddle of goo.
“You need a hand with that?” He nods at the box weighing my arms down.
“Um, sure.”
He comes over, and I get a whiff of him. He smells like the ocean and sunscreen.
His hand brushes my arm as he takes the box from me, and I have to control the shiver it elicits in me.
“Where do you want it?”
“On the counter is fine. Thanks.”
I watch him walk over to the counter before putting the box down.
He’s here. I can’t believe he’s here.
Did he come here to see me?
I doubt it. I never told him I worked here.
But then he would have seen the logo on my shirt, if he were paying attention. And I get the impression that not much escapes Adam.
But I can’t see why he’d come here to see me, as he would have known I would be going to the beach later.
“So, what brings you to Grady’s?” I ask as he walks back over to me.
“You.”
Me? Me! My insides do a little happy dance.
“Me?” My voice has gone slightly high-pitched.
“Yeah.” He moves closer. So close, I have to tilt my head back to look up at him. “Also, I was out, getting a frame.”
“A frame?”
“Mmhmm. For the picture you drew for me.”
A swarm of butterflies start having a disco party in my stomach.
“You know, you should really let me pay you for it.”
“You like it?”
He stares at me for a long moment, so long that my mouth dries, and those butterflies flitter up my throat.
“Yeah, I do. I like it a lot.”
Holy God. I’m so done for.
The sound of Grady’s and Base’s voices coming from the back room snaps me out of it.
They both come to a stop when they see Adam and me. Maybe we’re standing closer than a customer and shop assistant should be.
No maybe about it, we are.
I take a small step back.
“Hey, man,” Grady says to him.
“Hey.” Adam gives him a nod.
“Our Evie Girl taking care of you?”
“Oh, yeah.” Adam’s eyes come back to me. “She’s looking after me just fine.”
I’m pretty sure my whole body is on fire. With lust. For him.
Dear God…
“So…” I clear my cluttered throat. “What are you looking for today?”
“An answer to my question.”
“Which question?”
He bridges that gap I just put between us and lowers his voice slightly as he says, “I asked you out yesterday, and you said you’d let me know today. I’m here to get my yes, so I can finally take you out on that date.”
Sweet baby Jesus.
I’m well aware that Grady and Base are still here, probably being a pair of nosy parkers and listening in.
“And what if I was going to say no?”
“Then, I’d keep asking until you changed your mind.”
That makes me smile. “Okay,” I say.
“Okay?”
“Yes.” I smile. “I’ll go out with you.”
“Now?”
I let out a laugh. “I can’t go out with you now. I’m working. But I get off at five—”
“She’s finished for the day.” Grady comes over, handing my bag to me.
“What?” I turn to him, taking the bag being pushed at me.
He has this huge grin on his face. “I think you deserve some time off.”
“But, Grady, the money. I need—”
“It’s covered, Evie. Just go out and be seventeen. Have some fun.”
I stare at him for a moment. “Okay. Thank you,” I say tentatively. “But I will make up the hours.”
He chuckles at me, shaking his head, as I start to move away, Adam with me.
“See ya, Base.” I wave at him.
“Later, Evie.”
I follow Adam through the store and out the door he holds open for me.
“So, you’re seventeen?” Adam says the second we’re outside.
“I am. Is that a problem?” I never considered how old he was. I mean, he’s clearly older than me. Well, he looks older.