Read Online Fixer-Upper by Meg Harding - Free Book Online Page B

was surprised that Jasper knew, but he knew he’d been less than subtle with his crush. He was surprised Jasper thought he should tell Dakota, though. “Does that mean he’s interested?” asked Jake, trying to sound casual as he doodled squiggly shapes in the condensation on his glass.
    “No,” said Jasper, “he’s just been insisting on working with you all the time because he admires your work ethic. And he frequently gives his drinks to guys he doesn’t like. Not to mention arranging gatherings at bars so he can chat with all of his fellow workers. He’s a social fellow like that.”
    Through the fringe of his lashes, Jake could see Jasper rolling his eyes. Beside him, Matt was snickering, head bent, thumbs moving swiftly as he typed something on his phone.
    Dakota came back before Jake could properly think about what Jasper had said or even reply. Jake tilted his head to stare at the side of his face. Dakota had arranged this whole thing just so he could talk to Jake?
    “What?” asked Dakota. “You can’t have this beer. I’m only so generous.”
    “You owe me twenty-five dollars,” Jake said as a cover. “I could take that drink as recompense.”
    He snorted. The foam from his beer clung to his upper lip. His tongue flicked out and licked it away. Jake’s insides squirmed, his gaze zeroing in on the motion. “I already told you, I don’t owe you anything.”
    “How about I introduce you to Lincoln and his crew?” Jasper asked Matt.
    Matt nodded eagerly. “I’d love that.”
    They both scooted out of the booth and headed for Lincoln in the far corner, leaving Dakota and Jake alone. Jake stared after them, brows furrowed in consternation. That hadn’t been subtle at all.
    Dakota gently bumped his side. “How’d you meet Matt?”
    It took a minute for Jake’s brain to get with it, but it eventually managed. “College, we had some classes together.”
    “And you two aren’t…?”
    “Yeah, no,” snorted Jake. “Matt likes them big and with beards.”
    Dakota tilted his head back as he laughed. Jake watched his throat work and felt like tugging on his shirt to get some air. “So Lincoln and him might hit it off.”
    “It’s a possibility.” He resisted the urge to twist around to see if Lincoln and Matt were actually hitting it off.
    Silence settled over them, both of them retreating into their drinks. Jake pulled out his phone and absently tapped at it, unlocking and locking it, pointlessly checking his e-mail. Dakota stared down into his drink, periodically sipping it, making agreeable little humming noises as he did.
    It was awkward. Jake felt so awkward. His right leg began to bounce. His hand shook as it hovered over his phone. He hadn’t felt this awkward around Dakota since the beginning, and even then he’d had the work to distract him.
    After an eternity of awkward silence, Dakota heaved a heavy sigh and set his drink down with a not so light thud. He turned in the booth to face Jake, draping one arm along the back and propping one ankle on his knee. “Do you like me?”
    Slowly Jake mirrored his position, taking in Dakota’s serious expression, the intensity of his dark brown eyes. Crow’s-feet fanned out from the corners of them. Jake wanted to reach out and touch them, feel the lines beneath the tips of his fingers. He balled his hands into fists in his lap. “I do,” he answered, voice managing to crack a little on the second word. He cleared his throat. “I do,” he said again.
    It was like watching the sun rise, not because it was bright, but because it was slow-spreading and beautiful to watch as a smile bloomed across his face. It faded quickly, though, and then Dakota was shaking his head in exasperation. “You know, I kinda knew, and I waited and I waited for you to say something, and you never did. You’ve been driving me crazy.”
    Jake didn’t know if that was a good thing or a bad thing. “If you knew, why didn’t you say anything?”
    Dakota knocked