“Uh-huh,” I said, absentmindedly packing a canister with sugarpackets.
“I mean, I know you wouldn’t know what that’s like, because theguys you’ve always been with are boring as hell,” she said with a casual shrug,dropping her purse behind the counter. “Aren’t you going to ask me why I’mbringing this up now? Don’t you want to know why I’m fifteen minutes late?”
I rolled my eyes up from my menial task, sighed heavily and said,“Why are you here fifteen minutes late, Brooke? Please, oh please, tell me.”
She threw her head back and spun around like she was a Disneyprincess gifted the keys to her very own library. “Trent and I decided tochristen the new granite countertop he installed over the weekend.”
My face broke out in a smile. “Took you that long, huh?”
Brooke practically skipped behind the counter. “Iknow, butwe’ve had a busy week and we’re trying this new thing, where we tease eachother but we let it build up and—”
I held my hands up, surrendering. “Okay, you know what? That’s alittletoo much information.”
“Whatever,” she said with a shrug. “You wouldn’t understand.”
“Uh-huh,” I grumbled as I grabbed my bag and jacket from a chair.“Do you mind if I get out of here a little early?”
Brooke shook her head, leaning her elbows on the counter. “Nah,it’s fine. Seems like a quiet day anyway.”
“It really has been. I think I’ve had, maybe fifteen customerssince seven this morning.”
“It’s the weather,” she said thoughtfully, gazing out the largepaned window. “It’sgorgeousout there. A little windy, but it’s likesixty-five degrees. People don’t need caffeine when the sun is waking them up.”
“Hmm.” Nodding, I tossed my bag over my shoulder and blew her akiss. “I’ll see you tomorrow, okay?”
I took a few steps toward the door when Brooke stopped me, “Wait!”I turned around as she asked, “Why are you leaving early?”
I worried my lower lip for two seconds too long before I replied,“I’m going home to cook dinner.”
“What are you cooking?”
“Devin wanted meatloaf.” I shuffled my feet on the creaky woodenfloor, tightening my grip on the strap of my bag.
Brooke furrowed her brow and glared at me, scrutinizing. “Why areyou acting weird?”
“I’m not,” I disputed with a longing glance toward the door.
“Uh, yes, you are,” she countered, nodding. “You’re actingnervous.Whyare you nervous?” I opened my mouth to argue, but before Icould manage any words, Brooke was shouting, “Oh my God, something happenedwith Devin! Tell me something happened. Please, please,please, tell mesomething happened!”
My face fell in horror. “Nothing happened!” I shook my headfitfully.
“Then, something’shappening,” she concluded, noddingsurely. “I can feel it. Something’s going on with you two. It’s like … like theplanets havefinallyaligned and shit isfinallygoing to cometogether. Oh my God, I’m so excited, Kylie. Trent and I have been waiting forthis to happenforever, do you realize that? And you’ve both been just—”
“Brooke, cut it out. Nothing is happening,” I insisted, but myvoice lacked the confidence I was hoping for. “If something was going to happenbetween us, it would’ve already.”
She winked. “Sure, babe. Whatever you say. Just remember, you guyshave alongnight ahead of you, alone in that apartment. With two beds,a couch, a shower, a kitchen …” She bit her lip coyly, waggling her penciled-ineyebrows. “And now you’re both unattached at thesame time.”
I rolled my eyes, my heart pumping wildly in my chest. “Oh God,shut up.”
“Ky,” she said quietly. “You guys are basically a celibate marriedcouple. You cook, you clean, he fixes things. You share a cat, for crying outloud.” She shook her head, dropping her arms to her sides exasperatedly. “Hebuys you fucking flowers, Kylie. I don’t think he buys his ownmotherflowers, but he sure as shit buys them for you. Why the hell do you think thatis?”
“He, uh …” I chewed my tongue, nudging it to contradict her as theair passed unevenly through my nose. “He does it because he knows … about mydad.”
Brooke tilted her head, tightening her lips. Her eyes flickeredwith sympathy and sadness. “Yeah, sweetie, and maybe he does it because he’sbeen pathetically in love with you for-everand he has no idea how elseto show you without scaring you away.”
The sound in my chest rivalled that in Poe’sTelltale Heartas I shook my head. “No way. If he really felt that way, he would’ve saidsomething.”
“Oh yeah? Then, why haven’tyoutoldhimthat you’vehad a crush on him since youfreakin’ met?”
