and set down the breakfast goods. The solid door to the back employee area swung open and I let out a disappointed sigh when it wasn’t Sam who rounded the corner.
The short brunette girl flashed me a smile as she walked toward the front. “Welcome to Beely’s. Is there anything I can help you find today?” she asked.
I returned her smile. “Good morning, I was actually hoping to run into Sam. Is she here this morning?”
Suddenly, the girl’s expression changed and she looked me over skeptically. “May I ask who’s looking for her?” Just then the back door reopened and Sam, the goddess of my dreams, emerged. She was looking down at a clipboard, reading something, and she hadn’t looked up yet.
“Hey, Shelly, did that order of cookbooks come in—” She lifted her face and the words caught in her throat as she saw me. Her feet stopped moving and she froze in place.
I lifted a coffee and brown paper bag. “I brought breakfast,” I said.
Sam found her tongue and stepped closer. “Cory, what are you doing here?” she asked. Her tone was full of accusation. Sensing our tense conversation, the other girl, Shelly, stepped aside and pretended to busy herself straightening titles on a nearby shelf.
“I needed to see you. I needed to talk to you. I have to exp—”
“I thought . . .” Her bottom lip quivered as she spoke. “I thought I made it clear that I want you to stay away from me.”
“Babe—”
“And don’t call me that. ” she quietly scolded. Her gaze fell toward the floor.
“It’s not what you think. I’m not hooking up with anyone else. That picture . . . I didn’t even know it existed.” I spilled my words out quickly. I figured it was my one chance to get them out.
Sam lifted one of her perfect brows at me. “I find that hard to believe.” She spun around and headed toward the back. “I’ve got work to do. Bye, Cory,” she called as the door slammed shut behind her.
“Damnit, Sam,” I said as I reached up and rubbed my hands over my tired eyes. When I looked up, Shelly was casting me a glance that was half filled with hatred and half with pity. She quickly turned away and scurried back to follow Sam.
Chapter 31
Sam
I sat down on the squeaky, uncomfortable chair in the tiny break room and let my heavy head fall into my hands. Just seeing Cory had broken my heart even more. I’d had a restless night of sleep after yesterday’s ordeal and today I was exhausted as a result. Exhaustion and heartbreak were always a bad combination, and the two things tended to feed off one another. I focused on inhaling deeply and then exhaling slowly to calm my frazzled nerves. That asshole had really had the nerve to just waltz in here with a coffee like nothing had happened. Unbelievable. Un-freakin-believable.
Shelly burst into the back room and looked down at me with concern. “Sam, are you okay?”
I forced myself to straighten up. I wasn’t going to let that guy rule my emotions. “Yeah I’ll be fine. Thanks, Shel.” I gave her a weak smile.
“What happened this weekend, Sam? On Friday you left here and it looked like you were sitting on top of the world. This morning you came in looking like you’d been rolled over by that same world.”
“It’s nothing, really. I’m fine, just a little tired is all.” Shelly knew me very well, and I knew there was no way of convincing her that was true.
“Uh huh.” She looked at me questioningly. “So I suppose that ugly little exchange out there with Mr. Hunk was all because you’re tired ?”
“I really don’t want to talk about it right now. Okay?” I stood up. “Let’s just get back to work.” Shelly nodded in agreement and walked out to the front. I followed close behind.
It was a quiet morning in the store, thank God. We’d only had a few customers, and the down time allowed my head some much needed time to think. I kept thinking back on how wonderful the weekend with Cory had been, how everything had been
The short brunette girl flashed me a smile as she walked toward the front. “Welcome to Beely’s. Is there anything I can help you find today?” she asked.
I returned her smile. “Good morning, I was actually hoping to run into Sam. Is she here this morning?”
Suddenly, the girl’s expression changed and she looked me over skeptically. “May I ask who’s looking for her?” Just then the back door reopened and Sam, the goddess of my dreams, emerged. She was looking down at a clipboard, reading something, and she hadn’t looked up yet.
“Hey, Shelly, did that order of cookbooks come in—” She lifted her face and the words caught in her throat as she saw me. Her feet stopped moving and she froze in place.
I lifted a coffee and brown paper bag. “I brought breakfast,” I said.
Sam found her tongue and stepped closer. “Cory, what are you doing here?” she asked. Her tone was full of accusation. Sensing our tense conversation, the other girl, Shelly, stepped aside and pretended to busy herself straightening titles on a nearby shelf.
“I needed to see you. I needed to talk to you. I have to exp—”
“I thought . . .” Her bottom lip quivered as she spoke. “I thought I made it clear that I want you to stay away from me.”
“Babe—”
“And don’t call me that. ” she quietly scolded. Her gaze fell toward the floor.
“It’s not what you think. I’m not hooking up with anyone else. That picture . . . I didn’t even know it existed.” I spilled my words out quickly. I figured it was my one chance to get them out.
Sam lifted one of her perfect brows at me. “I find that hard to believe.” She spun around and headed toward the back. “I’ve got work to do. Bye, Cory,” she called as the door slammed shut behind her.
“Damnit, Sam,” I said as I reached up and rubbed my hands over my tired eyes. When I looked up, Shelly was casting me a glance that was half filled with hatred and half with pity. She quickly turned away and scurried back to follow Sam.
Chapter 31
Sam
I sat down on the squeaky, uncomfortable chair in the tiny break room and let my heavy head fall into my hands. Just seeing Cory had broken my heart even more. I’d had a restless night of sleep after yesterday’s ordeal and today I was exhausted as a result. Exhaustion and heartbreak were always a bad combination, and the two things tended to feed off one another. I focused on inhaling deeply and then exhaling slowly to calm my frazzled nerves. That asshole had really had the nerve to just waltz in here with a coffee like nothing had happened. Unbelievable. Un-freakin-believable.
Shelly burst into the back room and looked down at me with concern. “Sam, are you okay?”
I forced myself to straighten up. I wasn’t going to let that guy rule my emotions. “Yeah I’ll be fine. Thanks, Shel.” I gave her a weak smile.
“What happened this weekend, Sam? On Friday you left here and it looked like you were sitting on top of the world. This morning you came in looking like you’d been rolled over by that same world.”
“It’s nothing, really. I’m fine, just a little tired is all.” Shelly knew me very well, and I knew there was no way of convincing her that was true.
“Uh huh.” She looked at me questioningly. “So I suppose that ugly little exchange out there with Mr. Hunk was all because you’re tired ?”
“I really don’t want to talk about it right now. Okay?” I stood up. “Let’s just get back to work.” Shelly nodded in agreement and walked out to the front. I followed close behind.
It was a quiet morning in the store, thank God. We’d only had a few customers, and the down time allowed my head some much needed time to think. I kept thinking back on how wonderful the weekend with Cory had been, how everything had been
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