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She’s also wearing a shirt with the shop’s logo, but the woman standing next to me is wearing a gauzy dress with no name tag or logo in sight.
“No, but I’m so bored. My friend thinks she has to sniff every candle before buying one.” I glance over to where the woman is pointing and see another woman with her nose buried in a waxy candle.
I smile just a little, the mundane complaint making me feel just a little better.
The woman next to me offers her hand. “Charlotte.”
“Jay,” I say, offering my hand and shaking it. I turn back to the display and study some of the candle names with no intention of buying one. I can already feel myself cooling down, but I still don’t know how to address the situation back at the bar.
“So, Jay, do you live here in Maplewood?”
I’m surprised to see the woman, whose name I’ve already forgotten, still standing there speaking to me.
“Sorry,” I say, doing my best to be polite, “What did you say?”
“Are you living here or just passing through?” She tosses her hair and blinks at me, and that’s when I realize that she’s flirting. She’s flirting with me? I know I’m attractive, objectively. People have told me that, but I have no interest in this woman.
I answer her question though, because the silence is starting to stretch into awkwardness. “Oh, I live here. I actually own the bar just down the street. The Rusty Oak.”
The woman’s eyes light up. “Oh, I’ve been telling my friend we have to go there for drinks, but she has been so against it. Maybe if she meets you, she’d want to come.”
I smile politely, but my smile feels stretched and forced. “Sure, yeah, you’re welcome anytime.”
As I wonder why I don’t have any interest in the woman, was her name Cheryl? I study her. She’s attractive—long hair, curvy. Absolutely my type on a normal day. What is it about her that doesn’t turn me on at all?
It’s because I can’t stop thinking about Violet.
The realization hits me hard. Both women are attractive, but there’s something about Violet that has gotten into my head. I can’t just move on and continue living my life as normal. I want Violet in it.
But I know that she wants nothing to do with me. I imagine her cleaning up the glass by herself, and I instantly feel guilty for the way I stormed out.
I have to go fix this.
CHAPTER 10
VIOLET
Istare at the dumpster in the back alley of The Rusty Oak. Pulling back the little door in the side, I shove the garbage bag through and listen to the way the glass clinks against the other contents of the dumpster.
I don’t want to go back in yet.
Here, in the darkness, I can feel the cold stinging my cheeks, and I don’t have to smile at customers despite what I’m feeling inside. I’ve had run-ins with Jay before, difficult run-ins, but this last one was too much.
He embarrassed me in front of everyone for a simple mistake.
Sure, I wasn’t looking where I was going. It was completely my fault. I’m a klutz, but I’m not stupid, and I don’t like that he made me feel that way. It was humiliating enough shattering all those drinks on the floor. He didn’t need to scream at me while everyone was already staring and quiet.
I know I should head back in soon, but I can't face Jay or the customers just yet. I’m still too embarrassed and frustrated. Besides, I get a fifteen minute break during my shift. Why not take it now?
As I stare at the ground, lost in my thoughts, I hear the back door creak open. I look up to see Jay stepping out, his expression softened. He catches sight of me and hesitates for a moment before walking over.
“Uh, hey, Violet.” He starts rubbing the back of his neck like he hadn’t expected to find me out here. Where else would he think I was? Quitting and running out to my car to hide my face? I’m not that kind of woman. I only hide next to dumpsters.
“Can we, uh, talk for a second?”
“Please just give me a few minutes.” I refuse to look at him, frustrated that he wants to come here and rub this in my face again.
It’s definitely been fifteen minutes. I need to go back in there or someone will be after me. But then, I realize that the person who would be after me is standing right here, studying me with confused dark eyes that are half-hidden by his shaggy hair.
