know? About—”
“The feud? Not really. He knows there’s another bagel place that competes with us. But I’m not sure he understands what happened in the past. To him, you’re just my new friend.”
He huffs. “I wish I had that bright of an outlook.”
“What happened?” I box up the bagels as the door chime rings. I hold up my finger. “Give me a minute.”
I head to the front with the box. Mr. Tettlebaum is here. Usually he’s dressed in costume, but today, the only thing different than his suit jacket and gray hair sneaking out of his tweed flat cap is the stuffed cat on a leash that’s tucked under his arm.
“We read ‘A Man Called Ove’ by Fredrik Backman,” he says, as though that should make sense to me. I wish I had time to kick my feet up and read a book so I did know what he was talking about.
“Oh, nice.” I push the box toward him on the counter. My phone dings from the kitchen and I glance back before taking Mr. Tettlebaum’s money and giving him change. “Thank you.”
Seth comes out of the back room and Mr. Tettlebaum steps back, his beady eyes widening and alarm striking his face. “Seth?”
“Hi, Mr. Tettlebaum. I’ll get that for you.” He swoops up the box. “See you later, Evan. FYI, your mom just pulled up in the alley.”
I nod, realizing why he’s getting the hell outta Dodge. He makes a motion behind the old man’s back that he’ll call me later.
Mr. Tettlebaum asks Seth point-blank what he’s doing here, and I find myself holding my breath, waiting for the answer.
“Evan and I are friends. Didn’t you know that?”
Mr. Tettlebaum glances back at me as though he wants confirmation. “Huh, I didn’t know that.”
Seth winks at me, and my stomach reacts as though there’s a tiny gymnast in it. “Remember when everyone thought we were going to be married, what with our parents being best friends?”
“That was twenty years ago,” Mr. Tettlebaum says like that’s obviously not the case now.
“A lot can change in twenty years. Then a lot stays the same too.” Seth smirks as though we’re sharing a secret.
I haven’t shared a secret with Seth since we were nine years old, and I’m ashamed to admit, I missed it. I missed our friendship so much, but my body is yearning for more than friendship and that’s only going to cause me trouble and heartache.
“Evan?” my mom says. “I’m sorry—”
I gather myself and say goodbye, then I walk into the backroom to find my mom with the plastic supplies.
“Can you believe they said they couldn’t deliver it? I had to pick up some knives,” she says.
“But they delivered plasticware last week. We still have plenty.”
I pick up my phone to see who was texting me. There’s a voicemail, which I’m sure is probably Eli, and a text message from someone named Mack Daddy.
Mack Daddy: We have a situation. Meet me at my work after you close. If the red light is on, just wait in a chair.
I text back as my mom goes on and on about the plastic cutlery situation.
Me: Mack Daddy?
Mack Daddy: I think it’s a cute pet name? No?
Me: No.
Mack Daddy: Wait until you see what I saved you under.
Me: I probably don’t even want to know.
Mack Daddy: The reward comes to those who wait.
“What are you smiling at? Who’s that?” my mom asks with a happy tone.
She probably thinks it’s Brock. I can tell that my dad hasn’t told her about Seth’s visit this morning. I’m surprised my dad would keep that to himself, but then again, he might think he can stop our engagement before it comes out to everyone in our lives.
I think he’s mistaken though. Lately, I feel as though Seth and I are on a train with no brakes, heading down a steep hill. I can only hope we don’t crash and burn at the end of the track.
Chapter Eighteen
Seth
Heidi isn’t the usual client someone thinks of when I mention boudoir photography. In fact, she might be the most attractive woman who’s ever stepped foot in my studio. And she’s not even here for bridal boudoir—she’s here for herself.
“I’m just off a breakup and I thought this would make me feel desirable again.”
To get some overhead pictures, I step up the ladder Madison put up for me. Heidi’s outfits have all been red, black, and dark purple, which is a nice change from white lace and soft pink satin I usually