31
Labor Dispute, Hold the Mayo
Maisie
The Great Boyfriend Show was already two days behind me, and Devon and Sierra had yet to resurface.
No surprise visits to the shop.
No strolling past, hand-in-hand.
No awkward encounters over fudge or ice cream.
And yet, I still couldn't relax.
It wasn't because of them. It was because ofhim.
More accurately, it was because of myself. I felt like some kind of sweatshop miser, letting Griff work for free.Thatwas the problem.
Okay, it wasn't exactly free. He was technically working for food and bike access. But the longer this went on, the more lopsided it felt, like I was tricking him – or worse, taking advantage.
I wasn't okay with that.
So I did what any responsible business owner would do. I gathered up the tax forms to make all of this official – a W-4, the I-9, the whole shebang. I'd even printed off a blank direct-deposit form, just in case.
I arrived at the shop early and laid out the forms on the same back table where I'd placed the baked goods just a few days ago. And then I waited.
Just like the other day, I didn't have to wait long before the door flew open and Griff stood there looking at me. He cocked an eyebrow. "Openagain?"
Obviously, he meant the door, which I'd left open barely a crack. "Yeah. Because I was right here."
This made him frown. "You think that makes it better?"
"Of course it makes it better. Nothing was unattended."
"Yeah, except foryou."
I gave a confused shake of my head. "What?"
He gave me a serious look. "You know what I mean. The world's full of crazies, no need to invite trouble."
I tried for a joke. "If anyone's trouble, it's you." I sealed it with a laugh, but I wasn't completely kidding. Standing there in dark denim and rolled sleeves, with his tattoo peeking out on his forearm, Griff looked like a different breed of trouble, the kind that could break your heart without skipping a beat.
His sharp eyes skimmed the room with a quiet confidence that would've been comforting if only it didn't feel like overkill.Seriously, what was he expecting? Someone with a hatchet to come screaming out of the shadows?
Therewereno shadows, because for one thing, it was morning for God's sake.
Finally, he said, "Just keep it closed, alright?"
"But – "
"Call it a favor." He flashed me a sudden grin. "You owe me, right?"
I knew exactly what he was referring to – that whole fake-boyfriend show he'd put on for Devon and his bride-to-be. Technically, I'd already "paid" him by confessing that Devon was my ex.
But who was I kidding?I wasn't fully paid up, not by a longshot. Even when it came to information, it's not like I'd told Griff the whole humiliating story of how I'd been cheated on and dumped. And I sure as heck hadn't mentioned how my romantic replacement was the same blonde who'd been tormenting me in my own shop.
But knowing Griff, he'd guessed plenty. He was smart.Reallysmart. I knew that just from watching him work.
