Page 30 of Check You Out

“Yeah, yeah, I’m ok,” I say quickly. “Want to trade?”

“Of course! Sharing is caring.” Aidan smiles as I cut a piece and put it on his plate.

12

Aidan

37 Days until the Council Meeting

“Are we done now?” Xander moans as we post yet another laminated flyer on a post near Triple C Café.

“That should be the last of them.” I turn to face him. Lloyd is strapped to my chest in a baby carrier, and his little legs dangle as I move. He’s been comfortably napping as we walked.

Xander pumps his fist and claps my back. “Fuck yes. Let’s get some coffee. Is your girlfriend working today? You should bring her something.”

My lips press into a frown. He’s been teasing me nonstop about Charlotte for the last few days. “Charlotte is not my girlfriend.”

He holds up a finger. “Yet.”

“Yet,” I add reluctantly. “I don’t want to bother her. It’s Sunday, and she’s probably busy.”

“It would get you some friendship points,” he says with a raised eyebrow.

“What like Stardew?” I inquire.

He nods.

I look up the street toward the glass window of Sunflower Books. Even from this angle, I see Thelma in the window, napping in whatever sunlight she can get on this cloudy day. But it’s impossible to tell how busy the store is right now. It could be packed with Sunday shoppers, their wallets loosened from mimosas and eggs benedicts from Little Bennett’s or Valley Station, the nicer restaurant in town.

You’re just going to bother her, I tell myself. Just go home. Maybe read a book.

But what if Xander’s right?

The thought of her smile is what wins me over. Letting out a sigh, I add, “Take the dog.” I unbuckle the baby carrier from my chest and hand the tiny dog to Xander. The transition wakes Lloyd up from his nap. He sneezes and does one of those half-yawns, half-whines.

Xander tosses a grin at me as I walk up the steps of the café. “Get me a hot caramel latte.” I wave him off and go in. A few minutes later, I come out with a coffee tray and three cups.

I stop when we get to the door of Sunflower Books. “You should take Lloyd,” I remark to Xander. “I’ll see you at home.”

He shakes his head and reaches for the door. “It’s dog friendly.”

“Are you sure?”

His response is to pull open the door and barge right in. I grit my teeth and follow him, expecting some sort of tongue lashing from Charlotte about bringing the dog in.

Several people mill about the store. One person is rubbing the belly of a purring Thelma as she lounges in the windowsill. Another is talking excitedly about a new Leigh Bardugo book to their friend. It smells like lavender and peonies.

My gaze darts around the store, searching for the one person I hope to see right now.

Charlotte is ringing a sale behind the counter. Her long golden-brown waves are tied up in a thick braid that rests on her shoulder like a rope. Tendrils of hair escape and frame her face like a halo. She’s dressed fairly casually in a T-shirt with a bookish slogan and jeans. She looks up and her mouth curls into a smile when her gaze meets mine. Her eyes grow wide as she takes in the little fluffy dog strapped to my chest.

“Oh my god,” she cries. “He’s so cute!”

As do some of the other customers. They flock to me, hounding me with questions about Lloyd. I answer them with a bashful smile, but all the while, a buzzing noise grows in my ears.

“What’s your dog’s name? He’s so adorable!” someone asks.

“Lloyd,” I reply, careful to pronounce both Ls in his name. After a heartbeat, I add quickly before anyone thinks I’m weird, “My students named him.”