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“Yeah, yeah.” Wes opened his door and got out. He reached into the back seat for the bag holding our meals.
I closed his door and waited for him to make his way to the curb, then walked beside him to the bookstore.
“That was fast.” Megan looked over as we stepped inside. “Hey, Wes.”
“Hey. I ran into this clown buying dinner and figured I’d save you from being alone with him.” Wes gave a mock shudder, as if hanging out with me was the worst fate anyone could imagine.
Megan’s smile looked forced, but she batted her eyes. “Gosh. Thanks.”
“Any time. Seriously. If he’s lurking around and you’re getting bored, never hesitate to call. You know I live close.”
“Hey.” I punched Wes in the shoulder with a little more force than I might normally use. Sure, joking around was par for the course, but I definitely didn’t need him trying to convince Megan that I was some kind of creeper. It was bad enough that the group kept horning in on things that I set up as a way to spend time with her.
“Ow. Watch it, man.” He looked irritated.
Good. At least he was feeling the same thing I was. Massive irritation. “Should we set up over on the comfy chairs?”
Wes had already started in that direction. “Where else would we sit?”
“In the back?” Megan nodded toward her office area. “But this makes it easier for me to help if someone comes in.”
I studied her as we walked over to join Wes. Something in the way she’d said that was off. “Business bad?”
Megan shrugged. “It’s fine. It’s Wednesday night. Not exactly prime bookstore hours, you know?”
When were prime bookstore hours? She frequently mentioned when they weren’t. But did she ever get a crowd?
“You should have an event and get some people in. Remind everyone that you’re here.” Wes looked up from digging in the bag of food. “When I get the dive shop’s retail space set up? I’m having a massive grand opening to make sure people know I’m there.”
Megan’s smile looked tight. “How nice for you.”
“What?” Wes frowned. “I’m not saying you should do that. But you could do something, right? What makes you a better bookstore than the big chain at the strip mall?”
Wes needed to shut it. Immediately. Couldn’t he see that everything he said was making it worse? Not that I disagreed with his point, necessarily, but there had to be a better way to go about it. And Wes—Mr. Bull-in-a-China-Shop when it came to expressing his opinions—was not the one to help.
But I could.
For now, I’d change the subject. “Is there plasticware in there?”
“Yeah. Here.” Wes tossed me a set, then lobbed another at Megan. “You two really got the same thing?”
“Apparently.” I reached for a takeout container and handed it to Megan before collecting my own. “Is that a problem?”
“Nah.” He peeked in the bag. “Ooh, garlic bread. Did we order that, or did the waitress with the hots for you throw it in as a bonus?”
My face was on fire. I wasnotgoing to look at Megan though. I clenched my jaw and spoke through gritted teeth. “I ordered it. You were right there. And she was being nice.”
Megan snickered. “Maybe you were being clueless.”
I groaned. With Wes horning in, this whole evening was devolving rapidly. Maybe I ought to grab my food and head home. That was probably an overreaction. But gosh, it was what I wanted to do.
Wes was already stuffing food in his face.
I looked at him and lifted my brows. “Not going to wait to pray?”
Color blazed across his cheeks and he swallowed hastily. “Sorry. You’re right. I get distracted.”
“I’ll do it.” Megan closed her eyes and folded her hands over the container in her lap. “Jesus, thank You for food and friends. Keep us focused on You and in Your will. Amen.”
