Page 11 of How To Not Need You

Ben nods, satisfied, like this is the answer he wanted all along. “That’s the spirit.”

We work through the rest of the checklist in silence, the only sound the clink of metal and the low hum of the fridge in the kitchen. By the time we finish, the bay doors are open and the morning is properly underway.

I roll my shoulders, feel the tension set in and then fade. Then the station tones sound.

Ben grins as he pulls on his jacket. “She’s gonna say yes, you know.”

I look at him, skeptical. “To what?”

“To a date, you idiot.”

He says it with the kind of confidence that makes me both want to believe him and also punch him in the arm.

Instead I settle for, “She’d have to be crazy.”

Ben shrugs. “Lucky for you, most people are.”

And just like that, the subject changes. Ben slides behind the wheel, I take shotgun, and the next few hours belong to whoever needs us.

Chapter

Three

Liv

Page & Grounds after hours is my favourite version of the café. No customers. No laptops taking up entire tables after buying one small coffee three hours ago. No Luca loudly announcing everyone's order before they've finished saying it.

Just my favourite people, too much food, and enough wine to guarantee someone would embarrass themselves before the night was over. I'd completely hijacked the café for the evening.

Again.

Luca had stopped pretending to object after the third time.

I'd pushed most of the tables together, covered them with wooden boards overflowing with cheese, crackers, fruit and enough dips to feed a small village. Fairy lights were already strung through the bookshelves, mostly because Luca refused to admit that normal lighting was perfectly acceptable.

Honestly, the place looked pretty good. I was just moving the brie half an inch to the left because it looked better there, when the front door burst open.

"Holy shit."

I didn't even look up, recognising Luca’s voice instantly. He ignored me and continued anyway.

"I leave you alone for thirty minutes and you've turned my café into a Pinterest board for cheese."

"You're welcome."

"And you used my expensive cheese."

"Our expensive cheese."

He sighed dramatically. "I liked it better when it was just me and Elsie’s café."

"You still own it. I just contribute to cheese nights.”

"Barely. I think you must have snuck ownership papers in somewhere."

I smiled to myself as I adjusted another bunch of grapes. "Take your shoes off."

"My what?"