Page 19 of Take the Blame (Seaside Mergers #3)

Breaking away, Alta waved goodbye to all of her visitors before turning and closing her eyes.

Taking a huge breath she started nodding to herself and I instantly knew she was giving herself one of those pep talks like the one she gave herself when I first met her.

And when her eyes came down again they locked right on me.

Straightening up to my full height, I realized she was coming right at me, clipboard wielding.

“Harper,” she said, stopping right in front of our booth. She looked like she was ready to let me have it, she was in her ‘take care of business mode,’ but as soon as our eyes connected she lost her words.

Air was the only thing that left her mouth as she stared at me, her eyes moving from my eyes to my mouth and back again. It was adorable. I could watch her flounder all day, but since I’d just witnessed how in charge she was just a second ago, I didn’t want to take that away.

“Got something for me, Boss?” I asked.

She blinked as if coming out of a trance. “Um. Yeah.”

“Yeah?” I asked, my eyes holding onto hers as the beginnings of a smile pulled at the corners of my mouth. “Hit me.”

“ Hit you ?” her eyebrows snapped together. “What is up with you suddenly wanting to be hit?”

Jesus, this girl . My smile broke free, unable to withstand this level of her ridiculousness. “ Talk to me, Alta.”

“Oh,” she straightened. “That’s what you meant. That makes sense.”

“Uh-huh,” I said slowly. I slid my hands into my pockets, rocking onto my toes as I waited for her to say something. Anything.

Sound screeched over the loudspeakers, mechanical feedback scratching so loud that everyone winced.

Honestly, it was less painful than this conversation.

It was cute when she got flustered like this, but I’d be lying if I said it wasn’t a little disheartening to see she still felt so awkward around me.

Maybe it was the wrong move to push her the other day. Maybe I should have left things as they were. I’d rather have her snipping at me than feeling uncomfortable. That was the point of this whole thing.

“Forty minutes until we open people!” a voice hissed over the loudspeaker.

Seconds later the distinct sound of the microphone shuffling around and a surprised “Hey!” pulled my eyebrows higher on my face.

“ Give me that,” a deep, muffled voice murmured before finally the clearing of a throat could be heard over the speaker—the deep voice taking over in a calmer tone, “No rush, everyone. Just a friendly reminder that the gates will be opening to the public in forty minutes. Please try to be as close to opening as possible… and thank you all for your participation.”

I snorted at the short performance, but the girl in front of me seemed to become animated by it, all awkwardness from earlier exiting her body as she sprang into action.

“Shoot! That’s them! I’m behind,” she hissed. She looked to her left and right before scanning her clipboard. Spearing a glance around our setup, she asked, “Are you guys all good here?”

“All set, Boss,” I said.

And much to my ridiculous pleasure, she sighed in relief and gratitude. “Thank God! I never have to worry about you.”

Little bubbles of heat popped over the tops of my ears as embarrassment washed over me. I can’t believe I was getting bashful, but I don’t think she’d ever praised me for anything before. Nothing other than that tattoo I had to wring her opinion out on.

She flipped through her pages again, then snapped the stack shut. “If you’re okay, I have to go help my other people. Ox will be here in twenty-minutes and if it doesn’t look good he’ll go all big brother on us! ”

“Alright,” I said.

She turned her big eyes up at me and gave me a serious look. All business, all boss. “If you need anything, call me or ask someone with a shirt like mine to grab me, yeah?”

“Got it.” I nodded.

She started to move away but thought better of it and turned back. “And Connor will be over to add the fundraising percentage calculator to your POS. It should only take a few minutes, and—Oh! Remember to keep your tips separate, you guys keep those.”

I just hummed my understanding. She was in a zone. I didn't mind, I sort of liked when she got bossy like this. It was cute. Way better than her fumbling and feeling uncomfortable around me.

“And can you do me a favor?” she asked between looks at my eyes and glances at her watch.

“Yeah,” I said easily. The name Ox had registered in my brain as what she called her brother, and I now knew his approval was important to her, so I would help in any way I could. “Hit me.”

She smiled softly, recognizing my teasing for once as that and not a personal attack. Progress .

How could I feel a million feet tall from simply getting the corner of her mouth to lift? Geez .

“—and I’m going to ask Con to come and add your attachment last. Can you tell him to leave the installation reports with you? I don’t really know if I’ll be back in time and I trust you to keep it safe for me.”

Well, damn. It might as well have been a key to the city the way I felt honored to be the person she asked. “You got it, Boss.”

She nodded, turning to finally dash away. However, just as she moved, she doubled back once again. Looking at me, a different sort of expression crossed her face. A moment of pause in an otherwise rush of craziness.

“Yes?” I asked, suddenly needing to know what that expression meant .

Blinking, she smiled. That soft one that she ducked her head into like she was shy. “And thank you, Harper.”

My heart pulsed hard in my chest, leaving me stunned. “ Go , Alta.”

Because if she didn’t leave now, she’d be taking my pounding heart with her.