Take A Number - Amy Daws Page 0,1
something tells me you’d be worth it.” I hit her with a stunning smile that she does not reciprocate, and damn if it doesn’t make me smile even more.
She crosses her arms over her chest and glowers at me. “I’m a fool because I’d hoped we could have the Luke and Lorelai flirty diner relationship before they decided to date. Everyone knows the show went downhill once they started to hook up.”
“Did someone just make a Gilmore Girls reference?” a familiar voice chimes in from behind me, and I look over my shoulder to see Kate standing there in all her wild, red-haired glory. “You guys can’t make Gilmore Girls references without me. I’m president of the Boulder fan club, and I could have you drawn and quartered for that.”
I roll my eyes at my best friend’s insanity. “I don’t know what you guys are talking about.”
Kate cuts me a punishing scowl. “Dean, don’t make me junk punch you. I’ve done it before.”
I shift and turn my groin away because the girl is a loose cannon. She used to sneak into a tire shop waiting room to write her mommy porn books before she fell in love with one of the mechanics there—so a punch to the balls is not out of the realm of possibility.
“Of course he has no idea what Gilmore Girls is,” Norah snaps, turning her gaze from me to Kate, “because if he’d watched that show, he might have something mildly clever to say to me when he rolls in here every day.”
“Too right, Norah,” Kate chirps, jutting out her chin in solidarity. “I mean…Dean is far from Luke Danes.”
“So far!”
“He’s not even worthy of being compared to the actual Dean from the show who was a wimpy asshat at the best of times.”
Norah’s eyes widen, and her hands lift. “Stop right there.”
“What?” Kate replies, her brows furrowing in confusion.
Norah points at her chest. “I’m Team Dean.”
“Norah, no!” Kate gasps, her eyes wide with horror.
“I’ve always been Team Dean!”
“What kind of idiot is Team Dean?” Kate exclaims with disgust, and when Norah looks like she’s about to lunge across the counter to choke Kate out, Kate quickly holds up her hands and backtracks. “Sorry, my emotions got the best of me for a moment, and we aren’t close enough to be calling each other idiots…no one’s an idiot here…except for DEAN!” she growls, ramping up all over again. “I mean, after season one, he’s a home-wrecking idiot with no life goals.”
“He was Rory’s first love!” Norah splays her hands across the counter and leans closer to Kate.
Kate shrugs and crosses her arms while smugly replying, “We all make mistakes when we’re young.”
Norah exhales like a bull getting ready to charge. “And let me guess…you’re Team Jess.”
“Um…duh, Norah. I’m a romance novelist. Books are my life. Of course I want the book nerd to end up with another book nerd. That is basically porn in my world.”
A slow smile spreads across my face as I sit back and watch my best friend go back and forth with Norah over a television show. I can’t stop the dirtiness of my imagination as it forms a fantasy of Kate and Norah having a pillow fight over who should be in love with who. Before my mind goes too far, a shrill voice breaks into my pillow dreams.
“Jess is a drifter who doesn’t know what he wants…at least Dean took some risks for Rory.”
Kate shakes her head in disgust. “I can’t believe you never told me you were Team Home-wrecker Dean.”
“I can’t believe you never told me you were Team Zero Ambition Jess. You were one of my favorite customers.” Norah blinks back her shock like someone’s just told her Santa Claus doesn’t exist.
“Feeling’s mutual, Norah. I mean…Jesus. I’d be Team Tristan before I’d be Team Dean. I’d be Team Kirk before Team Dean.”
“Now you’re just being ridiculous,” Norah growls, and the two go silent as they stare each other down for a long, pregnant pause.
Kate’s the first one to crack. “Can I still take a number for a fresh croinut? What’s the flavor of the day?”
“It’s birthday explosion, and I don’t own the machine,” Norah snaps back, which breaks the tension as she stutters, “Well, actually I do own the machine because I own the bakery…I just…was saying that for dramatic effect.”
Kate breathes a sigh of relief and reaches down to pull a number out of the red ticket machine on the counter. “Oh, thank God because I love