Me and My Ghoulfriends (3 page)

All at once I felt incredibly self-conscience, which was exactly why I didn’t like dating. I wondered if he noticed the huge red blemish that had popped up on my chin over night. I thought, at the age of twenty-five, I wouldn’t have to deal with teenage torture anymore. Reluctantly, I peeled my eyes away from the chalkboard menu and tried to form my sweetest face.

His eyes were still fixed on me and I was beginning to perspire from the nervous energy I was feeling. Was I standing on pins and needles? It sure felt like it. A bead of sweat trickled down my cheek. Talk about being scrutinized.

“I’ll take a tall chocolate covered cherry latte.”

“Excellent choice.” A smile curved his lips.

“It’s my favorite,” I said, flashing him my best grin. So far so good, I’d successfully ordered a drink. Luckily, I’d had that drink before on a trip last winter and remembered how much I loved it.

“So I guess you came to check out the new person in town? Quite a few people have already,” he said, as he grabbed a paper cup for my order.

“Actually, I…” I needed to think of something clever to say quickly. I didn’t want him to think I was spying on him. Although I guess technically, I was spying.

“Actually, I just needed a coffee pick-me-up this morning.” All right, that was far from clever. Even though it was hard to be clever all day without large amounts of caffeine coursing through my veins.

I eyed him for his reaction. I hoped there would be a reaction. No reaction would mean he really didn’t care one way or the other. Maybe he was just making small talk and I was over-analyzing the entire situation. He probably chatted with everyone. That’s what coffee shop owners do, right? Of course, it had to be. Nothing to get excited about, I reminded myself. I was acting as if I had a schoolgirl crush. His eyes flickered, and I could have sworn I saw a surprised smile on his face.

“Is that right?” His masculine arms flexed again as he reached for a new package of lids placed high on the shelf.

My eyes were probably bulging out of my head as I stood there, transfixed.

“I knew someone had leased this space, but I thought you would be much older.” I stumbled over my words. What was I saying? Someone needed to tape my mouth shut!

“Really?” he said. He let out a soft chuckle that ignited tiny tickles in the pit of my stomach. The hunk finished preparing my drink and handed the cup toward me with a beaming grin.

Stretching my hand out, I grabbed the cup from him and our hands touched ever so slightly with the exchange. My hand tingled with the swap and my stomach flip-flopped. Call me crazy, but I had the distinct feeling the touch had been on purpose.

His fingers lingered for a split second. They lingered when they didn’t have to. Relishing the tingle, I looked up from my cup and met his stare. His eyes were endlessly captivating. Was he flirting with me? No way, I must have been imagining things.

“So, who told you I was old?” he smiled.

“Oh no. No one told me you were old. I guess I just assumed. Coffee shop. Old person.” I chuckled nervously.

What was I saying? Shut up!

He paused, I assumed, to think of his choice of words.

“Well, I was assuming you would be older as well. You know, bookstore owner.” He didn’t smile.

“You know, like a bookworm or something.” He flashed a bashful grin, and then let out a hearty chuckle.

I laughed, relieved.

“And I’m not a bookworm?” I asked, playfully biting my lip, trying my best attempt at sexy. I’m sure I just looked stupid instead. It probably looked more like a nervous twitch than a sexy guise.

“No. You’re not my idea of a bookworm. You’re very sexy girl-next-door.” He gazed at me with those gorgeous pale-blue eyes of his, as though he was taking in every ounce of my appearance. My pulled-back dark hair, my casual shirt, comfy jeans and new white sneakers.

Did he like what he saw?
Please let him like what he saw
.

My cheeks were burning. At that point I had the distinct feeling he was trying to flirt with me. I didn’t think it was my mind playing tricks on me. He was sending off flirting signals all over the place.

“Hey! How did you know I was the bookstore owner?” I raised my eyebrow at him.

“I saw you opening up this morning.”

Of course! That was a stupid question, being right next door, he had to have seen me.

“It’s a pleasure to meet you. I’m Callahan Weiss.”

He held out his hand. After the tingle from just the touch of his fingers, what would happen if I shook his hand?

I decided to take my chances and took his hand lightly. How could I not? It was so smooth, yet rough in all the right places.

“I’m Larue Donavan. It’s nice to meet you too.”

He blinked, as if in slow motion, then opened his eyes again. His lips had parted to utter another word when the door opened, distracting his thoughts. Damn. He stopped just as he’d begun to say something and looked at the customer. (Maybe he’d been going to ask me out?) The bad part was that his eyes were ogling whoever had just walked in the door.

I followed his gaze to see Brianna sliding through the entrance. Didn’t the woman ever work?

