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I scoffed. “She wasn’t flirting with me. She was making small talk.”

“She was absolutely flirting,” Lark said. “Do you not want her to flirt with you?”

“I mean…are you asking if I’m into her?” I asked. Lark nodded.

“No,” I said. “I’m not into her. She’s pretty and seems fun, but it’s just not there.”

Lark nodded. “I get it. You either feel the spark or you don’t. It’s too bad, though. She works right across the street and you’d be cute together, but if you’re not feeling it than there’s nothing to say. I’ll still be on the lookout.”

I was grateful that Lark dropped the Karissa thing so quickly. She was right that falling for Karissa would be logical, but when had hearts ever been logical?

* * *

Tenley was waiting for me by my car when I left.

“Stalker,” I said.

“Not stalking. Just wondering if you were doing anything for dinner? I’ll cook.”

I’d been planning on going over to Lark and Sydney’s for dinner tonight, so I didn’t have to cook anyway, but the pull of Tenley’s company and her library was just a little bit stronger.

“Can I go home and shower first?” I asked.

“Sure, but I have to admit, I don’t mind the smell of espresso,” she said. As far as service jobs went, smelling like coffee and chocolate all the time wasn’t the worst. Even after I showered, I swore that my hair still retained the smell, but I’d had no complaints.

“Give me an hour?” I asked. That would give me enough time to shower and dry my hair and get cute and decompress from the day.

“Yeah, just come over whenever. I’m making salmon and panzanella.” My mouth instantly started watering. “I’ll see you in about an hour.”

“Should I bring anything?” I asked as Tenley headed toward her car.

“Just yourself,” she called back as she unlocked her driver’s side.

That I could do.

* * *

While I didn’t want to look like I’d tried too hard with my outfit, I didn’t just throw on anything when I got out of the shower. I had a new cute dress I’d been saving for a night out, but this seemed like the right time to wear it.

I put it on and dried my hair before doing a loose braid that made me feel like I escaped from the fey realm. The dress had puffed sleeves that also helped with the look.

Music greeted me when I walked into Tenley’s house, and I could hear her singing along from the kitchen. Even though she’d told me I didn’t have to bring anything, I had some French chocolates that my parents had sent that I knew she was going to like, and I didn’t want to eat all of them by myself. Some treats were better when they were shared.

“Hey,” I said, raising my voice as I joined her in the kitchen and set the box of chocolates down on her granite countertop. She turned the music down and beamed at me. She had changed too, but into a pastel sports bra and shorts set with a thin button up on top. There was a whole lot of skin to look at, and I forgot how to speak for a few moments.

“Hey, you’re just in time. The salmon is coming out in five minutes,” she said, throwing some tomatoes into the salad bowl. “You look gorgeous, are you going somewhere after this?”

I snorted. “Where is there to go in Arrowbridge after nine p.m.?”

Tenley laughed. “Why do you think we’re always hanging out in Tommy’s barn? Nothing else is open that late.”

She dusted off her hands and then plucked a piece of cheese from the salad and popped it into her mouth.

“I brought you a little something,” I said, sliding the box toward her. Tenley’s eyes lit up.

“What do we have here?” she asked, undoing the ribbon on the box and opening it up.

“My parents periodically send me boxes of French sweets, so I decided to share some with you,” I said.