and I began restacking a display of muffins I’d already stacked just to give myself something to do other than ogle his throat as it bobbed with each swallow. Terrific, now I was mooning over the guy’s throat.
“Yeah, sure,” I shrugged, feigning a casualness I never felt in his presence.
Suddenly a sultry, feminine voice spoke up, drawing my attention away from the perfectly situated blueberry muffins. “Well hey there, Deputy Anderson.”
I’d been so enamored with all things Derrick that I hadn’t even heard the bell over the door sound when Carla Fitzgerald walked in. Carla Fitzgerald, the town bike, only beaten in sluttiness by Tammy Bradford. It took everything I had to suppress the sneer that threated to curl my lips. She’d never done anything to me in particular, but seeing as she had her surgically-enhanced tits pressed against Derrick’s arm in that moment, I instantly hated her.
“Miss Fitzgerald,” Derrick answered amiably. He wasn’t overtly checking her out or anything, but just the fact his attention was on her and he was grinning, suddenly seeming a lot less tired than when he first walked in, made my skin tingle with annoyance.
“I’ve been hoping to run into you,” she simpered, batting her overly-mascaraed eyelashes.
“Is that right?”
Ugh, kill me now, Lord. Strike me with a bolt of lightning or something !
“Mm hmm,” she hummed, running her fake nails over his bicep. “There’s a new restaurant having their grand opening in Jackson Hole this weekend. My friend’s the hostess and managed to get my name on the list for Saturday night, and I’d just love for you to join me.” Her voice dropped even lower as she added, “The food is supposed to be better than anything you’ve ever tasted.” Her sensual tone was enough to make me throw up in my mouth a little.
Spinning on my heels, I gave the two of them my back, unable to watch Derrick accept a date with another woman. I knew it wasn’t fair to feel hurt when I heard him murmur that he’d love to be her date to the opening. I mean, after all, I was the one who’d told him I didn’t have a crush on him anymore, for Christ’s sake. But that didn’t make the pain feel any less suffocating. My hands trembled as I fiddled with the espresso machine, moving aimlessly in the effort of looking preoccupied.
“Hey, Chloe,” my assistant manager, Erin called. “Something’s wrong with the convection oven again. I think it’s finally crapped out.
I could have kissed her. The girl had no clue that she’d just saved me. I seriously needed to consider giving her a raise.
“I’ll take a look at it, can you cover for me out here?”
“Sure thing.”
I started for the door to the kitchen when Derrick’s voice stopped me. “Chloe?”
“Hmm?” I hummed, glancing over my shoulder, refusing to turn all the way around and face him while he still had Carla hanging off his arm.
His brows dipped as those warm hazel eyes scanned over my face. “You okay?”
It was the curse of the ginger; whenever I got overemotional, nearing the point of tears, my face would grow red and splotchy. “Yes,” I answered, making sure to keep my voice bright. “Just,” I pointed over my shoulder, “this stupid oven. I should see what the problem is. You two enjoy the rest of your day.” I graced Carla with a stiff smile before placing my hand on the door, praying to escape.
“You need me to take a look at it?” Derrick asked, stopping me once again.
“Nope, I’ve got it. Besides, you’ve got to go get Eliza. I’ll see you later, okay?”
I didn’t wait to hear if he had anything else to say. Pushing into the kitchen, I looked over at Emily, one of my employees, as she stood, frosting cupcakes. “What happened?”
“The old girl finally bit it,” she said, tipping her chin to the ancient oven. Luckily I had more than one back here. “Don’t think she’ll be coming back this time.”
I glared at the piece-of-shit oven
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