She glided to the counter, her eyes focused on Callahan the entire time. I almost expected her to push me out of the way like a running back giving me the straight arm. Her timing couldn’t have been any worse. She held his gaze and I suddenly felt like an outsider looking into their little world, as if I were intruding.

“Hi, Callahan,” she said, breaking the silence.

“Hi, Brianna, what can I get for you?”

She gave him a coy little smile that had sexual undertones flashing like a neon sign all over it. It was as if she’d cast a spell on him as soon as she’d walked in the door. Entrancing him with her… with her… Heck, I wasn’t sure how she could hold him spellbound. But somehow she had. Was I somehow suddenly invisible? Finally, she acknowledged me, eyeing me up and down with a slight smirk on her face.

“Um. Nice to meet you. I need to get back and open my store. The coffee is great,” I said, lifting my cup to him as I walked toward the door.

I didn’t say anything to Brianna, not that she cared either way. Her eyes were once again fixed on Callahan.

“Come back soon,” he mumbled, not looking at me.

I thought I detected something different in his voice, but I wasn’t sure what. Strangely, it did somehow sound different. I shook off the thought, sure that it was just my imagination.

I walked hurriedly past the window, forcing myself not to look at the hottest coffee shop owner ever enjoying the company of another woman. Not just coffee shop owner, but the hottest guy I had seen in a long time. Maybe ever.

I sighed as I ambled back to
Book Nook—
Brianna had struck again. I took the key from my pocket and unlocked the entrance, flipping the sign back to open as I pushed the heavy frame of the door shut behind me.

Taking in a deep breath, I headed straight to work. The fragrance of the books encircled me and I never tired of smelling them.
What could he possibly see in her besides her blonde hair, sexy eyes and great body? Okay, I guess all of those were reason enough, but take away the looks and there was just an empty shell, in my opinion.

I tried to block what might be happening next door from my mind. Of course, President Lincoln had followed me back to
Book Nook
. I was hoping I’d ditched him at the coffee shop, but no such luck. Maybe, just maybe, I thought, Brianna would have captivated him as well. Abe was no dummy though, and not as easily persuaded as Callahan. He didn’t like her, there was no denying that. He was standing in the corner of the store giving me a disenchanted glare.

“What are you staring at me for?”

“Why did you run out of there like that? It was quite obvious to me that you were admiring the fellow.”

“I can’t talk about this right now, a customer is coming in. So shush.”

Abe shrugged his shoulders and looked away.

A little old woman walked through the door, her cane clanging on the threshold as she entered. With her voice crackling, she asked for the local section, and I pointed her in the right direction.

Unfortunately, Abe was standing in that section as well. I gave him a ‘behave yourself’ look and, thankfully, with that he disappeared.

I had a lot on my mind lately and I didn’t need him distracting me from my customers any more than I already was. I knew he’d be back soon enough, he always came back. He’d been around for a month already and didn’t seem to be in any hurry to go away any time soon.

The bell above the front door chimed again and I snapped my head up to see who’d entered. I was hoping for another customer, but it was just Mindy. She smiled broadly as she walked toward me. I’d recognize that look anywhere; we had been friends since high school and I’d seen it way too many times. With the suspicious gleam floating in her eyes, I knew she was definitely up to something.

“I know that look. And the answer is no,” I said, shaking my head.

The old lady in the corner looked up from her book. She smiled, and then lowered her gaze back to the pages—she probably had a crazy best friend too.

“You won’t be able to say no to this.”

Mindy smiled and held up a bag, dangling it in front of my face. Instantly I recognized the sack:
Dad’s Bakery
.

“No way.” I shook my head. “I need to lose five pounds as it is, and you bring those in here to tempt me? You should know better. How can I lose weight like that?”

“I brought your favorite too. Blueberry glazed.”

Ugh. Blueberry glazed was my all-time favorite.

“You’re evil, you temptress. Between doughnuts and the coffee, I’m going to be bouncing off the walls.”

Mindy raised one of her perfectly arched brows as she glared at my coffee cup.

“And where did you get that?” she asked tauntingly, bouncing her eyebrows up and down.

I grinned and took a sip of my coffee. “It’s chocolate covered cherry!”

“Uh huh. I did not ask what kind it was. I asked where you got it.” She glared at me expectantly. “There are only a couple of coffee shops in town. And considering one of those shops is located right next door with a whole lot of hotness in it, and by hotness I mean a hunk of a man, I’m going to venture a guess that’s where you got it.”

She tapped her French-manicured nail on the counter, demanding an answer. The sound of her fingernail echoed through the quiet store.