Pride and Papercuts (The Austens #5) - Staci Hart Page 0,26
“Oh, I don’t need saving, especially when it comes to him. But thanks.”
“Oh, come on, Laney—it’s okay to need somebody to swoop in and whisk you away.”
“That’s sweet, but I bet there’s a girl out there who would love to be swooped and whisked by you.”
He wore a knowing expression. “You don’t always have to keep your guard up, you know.”
I took a sip of my coffee so I wouldn’t respond, but I burned my lip, swearing under my breath. “Jesus, Greg—where did you get the water for this latte, hell?”
He rolled one shoulder like a dumb, stupid man-jerk.
“I have tickets to a panel tomorrow night with some of the best Marvel comics to ever walk the earth. One for you, one for me. I figured we can go get ramen first.”
My eyes narrowed in confusion. “That’s sweet, Collin, but—”
“It really is sweet. Thoughtful too. I mean, who doesn’t love Marvel? Everyone loves Marvel—everyone. And if they don’t, they’re wrong. Especially those DC hosers. Don’t even get me started, or I’ll keep you here all day.” He smirked in my direction. “Then again, maybe I should.”
Fuck it. I grabbed my coffee, braced myself, and slammed it. In a searing shred of body tissue, it screamed its way down my esophagus. I coughed, lips together, into the back of my hand, my mouth a wasteland. I wouldn’t be able to taste anything for a week.
I glanced at smirking, clueless Collin. Worth it.
“That’s really too nice of you. But I have plans tomorrow night,” I said with a husky voice as I slid off the stool and snagged my bag. “You should ask Ruby! Gotta run. See you later.”
He smiled in a way that told me he had no idea that I’d blown him off, raising his hand to wave, but before he completed the motion, I hightailed it for the offices.
When I made it safely into the back of the bookstore, Cam looked up from her desk. When she caught sight of me, her face fell.
“What happened to you?”
I dumped my things in the love seat. “Men. Men happened to me.”
She leaned back in her chair, putting her Converse up on the desk. “Is this about Darcy?”
“No. I mean, yes, but no. He’s unbearable and drives me crazy, but he’s just one of the many. Like Wyatt standing me up last night. Or Collin, who will not take a hint.”
“Ugh, not again. You know Ruby’s got a thing for him, right?”
The red-headed cashier popped into my head, but when I tried to fit her with Collin, I couldn’t. “She is so out of his league.”
“The heart wants what the heart wants. He’s just too hung up on you to notice her.”
“I ignore him whenever possible.”
“He probably thinks you’re playing hard to get. Don’t worry about Collin. I’ll fix him up.” She rubbed her hands together with a devilish look on her face.
With a huff, I flopped down on the couch. “Are there any good men left?” She opened her mouth to speak, but I cut her off. “Married guys don’t count.”
“There are good guys left. Like your brother.”
“Yeah, well, I can’t exactly date him, can I?”
She gave me a look.
I pouted, staring at the leg of her desk. “For a minute, I thought Darcy and I were actually going to be able to get along. And then he had to go off and be a dick again.”
“It’s his default. But he means well, and he’s the best at what he does.”
“Oh, he’s all but told me himself. I’m pretty sure he repeats his merits to himself on a loop.” A pause. “I don’t know that he respects me as a colleague at all. What am I supposed to do, sit there like a good girl with my hands in my lap, nodding at every idea he has?”
“Could you do that without spontaneously combusting?”
“No. I mean, I haven’t worked on a team in a couple of years, but I’ve never worked on a team like this before. It’s so … stiff.”
“Well, think about it. You’re new to them. They have their own dynamic established. A new person always changes that. And Darcy doesn’t strike me as the type to embrace change.”
“No, he doesn’t.”
“I guess it’s probably too much to ask you to go with the flow?”
“It’d be easier if he didn’t berate me every time I opened my mouth. Oh, and get this—he called a meeting for tomorrow. Like I’m just at his beck and call. Like I don’t have anything else