Gramps’s heart, is mine.
But Sawyer’s presence is a sign that screams no. He’s Nash’s friend. I should not be getting any closer to the people in Nash’s life and creating more opportunities for slipups. Also, working in a bakery is too on-brand for Kels. Totally suspicious.
Still—maybe the rewards outweigh the risk. I can bake in a real professional kitchen. And I’ll have money that’s mine. I have a savings account, filled with money from birthdays and holidays, but I’ve never had a job, apart from helping out on Mom and Dad’s sets.
It’ll round out my NYU application. Colleges love teens with a good work ethic who seem to balance it all.
The scale in my mind tips and my decision is made.
“Okay, let’s do this.”
I pull down the hem of my Gryffinclaw T-shirt and smooth down my hair. Fix Grams’s necklace so it’s not sitting on the clasp. Before I change my mind, I reach for the door, ready to swing it open and march inside.
“Wait,” Ollie says.
“What?”
He drums his fingers against his thigh.
“Sawyer does have an effect on people.”
Ollie blushes. “Shut up. He’s captain of the baseball team.”
“Is he?”
“Do you live under a rock?”
“It’s not baseball season!”
“I just need to get on his radar, you know? Please don’t embarrass me,” Ollie says.
I roll my eyes, but brother-sister banter centers me. When we approach Sawyer, the nervous butterflies are gone, and I just want to get this whole interaction over with.
“Oh hey, Hal-lee, how can I help you?”
Ollie interjects. “Hi. I’m Ollie. Halle’s brother. Yeah. Um.”
He holds out his hand to shake and Sawyer takes it and oh my God where is my brother? Swear to God, Ollie’s ears are bright pink and I am loving every moment of this. He’ll snap into character, I’m sure, but his fumbling shows that he does have the awkward Levitt genes inside him, deep down.
“I’m just dropping off an application,” I say.
“Sweet! I can take it from you, no problem.”
I hand him the papers. Instead of doing whatever it is you’re supposed to do with new applications, Sawyer starts reading through mine. Right in front of me. Which I’m pretty sure is a violation of something. I think. Yeah.
“Availability looks good—is there any time that will change? Any sports? Theater?” Sawyer asks. “It’s cool if there is. My parents just prefer a heads-up on any seasonal extracurriculars.”
“Um,” I say. “Nope, no sports. Or theater.” Group activities give me hives.
“I play baseball,” Ollie says, even though nobody asked.
“Dude, yes!” Sawyer moves in for a fist bump and Ollie relaxes. “We need some fresh blood on the team. What position?”
“Center field.”
“Are you free this afternoon?” Sawyer asks. “I’m out at one—let’s hit the batting cages.”
“Sure.” Ollie my brother is back. Cool. Calm. Casual. As if this moment isn’t everything his little baseball heart had hoped for and more.
He’s totally, without a doubt, dying inside.
They exchange cell phone numbers and coordinate plans and, wow, Ollie is good. I don’t even have Sawyer’s number yet, and I’ve sat with him at lunch every day. At school, he’s Molly and Sawyer, so to be honest, having Molly’s number in my phone is like having Sawyer’s, too. But still.
“So when can you start?” Sawyer asks me.
“Whenever.”
“You’re hired.”
I laugh, because that’s so not how this works. Sawyer cannot just hire me; I need to botch an interview first, at the very least.
“Yeah, okay,” I say, skeptical.
He makes a face at me, like I’ve wounded his ego or something. “I mean it. It’s my parents’ bakery, you know? So if you want the job, it’s yours.”
“You can do that?” I ask.
“Technically, no. Practically, yeah. Be right back.”
Sawyer folds my application in half and disappears into the kitchen. I don’t even have time to process what is happening before he returns with a stapled packet in his hand.
“Start the paperwork,” he says. “At school tomorrow, get a work permit from the office. It needs to be signed by a parent or guardian. Fill everything out, and boom. You are employed.”
“Okay,” I say. “Thanks.”
“Cool. I’ll have Dad, ahem, Mr. Davidson, give the final okay when he comes in later today. Let me …” His voice trails off and his attention shifts to another sheet of paper. “Can you start Wednesday?”
That seems so fast and I am not prepared for any of this. But I have a ton of reviews to bake for and this is my only shot, so I swallow that answer and say, “Sounds good.”
“Cool,” Sawyer says again. “Welcome aboard!”
“Thank you,” I