Page 68 of The Kiss Connection

I want to reach for her hand, but we’re in my car and there’s no one watching us.

Touching her isn’t necessary, at least not for optics. Instead, I keep my hands firmly planted on the steering wheel as I head through traffic to our first destination. It’s a Friday night and the roads are mobbed.

We’re scheduled to meet with the realtor at four o’clock, to start looking at rental properties for her bookstore. No doubt we’ll run a few minutes late, not by choice.

Traffic.

It always comes down to traffic in New York City.

I’ve had the realtor draw up a few places to look at within my budget. I know they’re going to be more than Juniper would have wanted to spend, but they’re in New York City, they’re not in Montana, or wherever she’d have wanted to open up her small bookshop.

Besides, wherever she picks, it needs to be easily accessible for her. Juniper doesn’t own a car, which means finding a place near the apartment or somewhere she can grab the subway, since we only live a couple of blocks from it.

We meet at the first building, where Freya, my realtor, is already waiting for us. She steps out of her car, and I come around to open the door for Juniper. Anytime we’re out in public, we’re on.

I can’t afford a slip up, and if Juniper were my real girlfriend, I sure as hell would be getting the door for her.

“Thanks,” Juniper says, and she forces a smile. It’s so obvious her discomfort around me.

We’re going to have to work on that more.

Whatever it takes.

I had thought kissing her in the bar last night would have helped ease the tension between us, but it only seems to have gotten worse.

Freya steps out from her car and comes around to wait for us near the sidewalk. “Myles,” she says, greeting me. We’ve met before. She took me around to see several apartment complexes before I realized how much I liked Conrad’s, and I wanted someplace similar, but without having to purchase anything, yet.

“Freya, it’s good to see you. Thanks for working with us,” I say. “This is my girlfriend, Juniper.”

“Freya,” she introduces herself, “it’s nice to meet you, Juniper.”

“Nice to meet you too,” Juniper says and offers her hand.

“I hear you’re looking at spaces to rent out for a bookstore?” Freya asks. I’ve already informed her of the type of space we need. Something that doesn’t require a lot of adjustments inside, has a decent amount of foot traffic, and is in a nice neighborhood. In addition, subway access is a plus.

“Yes.” Juniper’s eyes widened and her shoulders seem to relax. “I plan on opening a romance book shop, so I don’t need a huge space with a ton of square footage, but something cozy. Of course, I’d need to make sure that bookshelves and some comfortable chairs and sofas will fit. I want to be able to run book clubs and events that feel comfy, not crammed.”

Freya nods eagerly. “That all makes perfect sense. The first property offers a lot of foot traffic. It might be a little outside your budget, but it’s only been on the market for a day. I thought we should see it first, since this area doesn’t turn over business very often. It’s likely to get snatched up by Monday.”

That’s a good sign.

“Why did the last owner leave?” I ask, curious why a great property would be up for rent if there isn’t a lot of turn over here.

Freya smiles as she heads to the front entrance and types into the lockbox the code. She retrieves the keys and unlocks the front door. “The owners were a pair of sisters. One of them passed away. It was an art studio, where they offered classes, and she was the one who did the artwork and teaching. The other sister was more of a business gal, handling the day-to-day operations.”

“Oh, that’s sad,” Juniper whispers.

Freya nods. “We don’t expect this shop to be on the market for very long. It’s why I wanted to show it to you first.”

It’s a small space but not too small. There’s a lot of light from the front windows, and while the shop isn’t particularly deep, it is plenty wide as it’s also a corner unit.

“I like it,” Juniper says, a faint smile tugging at the corner of her lips.

I follow Juniper around, giving her space but also taking note of the building. There’s a bathroom in the back, a small breakroom and storage area that isn’t huge but manageable. It’s close to the apartment, which is also a major plus. It’s one subway stop away, walkable on a nice day, but in the snow and rain still easily accessible.

“It’s really nice,” I say, “and it doesn’t need a lot of changes.”

“Right,” Freya nods. “This place would be perfect. You’d need to add a few bookshelves, but honestly, the place sells itself.”