Sandcastle Beach (Matchmaker Bay #3) - Jenny Holiday Page 0,106
her legs, which, like the rest of her body, were doing a weird buzzing thing, to carry her back into the store. “Say that again.”
“Uh, Jenna told me that Eve told her that Law likes you? I think Sawyer said something to Eve?”
“Into me or likes me?”
“Huh?”
“The first time you said he was ‘into me.’ The second time you said he ‘liked’ me. Which is it?”
“I don’t know. I didn’t pay that much attention.”
“Okay, how long ago was this conversation?”
He shot her a bewildered look. “I don’t know.”
“You can’t remember what she said. You can’t remember when she said it. What’s the matter with you?”
“Look,” he said, starting to sound annoyed. “I didn’t pay that close attention, okay? I thought you didn’t like the guy. I didn’t think you’d care.” He raised his eyebrows. “But maybe I was wrong about that?”
“No, no, I don’t like the guy.”
“You sure about that?”
No.
She needed to regroup. “I have to run.” She had to go to the source. Which was Eve.
Who was in the kitchen at the Mermaid having coffee with Nora.
“What is this? Is morning coffee a regular thing? I have to start getting up earlier.”
“Hey!” Nora smiled. “I heard the show was great last night.”
“It was! Holden is turning out to be the best decision I ever made.” He’d been less friendly after his spat with Ben at the bar, but that was fine. She didn’t need Holden to be her friend. And as a bonus, he’d stopped propositioning her.
Eve pointed to an empty stool and got up. “I’ll get you some coffee.”
“No coffee for me, thanks. But I do want to ask you something. So, ah…” There was no way to bring this up without looking like, to quote Rohan, she was in junior high. “Rohan says that Jenna told him that you”—she nodded at Eve—“told her that Sawyer told you that Benjamin told him that he likes me.”
Eve paused in the middle of climbing back onto her stool. “Come again?”
Nora cracked up.
“I’m hearing that Benjamin likes me. Do you think he likes me?”
Eve raised her eyebrows. “Do you like him?”
“No! I just want to know if he likes me! And if he does, I want to know why you didn’t bother to tell me!”
“I thought if I told you, you’d get all worked up.” Eve made a gesture that seemed to say, Like you are right now. “You got all up in my face last time we talked about this.” Maya winced. She had been a little strident. “And since I thought you were indifferent, I didn’t bother saying anything. Honestly, I didn’t even really pay that much attention when Sawyer was talking about it.”
“You’re right.” She was being a jerk. “I’m sorry. I’m really tired. I’m going upstairs to power nap, but first, I have amazing news!”
After she told them about the Globe critic, she went upstairs and texted Ben. Rohan got the Globe and Mail critic to come to the show Saturday!
He wrote back right away. That’s amazing! Congrats!
It was only later, as she was drifting off to sleep, that she realized how odd it was that when she’d had good news, the impulse to text Ben and tell him about it had been automatic.
What was going to happen to them when she won the grant?
Or when he did?
Chapter Twenty
When Maya woke up several hours later, it was to a series of texts from Holden proclaiming in increasingly urgent tones that he needed to talk to her.
And then there was a soft knock on her door. “Maya?” It was Eve. “Holden’s downstairs saying he needs to see you. I tried to send him away, but he’s being really insistent.”
“Yeah, okay, tell him I’ll be down in a few minutes.” Maya sighed and heaved herself out of bed. She’d been looking forward to a few days off—it was Monday, and the last two shows didn’t start until Saturday—the traditional matinee before the parade. Which was supposed to mean a break from Holden. But apparently it wasn’t to be.
“What’s up?” she asked as she entered the little parlor off the lobby.
He blew out a breath and ran his fingers through his hair. He looked uncomfortable.
“What’s the matter?”
“You remember that audition I told you about?”
“The Ryan Alexander movie?”
He nodded. “It’s on Saturday.”
“This Saturday?” The Saturday the theater critic was coming?
Another nod, but he was looking at his feet now.
“Well, it can’t be. We have shows Saturday and Sunday.”
“Right, well, this is a huge opportunity for me, see. A chance to take