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“Uh-huh. I’ll see what I can do.”

I can’t wait to tell her on Monday just who was sitting in her coffee shop. I have half a mind to ask her to take a selfie with us, but I’m worried it’d be too obvious and she’d figure it out.

After cheesecakes, we go for a walk down Main Street. The sidewalk is lined with wooden booths and people working around them. The street is full of life already, but none of them will open until tomorrow. At the end of our short walk, we go to the Den for a drink.

It’s packed for a Thursday night, mostly with people getting ready for the festival.

“Want to get a table or sit at the bar?” I ask.

“Bar.”

Nina seems to be the kind of person who likes to be in the middle of the excitement.

There are only two empty chairs at the bar, including Blake’s favorite, which I take for myself, feeling very rebellious, like I’m making a claim. His chair is my chair.

Bryce gives me a big smile as he approaches. “Fancy seeing you here. You finally came down from the attic?”

Shit. My face warms.

“Bryce, this is Nina,” I say before he goes and says something embarrassing in front of Georgina. “She’s in Dogwood to interview for a job at my agency.”

Bryce mouths, Sorry, before turning to Nina. And I don’t think he got a good look at her before, because he pauses like he’s been struck, and stares for a second before putting his hand out.

“Bryce,” he says, his voice coming out all funny.

“Nina.” She grabs his hand and, from the look of it, does the actual shaking, while Bryce just stares, his hand hanging limply.

For a second I’m worried that he’s recognized her and is awestruck.

But there’s no recognition on his face when he says, “Nice to meet you. How are you liking Dogwood?”

“It’s nice. It makes me miss living in a small town.”

“Well, I’m sure you’ll get the job. Do you even have any other applicants?” he asks me.

“I have a few,” I say vaguely, glad that I only have to keep up the pretense until she leaves on Monday. Or I’d have a hard time explaining why no one’s gotten the job.

The door to the back room opens and Blake walks in. I can’t control the way my heart suddenly leaps in my chest any more than I can control the sudden grin on my face. I’m just glad that when our eyes meet, his face lights up too. He walks straight up to me and pecks me on the lips.

“Hi,” he says.

I’m so flustered, it takes me a while to answer, and by then, Bryce has already introduced Nina.

“Nice to meet you,” Blake says, less awestruck and more confused, and he looks back at me with a questioning look.

He doesn’t like that I didn’t tell him someone was interviewing for a job. Should I have?

I hate that after a week I still don’t know what we are to each other. I want to believe that he’s behaving like I’m his girlfriend. But it’s Blake. That’s the way he always acts with girls until he breaks it off two weeks in.

“Are you coming over tonight?” he asks.

Nina is still busy talking with Bryce.

“Yes. As soon as I’m done here.”

Blake

“Great. I’ll work until you’re ready to go.”