Lisa
By the time we'd finished at the shop, the sky had turned a dusky purple, and my body was aching in places I didn't even know could ache. I slumped against the counter, watching as Suzie boxed up one last batch of cookies with her usual energy. How she wasn't completely drained was beyond me.
"Okay," she said, tying a pink ribbon on the box before turning to me with a smile. "I packed up some goodies for you too. Consider it payment for being the best last-minute sales rep-slash-kitchen assistant ever." She let out with a broad and grateful smile.
I laughed, waving a hand dismissively. "You don't have to pay me in pastries, Suzie. But I'll take them because, well, free food." I chimed in.
"That's the spirit," she said, sliding the bag across the counter to me. "You saved my butt today, Lisa. Seriously, I owe you big time."
"Don't mention it," I said, grabbing the bag and following her to the door as she locked up for the night.
We stood on the sidewalk for a moment, the cool evening air a welcome relief after the heat of the kitchen. Suzie glanced at her phone, frowning slightly. "Ugh, my ride's running late. They're saying another twenty minutes." She retorted weakly.
I glanced at the boxes she was carrying… cakes and pastries stacked neatly for delivery in the morning. It was a lot for her to manage alone. "Why don't I just drop you off?" I offered. "You've got too much to carry, and I'm not exactly in a hurry to get home anyway." I let out while she immediately looked at me, her face lighting up. "Are you sure? You've already done so much today." She quizzed.
"It's no big deal," I said with a shrug. "Besides, it gives me an excuse to avoid my apartment for a little longer."
"Alright then," she said, grinning. "Let's go. You're officially my hero."
The drive to Suzie's place didn't take long, but by the time we pulled into her driveway, the air between us was filled with laughter as she recounted a story about a customer who once tried to barter for cookies with a handmade scarf.
"You're kidding," I said, parking the car and turning to look at her.
"I swear on my best recipe," she said, holding up a hand. "The guy was dead serious. And the scarf? It was hideous. Like, neon green with these weird tassels." She exclaimed while I laughed so hard as we got out of the car. Suzie grabbed one of the boxes while I opened the trunk to get the rest. Before I could lift the larger box, the front door opened, and her boyfriend, Asher stepped out.
"Hey, babe!" Suzie called, waving at him. "Perfect timing. Come help us with this stuff."
Asher jogged over, his easy smile flashing in the dim light. He looked even taller than before, with a casual confidence that seemed effortless. "Hey, Suzie. Hey, Lisa."
"Hey," I said, offering a polite smile as I handed him one of the boxes.
He took it, his gaze lingering on me just a little too long before he turned to Suzie. "How was the shop today?" He asked.
"Busy," Suzie said, walking toward the house. "Lisa saved my life, though. I don't know what I would've done without her." She let out.
"Good thing she was around," Asher said, glancing at me with a faint smirk.
I ignored it, focusing on the last box in the trunk. His tone wasn't overt, but there was something about it that made my skin crawl.
Asher followed Suzie into the house with the first box while I stood by the car, adjusting the pastries in the bag she'd packed for me. When he came back out, he leaned casually against the car, watching me.
"So, you and Suzie had a busy day, huh?" he asked, his voice smooth.
"Yeah," I said shortly, not meeting his gaze.
"She talks about you a lot, you know," he said, his tone shifting slightly. "Always says how smart and hardworking you are. I can see why." He chimed in slowly, making sure to chew the words well.
My head snapped up at that, but before I could respond, Suzie appeared at the door again, calling out, "Asher! Can you grab the last batch from the kitchen?"
He straightened up, flashing me another smile before heading back inside. "On it, babe."
I let out a breath I hadn't realized I was holding.
When Suzie came back out, I forced a smile and handed her the bag of pastries. "Here you go. Thanks again for today… it was exactly what I needed." I replied.
"Anytime," she said, giving me a quick hug. "And thanks for the ride. You're seriously the best, Lisa."
Asher came back out just as we were saying our goodbyes, but I didn't give him the chance to say anything else.
"Drive safe, okay?" Suzie said, waving as I got into my car.
"Will do," I said, smiling at her.
