Page 6 of Unsteady: How to Fail at Flirting
“Juicy,” he says, low and gravelly, making me realize it wasn’t a dog I heard growling a second ago. It was Finn.
I think we both need a cold shower.
Or, even better, to share a really hot one.
I clear my throat and shake the cobwebs out of my head. What was I doing? Oh, right.
Back to business. I march back to my pop-up bookstore tent and get in between Skylar and Pastor Patty. I hand the older woman one of my business cards and turn on my thousand-watt smile.
“Raven’s Books, Music and Gifts. Coming soon to Songbird Ridge. Follow me on TikTok; I’m a delight.”
The older woman sniffs at me and puts the card away before really looking at it.
She gives a polite but meaningless, “Be sure to let me know when you open, dear.”
“I sure will, Pastor Patty. I’d love for you to come by and do a cleansing.”
She looks at me like I just said something vile. “You mean a blessing.”
I twirl my hair and give her a genuine smile. “One of those, too, just to be safe. Thanks for stopping by!”
I don’t give her time to respond. I walk away, pretending to busy myself by straightening some books and stickers.
“She did blanch. I enjoyed that,” Finn says with a laugh. Again, he’s back at my elbow without a sound.
Oh boy.
Flustered and blustering, Aunt Patty finally leaves. Iris, though, I can tell, is having a hard time gathering herself after that confrontation.
“How come I always come up with a dozen zingers after Aunt Patty walks away?” Iris asks.
She needs to get out of here for a while. I tell her that her meddling aunt doesn’t understand her and advise her to go home and take a breather.
“My friend here is about to take to her bed. Do you think you could look after my booth while I walk her home?”
Finn doesn’t hesitate. In fact, he looks like he was ready to make that offer if I hadn’t asked. He looks concerned after seeing the exchange between Iris and her aunt.
I just met the guy, but Finn seems trustworthy.
I squeeze his hand, the same one that held mine earlier today, and this time it feels different. Warm and rough, but comforting. Still, a twinge of excitement rolls through me.
“I’m on it, girl,” Finn says, without a hint of bravado or irony.
That reassuring touch, that steadiness in his voice, echoes through my head on the walk to Iris’s house.
I tamp these feelings down while I’m with my friend, knowing I need to help her get out of her head before she spirals about her family issues. So I talk about my plans for the store, about book signings I want to do with local authors, about my dream to someday do a large book festival and bring a whole new audience to our little town.
Skylar smiles appreciatively as I talk. This is why we’re friends. I talk, she listens. She emotes, and I am more than happy to pick up the pieces.
I’m probably jinxing it all because I’m getting way ahead of myself. I haven’t even gotten the lease approved yet, and there’s no telling if I’ll ever get approved for a bank loan for renovations, but I know that Iris isn’t going to fault me if some or part of my plans don’t work out.
Once Skylar’s in her bed, I make her some tea and stay until I’m sure she’s going to be OK.
I feel bad for talking about myself, but she thanks me anyway for helping her get her mind off Aunt Patty.
“Don’t pay her any mind, do you hear me?” I tell her. “You can wallow for today, but tomorrow I want you to take the day off and pamper yourself.”
I also remind her that as a dressmaker, she needs to be taking better care of her mental state because nobody wants a depressed and traumatized dressmaker for their wedding. “It’s bad luck!”
