The Flynn Effect

39 | what's in a kiss?

When I turn around, I almost trip over King's food tray and I grab the back of the couch for support.

"You okay there?" Drew taunts and when I look at him, he's returning my earlier smirk. "That's what happens when you don't mind your business."

I give him the finger and he returns it with joy.

"I'm right here." Mum says and I head for the door
before slamming it shut.

∞

"I NEVER THOUGHT I would live to see this day." Otis beams as he unboxes the bookshop's new printer and photocopier.

"Stop being so dramatic." Eloise says, rolling her eyes. "That printer was the OG printer since this store was opened for business."

"It was one hell of a printer though," I say amusedly.

"See," Otis points his hand to me, like he agrees. "Might as well be the first to handle this bad boy before I leave."

Right. Otis leaves for Appleton after Christmas.

"I keep forgetting you're leaving soon," I say. I glance at Eloise and see her looking back to the register on the counter.

He shrugs and rips off the tapes plastered to the device. "It's a bordering town." He says. "I can always drop by and say hi."

"That reminds me," Eloise chimes in. "We should start setting up the decorations soon. Christmas is less than a month from now."

"So we all agree that Jo is Santa this year, right?"

My mouth falls open. "What?"

Just then, the door swooshes open and Flynn walks right in. Our eyes meet and the color that rises to my cheeks is instantaneous and that's probably because I haven't seen him since Thursday/Friday night at the lake. He didn't show up at the store yesterday and for some reason, we didn't speak or text on the phone either.

"Hey," he says to me, regardless of the fact that Otis and Eloise are right next to us and I straighten and murmur a weak 'hi' in response.

"Whoa," Eloise grins. "Whoa."

"This isn't over." I say to both of them, concerning the Santa mascot before turning on my heel and marching to the inventory office.

"Crap," I mutter under my breath and place a hand on my chest. My heart is racing. He didn't say more than one word to me and yet my heart is racing as if he told me to take off my clothes.

"Crap."

A knock raps on the door and I jump slightly. Shit.

"Hey." He says. "Can I come in?" Fuck.

What do we say to each other now? Do we talk about it? Do we not? Does this change anything? Does he actually like me?

I take a deep breath and open the door. I look up at him and find him already looking at me. "Well? Can I come in?"

I open the door a little bit wider and step aside. "Sure. Why not?"