As I pulled out of the driveway, I couldn't shake the feeling of Asher's lingering gaze. I gripped the steering wheel tightly, my mind racing.
Something about him didn't sit right with me. Ever since the party, I just knew something was off about him. His eyes wouldn't stop wandering all over me… and even now, he was still doing the same.
By the time I got home, the sky was fully dark, and the day's events were still replaying in my mind. Between the disaster with Claire, my unexpected detour to Suzie's shop, and Asher's unsettling behavior, I felt like my emotions had been through a blender.
I parked the car and grabbed the bag of pastries Suzie had packed for me, letting out a deep breath before heading inside.
As soon as I opened the door, the scent of something woodsy hit me. It wasn't my usual vanilla candle. I turned the corner into the living room and stopped short when I saw Dave sitting on the couch, holding a bouquet of roses.
He looked up at me, his expression completely blank. "This was delivered for you."
I froze, my heart sinking. I didn't need to look at the card to know who it was from. Still, I walked over and took the bouquet from him, spotting the attached note.
Henry.
My stomach churned as I read the brief, sickeningly sweet message: "Thinking of you. Hope we can talk soon. – H"
I was shocked to my bones. How could he be so shameless? It wasn't enough that he was cheating on me with my best friend, now he wants to turn the tables and start cheating on her with me? That would never happen! He's never getting a reaction out of me!
Without a second thought, I marched straight to the trash can and shoved the bouquet inside, roses and all.
"Wow." Dave's voice broke the tense silence. "Not a fan of flowers?" He quizzed.
I closed the trash can lid harder than necessary, brushing my hands off as though the very act of touching them had left a stain. "Not from him, no."
Dave raised an eyebrow, leaning back on the couch. "Care to elaborate, or is this one of those 'none of your business' situations?"
"It's… complicated," I said, brushing past him and heading to the kitchen to put the pastries in the fridge. My voice was tight, but I could feel his gaze following me.
"Complicated enough to make you trash a perfectly good bouquet without blinking?" he pressed.
I sighed, leaning against the counter and pinching the bridge of my nose. "Let's just say it's from someone who doesn't deserve the time of day, let alone flowers." I let out.
Dave stood up, crossing his arms as he leaned against the doorway. "Ex?"
I shot him a sharp look. "What gave it away?"
He smirked faintly. "Just a wild guess." Then his tone softened. "You okay?"
That simple question caught me off guard. For a moment, I considered brushing it off, but the concern in his voice made me pause. "I'm fine," I said quietly, though the lump in my throat said otherwise. "It's just… that I don't want to talk about it. He has a way of stirring things up even when he's not there. But I don't want to talk about him." I let out slowly.
Dave nodded, his gaze lingering on me for a moment before he straightened. "Fair enough." He paused, then added, "About earlier… at work. I didn't handle things well. I let my frustration get the better of me, and I'm sorry for snapping at you."
I blinked, surprised. Dave didn't strike me as the type to apologize easily, and hearing it now caught me off guard. "It wasn't just you," I admitted, meeting his gaze. "I was being difficult too. I think we were both a little too caught up in our egos. So… I'm sorry too."
"Truce, then?" he asked, extending a hand.
"Truce," I said, shaking it with a small smile.
For the first time since this whole mess began, I felt a flicker of relief. Maybe we could figure out how to work together without constantly butting heads.
"Oh," I said suddenly, remembering Suzie's party. "Speaking of truce… Suzie's having a birthday dinner soon. You should come." I quickly added.
Dave raised an eyebrow. "You're inviting me to a family thing? Bold move, considering how much we've been at each other's throats." He retorted.
"It's not a family thing," I said quickly, rolling my eyes. "It's a dinner, and Suzie loves hosting people. Besides, it might be good to hang out somewhere that isn't work or this apartment."
He hesitated for a moment, then shrugged. "Alright. I'll come."
"Good," I said, heading toward my room with the bag of pastries in hand. "Just don't make me regret it."
"Likewise," he called after me, his tone teasing.
For the first time all day, I felt like things were finally falling into place… or at least settling down. The issue with Dave had been weighing so badly on me and I was happy we were finally able to sort it out…