She gets up with a beautiful big smile on her face. “Have a good day at work.”
“I’ll try to. Love you, Case.” I give her a big squeeze before letting go.
I head out the door and do the ten-minute walk to the bus stop. I’m only waiting a few minutes before it pulls up, and I jump on to take a seat.
I pull my sketchpad out of my bag and continue working on a new sketch I’ve had stuck in my head since yesterday.
Before I know it, the bus is pulling up to my stop. I get off and make my way to the store. Grady is just opening up as I arrive.
“Morning, Evie Girl,” he says. Opening the door, he lets me through first.
“Hey, Grady. You want some coffee?”
“You see? This is why I hired you. Because you know just what people want at the exact right time.”
“It’s a gift.” I smile at him.
“Damn good gift to have.” He chuckles. “It’ll take you far in this world.”
I let out a laugh. “If only that was the truth. I’ll make us that coffee.”
The day is dragging like hell, and my days never drag here. There’s always something to do. We’re always busy with customers, or we have new stock coming in. The place is always buzzing.
Today hasn’t been any different. I’ve been nonstop busy, but that hasn’t stopped the clock from slowing down.
I can only put it down to one thing. I want it to be five p.m.
At five p.m., I’ll get to go to the beach, and I’ll get to see Adam.
I’ve turned into one of those girls who go all dreamy-eyed over a boy.
Do I walk up to his beach house or just go straight to my rock?
I mean, he’s usually out there when I’m walking along the beach.
I guess if he’s there, I can go over and say hi.
And if he’s not, I’ll just go to my rock and wait for him to come over.
What if he doesn’t come over?
Oh God, I’ve turned into one of those annoying overanalytical girls.
To stop myself from going insane, I go into the stockroom and grab a box of T-shirts that’s just been delivered, intending to get them out on the shelves. I hear the shop bell ring as I’ve just lugged the box down from the shelf.
Grady’s out back with Base, cleaning the boards from the lesson they’ve just done, so I’d better get back out on the shop floor.
Armed with my box, I walk back into the store and then freeze on the spot.
Adam.
He’s here in the Shack.
He looks so much more imposing here in the shop than he did yesterday. I mean, I knew he was tall, but I feel doll-sized compared to him.
And he looks even more gorgeous, if that’s possible. He’s wearing a pair of black board shorts, a red T-shirt, and flip-flops.
He even has nice feet. And I don’t like feet, especially men’s feet. They’re usually all hairy and gross.
But Adam? Well, he has nice feet. They’re all tan and sexy and not too hairy.
Oh God.
I lift my eyes back up his body to his face, my eyes meeting with his.
There’s a sexy smile on his lips.
He totally knows I was checking him out. And you know what? I don’t even care that I got caught.
He’s hot. It should be illegal not to stare at the man.
I grin at him, and that smile of his deepens.
And I melt into a puddle of goo.
“You need a hand with that?” He nods at the box weighing my arms down.
“Um, sure.”
He comes over, and I get a whiff of him. He smells like the ocean and sunscreen.
His hand brushes my arm as he takes the box from me, and I have to control the shiver it elicits in me.
“Where do you want it?”
“On the counter is fine. Thanks.”
I watch him walk over to the counter before putting the box down.
He’s here. I can’t believe he’s here.
Did he come here to see me?
I doubt it. I never told him I worked here.
But then he would have seen the logo on my shirt, if he were paying attention. And I get the impression that not much escapes Adam.
But I can’t see why he’d come here to see me, as he would have known I would be going to the beach later.
“So, what brings you to Grady’s?” I ask as he walks back over to me.