Read Online The Space Between Us by Megan Hart - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Megan Hart
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sad state of our love lives. By the time we’d gone through that, I figured Meredith would’ve left, but when I took a break to make the rounds of the shop, clearing away crumpled napkins and left-behind mugs, she was still sitting in her spot.
The sun had moved, and she was alone. She was still beautiful. Something pensive in her face as she tapped away at her keyboard made me pause. She’d pushed her hair behind her ears, in which she wore simple and elegant pearls I knew had to be real despite the size. Not Jangle Bangles, either. She might sell that stuff, but she didn’t wear it. She had faint lines at the corners of her eyes and mouth, but they didn’t take anything away from her beauty.
She caught me staring. “Hey.”
“Oh. Hey. You’re still here. Can’t get enough of the caramel crunch, huh?” I gestured toward the row of self-serve carafes.
“I’m fully caffeinated.” She showed me her empty mug. “But I got my money’s worth today, I’ll tell you that.”
“Joy’s going to charge you rent,” I said with a glance over my shoulder to the counter. Joy was serving Eric, actually giving him a bit of a flirtatious smile. “Jeez, that guy can make even Joy tingly.”
Meredith closed her laptop. “It’s all in the smile. I think he makes everyone a little tingly.”
“Yeah,” I said fondly, watching Eric take his plate and mug to his favorite table and lay out his paper.
“You missed some good stories today.” Meredith leaned back in her seat. “The things people get up to, you’d never believe it.”
“I’m sure I would. Want me to take that for you?” I pointed to her empty mug and the plate beside it. “How was the apple crumb?”
“Tesla,” she murmured.
I stopped with my hand halfway to the table, caught like the Tin Man with his ax up. “Hmm?”
“We should do something.”
I forced myself to take the dishes, though they rattled when I lifted them. “Like what?”
“Something fun. Out of this place.” She twitched her fingers in Joy’s direction. “Without your boss hovering over us.”
“Sure. That sounds great.” I picked up her napkin, too, faintly imprinted with her lipstick. It crumpled in my fingers. I didn’t want to throw it away.
“What time do you get off tomorrow?”
“I work early, so three.”
“How about we grab some dinner or something? Maybe hit a club?” She paused. “It’s a Friday night. You don’t have a date or anything, do you?”
“Me? Oh. No.” I laughed.
“Good,” Meredith said, as though everything had been settled. “You do now.”
Chapter 8
“Y ou look pretty.” Simone watched me carefully as I applied eyeliner and shadow. “Can I have some?”
“You want some pretty?” I turned from the mirror to look at the kid. With her blond hair and big blue eyes, there was no question who she belonged to: Elaine all the way. But she had something of her dad in the set of her mouth when she wanted something. I held up the square box of eye shadows in one hand, my angled brush in the other. “Green or blue?”
“I like the sparkly.”
I eyed the tube of liquid glitter eyeliner. “That might be a little too much for you, kiddo. It’s messy and…”
Her baby brother could really put on the waterworks, but Simone wasn’t much of a tantrum thrower. She could throw a mean pout, though, and now that rosebud mouth turned down with such skill there was no way I could deny her. I sighed. “Your mama might be mad at me.”
More likely it would be her daddy who gave me the lecture about tarting up his four-year-old, but Vic wasn’t any better at denying Simone when she wanted something. She sighed, tiny shoulders shrugging. The pout stayed put.
“Fine. C’mere.” I put down the shadows and pulled out the glitter liner. “But you have to promise, promise, promise me you’ll take a shower later and without complaining, you hear me? Because it’s really important you wash off all your makeup before you go to sleep,
The sun had moved, and she was alone. She was still beautiful. Something pensive in her face as she tapped away at her keyboard made me pause. She’d pushed her hair behind her ears, in which she wore simple and elegant pearls I knew had to be real despite the size. Not Jangle Bangles, either. She might sell that stuff, but she didn’t wear it. She had faint lines at the corners of her eyes and mouth, but they didn’t take anything away from her beauty.
She caught me staring. “Hey.”
“Oh. Hey. You’re still here. Can’t get enough of the caramel crunch, huh?” I gestured toward the row of self-serve carafes.
“I’m fully caffeinated.” She showed me her empty mug. “But I got my money’s worth today, I’ll tell you that.”
“Joy’s going to charge you rent,” I said with a glance over my shoulder to the counter. Joy was serving Eric, actually giving him a bit of a flirtatious smile. “Jeez, that guy can make even Joy tingly.”
Meredith closed her laptop. “It’s all in the smile. I think he makes everyone a little tingly.”
“Yeah,” I said fondly, watching Eric take his plate and mug to his favorite table and lay out his paper.
“You missed some good stories today.” Meredith leaned back in her seat. “The things people get up to, you’d never believe it.”
“I’m sure I would. Want me to take that for you?” I pointed to her empty mug and the plate beside it. “How was the apple crumb?”
“Tesla,” she murmured.
I stopped with my hand halfway to the table, caught like the Tin Man with his ax up. “Hmm?”
“We should do something.”
I forced myself to take the dishes, though they rattled when I lifted them. “Like what?”
“Something fun. Out of this place.” She twitched her fingers in Joy’s direction. “Without your boss hovering over us.”
“Sure. That sounds great.” I picked up her napkin, too, faintly imprinted with her lipstick. It crumpled in my fingers. I didn’t want to throw it away.
“What time do you get off tomorrow?”
“I work early, so three.”
“How about we grab some dinner or something? Maybe hit a club?” She paused. “It’s a Friday night. You don’t have a date or anything, do you?”
“Me? Oh. No.” I laughed.
“Good,” Meredith said, as though everything had been settled. “You do now.”
Chapter 8
“Y ou look pretty.” Simone watched me carefully as I applied eyeliner and shadow. “Can I have some?”
“You want some pretty?” I turned from the mirror to look at the kid. With her blond hair and big blue eyes, there was no question who she belonged to: Elaine all the way. But she had something of her dad in the set of her mouth when she wanted something. I held up the square box of eye shadows in one hand, my angled brush in the other. “Green or blue?”
“I like the sparkly.”
I eyed the tube of liquid glitter eyeliner. “That might be a little too much for you, kiddo. It’s messy and…”
Her baby brother could really put on the waterworks, but Simone wasn’t much of a tantrum thrower. She could throw a mean pout, though, and now that rosebud mouth turned down with such skill there was no way I could deny her. I sighed. “Your mama might be mad at me.”
More likely it would be her daddy who gave me the lecture about tarting up his four-year-old, but Vic wasn’t any better at denying Simone when she wanted something. She sighed, tiny shoulders shrugging. The pout stayed put.
“Fine. C’mere.” I put down the shadows and pulled out the glitter liner. “But you have to promise, promise, promise me you’ll take a shower later and without complaining, you hear me? Because it’s really important you wash off all your makeup before you go to sleep,
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