“I’d like to take you to lunch today, Rebecca. As a way to apologize and all that,” he said.
“You don’t have to do that,” I said.
He smiled crookedly at me. He knew what that did to me, and I shook my head slowly at him.
“I want to,” he said. “Pick a place. It’s on me. I can afford to spoil you a little bit.”
Austin stood and asked me for my phone. He did something, and I heard his phone chime as he set mine back on the counter. “Text me when you’re going to lunch, and tell me where to meet you. I’m going to talk to Seth and his dad for a bit.”
I stared at him as he left, pressing my lips together.
“Oh, my goodness,” Heather said. “I think he likes you.”
I laughed. She didn’t know the half of it.
“We were friends in school, and he’s visiting,” I said in a weak voice. “It’s been a while, that’s all. Austin is a silly guy.” I sat down in my seat.
“The press makes him seem so driven and serious. You know he’s a billionaire, don’t you?” her voice lowered.
I nodded sadly. I certainly did, and it might be what ruined us.
“I see stories about him all the time,” she said. “He’s like a celebrity in New York!”
I wanted to tell her there was another side to him. Austin went to school here and lived here before all of that. He liked Star Wars and comic books. He wore jeans and scuffed up sneakers. He drove a piece of crap used car in high school, just like the rest of us.
But I remained quiet, wanting to keep all of that to myself. I felt confused by everything that happened this morning, and I needed to think about it. What was I going to say at lunch? I kind of dropped a bomb before I ran away and felt so scared of what he could respond with.
Ugh. I took a sip of the coffee that he brought and glanced up as the door chimed, signaling the arrival of some customers. That would kill some time until around noon, when I normally took my lunch.
Chapter Nine
Austin
I got the text from Rebecca, telling me to meet her at the local diner just a block from the salon. I used to work there back in high school, and it made me laugh in the middle of talking to Seth and his dad.
“I am going to step out for some lunch,” I said. “Come over for dinner soon, you two.”
“Sure thing,” Seth said. “Where are you going?”
I shook my head. “Bunny’s. I haven’t been there in years.”
Seth smirked at his dad. “You’re in for a surprise, buddy. Have fun.”
I tilted my head at him. “Okay. I’ll do that.”
I told them to call me, and I walked out. The snow had stopped, but a crisp layer of fresh snow covered everything I could see. I was glad that Dad told me to take his old Suburban today. I was going to call the rental place later and try to get them to let me switch to an SUV. I’d have to make the six-hour-round-trip drive, but it might be worth it. I turned to the left and walked over the sidewalk towards the cafe, a place that held a lot of memories. I passed the flower shop owned by Betty Niles and walked inside to get a small bouquet for Rebecca. I was mildly surprised to see that Betty was still here and being helped by a woman who I recognized as her daughter, Maura.
“Austin Harris, aren’t you a sight for sore eyes?” the older woman exclaimed, squinting at me despite the glasses that she wore. “How are you?”
“Doing good, Mrs. Niles. How about you and your family?”
She smiled at her daughter. “We’re great. You’re like a hometown hero here, young man. I am glad that you came back to visit your mama. She missed you.”
I blushed. I’d just earned some money, not saved a life. “I don’t know about that,” I mumbled and looked around the tiny store. “I’d like a small bouquet. Something pink.” That was Rebecca’s favorite color.
“We have some tulips that just came in,” Maura told me as she reached into an old cooler. “Here we go. What do you think?”
“They’re perfect,” I replied. She quickly constructed a delicate little bouquet. I paid her and added a generous tip before I headed out, worried about running late to lunch. She was only on an hour break.