Say Hello, Kiss Goodbye - Jacquelyn Middleton Page 0,2

white plush—a gigantic stuffed unicorn with a rainbow mane and silver horn—before the store employee claimed her attention again.

“Dammit!” The clerk chewed his cheek and glared at the terminal’s screen.

Leia tucked her long blonde hair behind her ear. “I’m sorry?” Something clattered along the floor, hitting her boots: a cell phone.

“Oh, for fuck’s sake!” the voice behind her muttered.

Leia turned, finding the smiling unicorn bobbing and swaying while the tall guy behind it wrestled with a kids magic kit, a stuffed green dinosaur, and a large shopping bag, its clinking contents threatening to join his phone.

He needs help. She bent down and her right knee bit back, pinching its dissatisfaction inside her tights. Ow! So stiff. Wincing behind her hair, she retrieved the unicorn wrangler’s phone and slowly stood up, placing the still-talking device in the free hand poking out from the mountain of plush.

“Here you go.” She half-smiled, her glance jumping from the silver ring on his left thumb to the few days’ growth of brown scruff framing his amused smile. Leia did a double take. Whoa. Flirty dimples, tall, handsome—someone won the genetic lottery.

“Cheers, love.” The guy’s appreciative grin grew wide and bright, and his green eyes glimmered with warmth as he lifted the phone to his mouth. “Harry, call you back.” He ended the conversation abruptly and reached under his wool coat, stuffing the phone in his trouser pocket. His intense gaze searched her face. “Hey, I’m—”

“Miss? I’m terribly sorry.” The clerk’s solemn tone yanked Leia back to her purchases.

“Uh…sorry for…?”

The clerk grimaced, his eyes darting from his terminal to the growing crowd of shoppers waiting to pay. “Our card system isn’t working. The power cut must’ve screwed it up.”

A flash of yellow and blue—the store manager—swooped in. “The network’s down. Not just us, most of Tottenham.” He met Leia’s eyes. “We can only accept cash right now.”

“But…” Leia pursed her lips. “I’m lucky if I have a five-pound note.”

Jamming the magic kit in his shopping bag, the unicorn whisperer leaned over his fluffy prize. “Hey mate, any idea how long it’ll be down?”

The manager shook his head. “If you want to wait”—he pointed over his shoulder—“you can grab a complimentary tea or coffee in our bistro, but you’ll have to take your items with you so cash-paying customers can come through.”

“Ah, bollocks.” The guy huffed and raked a hand through his tousled auburn hair, falling just shy of his narrowed eyes.

Leia scowled in solidarity, spinning a gold band on the fourth finger of her right hand. All this way and I can’t pay? Great. Fucking great.

The manager strode toward the waiting throng and cupped his hands around his mouth. “Excuse me, everyone…” His booming voice elbowed into conversations, his cash-only news deflating the post-blackout glee.

Shaking her head, Leia returned Sarah’s New Year’s Eve necessities to the store-issued shopping bag. “Well, I have no choice, then.” She tucked her wallet away and looked at the sales clerk. “Will someone come get us when it’s working?”

“Definitely.” With an apologetic wince, his large glasses slipped down his nose. “Sorry for the inconvenience.”

Leia gave him a tight-lipped smile. “It’s not your fault.” Hoisting the heavy bag onto her shoulder, she stepped out of line, not sure where to go. She wandered toward the occupied benches near the exit, a gust of chilly, damp air whooshing around the sliding doors.

“Worst timing ever, eh?” The posh voice turned her head. Plush dinosaur aloft, Star Wars guy wedged the huge unicorn under his arm, his attention straying back to the checkout, searching.

“God yeah.” Shivering, Leia tugged her unzipped parka closed around her dress as loud voices spewed their discontent at the besieged staff. Where should I wait? “I have somewhere I need to be, but I can’t leave without this stuff.” She gave the stranger a head-to-toe sweep while he looked elsewhere. Messy hair and whiskers aside, he’s well-groomed, confident—extremely attractive. Bet he knows it, too.

He glanced at Leia. “I don’t want to come back either.” His frown released as the two little boys raced past. “Hey, guys, hold up a second!” His greeting was drowned out by their gleeful shouts about ice cream and the snarky complaints of several shoppers pushing past.

Oh? Those boys are his?

He followed the twins toward the bistro, shooting Leia a quick grin. “I’m dying for a coffee. Want one?” He nodded to the small seating area, which was filling up quickly. “Claim a seat before the hordes descend?”

Leia smiled softly at his upside-down unicorn, squished and peeking