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I said, “Glad I’m not alone in getting that impression.”
Brian lifted the drink to his lips for a taste. I opened my mouth to warn him about going into a sugar coma, but before I could even finish getting the first word out, a sharp yell cut me off.
“God!” A woman groaned, dragging the single-syllable word into a lament worthy of a funeral service. “I can’t stand this nonsense.”
Suzie!
I leaped into my seat and picked up the menu, trying to hide.
Brian stared at me over the rim of his cup, one eyebrow raised. I couldn’t tell who he was more confused by: me, or the complaining Suzie.
Other customers watched more openly while Suzie engaged in some very unprofessional behavior, barging around in the kitchen and being generally disruptive. Her loud complaints, at least, allowed for us to speak without being overheard.
“That’s your crazy fan, right?”
“Worse. She’s also the girl who stole me away from Cinderella.”
Brian grimaced.
I was a bit more hopeful though, even in spite of the disturbance. Suzie was just another connection, another bit of evidence showing me that my princess and this girl were one and the same.
“What’s going on?” the cute girl asked, sounding tired, though attempting to also sound like she cared.
“Megyn,” Suzie said, spinning to face her. “Megyn, have youseenmy apron? June wants me to make more pastries, but I can’t find my apron. Someone must have taken it.”
“I’m sure no one took it.”
“Well, it’s not where I put it. I…” Suzie turned her head sharply.
I didn’t need to guess what—or who—she had seen. I slowly folded up the menu and murmured, “Brian?”
“Yeah?”
“Let’s go. We’re walking out like we meant to all along, okay?”
Brian shrugged and stood. We headed off to the exit, Brian’s drink trailing steam. He reached the door first and tossed it open. I stepped through after him, but I couldn’t resist taking one last look over my shoulder at the girl, the princess. At Megyn.
Megyn was looking at me, too. Our eyes met. And I knew. I had already known, but now I hadn’t a shadow of a doubt in me.
I turned away and met Brian by the car. “That was her,” I told him. “It was her.”
CHAPTER12
MEGYN
“Isanyonegoing to help me find my apron?”
I was frozen, unable to look away from the door, where Carter had gone. I was torn. At first, I had been glad for the multitude of customers, preventing us from having prolonged communication. My disguise wouldn’t stand up to more than a minute of scrutiny. Any scrutiny at all, actually.
But the way he had been looking at me made me wonder if I was wrong to hide. I should have been friendlier to him, especially after the tip he’d given me last time. I should have found a way to be the one to hand over his drinks, maybe let our fingers touch, to see if I could feel the same sparks I’d experienced during the party, when we held hands and danced.
I should have done something, before Suzie interrupted. Once again, she had ruined something for me.
Don’t kid yourself. You weren’t actually going to do anything. You don’t want him to know who you are.
Back and forth and back and forth, guilt and relief swapping places in a grueling dance spinning around me too fast to make any real sense of.
“Excuse me, miss. My change?” my customer reminded me.