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By the time my shift is over and I’m back at The Village, I can hardly feel my feet anymore. Lifting the costume over my head feels like a massive relieve.

“Feels good, doesn’t it?” Layla asks while I rub my feet.

“The best.”

“You’ll get used to it.” She straps her bag over her shoulder. “See you tomorrow?”

“Absolutely. Have a great evening.”

She closes the door behind her, and I get ready to leave as well. After a couple of wrong turns, I find my way back to the employees’ parking lot where Colton and I agreed to meet after our shifts.

I stop in my tracks as soon as I spot him. He’s leaning against his motorcycle. His eyes are closed and he’s got a lazy smile on his face. I take a deep breath and bite my fist to stop myself from moaning.

“Hey dude, what’s up?” I cringe as soon as the words leave my mouth. Why do I keep doing this to myself? It’s not as if I want Colton to think I’m incapable of using normal words, and yet that’s exactly where this is going if I keep this up.

He opens his eyes slowly, a grin on his lips. “Hey, dude?”

I shake my head. “I promise you I’m not normally this weird.”

“Have you noticed that it only seems to happen whenever I’m waiting for you somewhere? Here, the airport…”

“Ugh, I know.”

He takes a step toward me and hands me a helmet. “Don’t worry about it. I’ve heard weirder things, believe me.”

“Oh yeah? Like what?”

He thinks for a moment before breaking into a smile again. “People say the strangest things. You’ll find out for yourself if you continue working here.”

“Why won’t you give me an example?”

He slings his leg over his bike seat. “Because it’s more fun this way. I can just imagine you bursting into my room to tell me all about the crazy ketchup demands a guest made that day. And then you’ll realize it wasn’t so bad after all, because I will have an even weirder story. Seriously, being Prince Charming isn’t always that charming. More people than I can count have tried to touch me in places I don’t want to be touched by some stranger,” he says with a hearty laugh.

I swallow. He’s imagining me bursting into his room like we’re best friends? My heart skips a beat at the prospect of that really happening. “I can come into your room unannounced?”

He laughs. “Let’s go home, shall we?”

I give him a thumbs-up and slide the helmet over my head, because why would I keep talking at this point? Every time I open my mouth to speak, I sound like a sixteen-year-old girl who’s unable to keep herself in check. The more I speak, the more he’ll think of me as his younger sister’s silly friend who blurts out silly things. Shutting up is my best bet if I want to appear somewhat normal and appealing. Not that I need to be appealing to my best friend’s brother as he’s way out of my league and, more importantly, completely off-limits, but… Well, no one wants to come across as kooky either, that’s for sure. This is just me taking care of business, making sure I seem normal, no ulterior motives whatsoever.

At least, that’s what my mind is trying to convince my heart of.

Chapter Eight

Colton

I knew Elle was going to be trouble the moment she showed up at the airport, and I was right. She’s got me singing in the kitchen, and it’s getting my sister’s attention as I normally never sing out loud unless I’m home alone.

I grab a bottle of water from the fridge, trying to avoid the weird look Maggie is giving me. “What’s up with you?”

“Nothing.”

She circles her finger in front of me. “Then what’s this? Why are you so chipper?”

“Chipper?”

She shrugs. “Yes, cheerful, happy, you know what I mean.”

“If you mean cheerful, then why use chipper?” I ask, my face all seriousness, but I’m just taunting her. It’s this thing we do, and she always takes the bait.