“The library?”
“Yeah. It would seem I’m actually a credit to them.”
Cole didn’t like the thought of her working anywhere else, but he also wasn’t going to stop her.
“What is it?” she asked. “You’ve looking at me strangely.”
“I don’t want you to go. I’d like you to stay here, but I’m also incredibly selfish.” He smiled because the truth was, he really didn’t want her to go.
“It’s a part-time thing, Cole. I don’t want to give up my job here either.” She tucked some hair behind her ear. “I like working for you, and being close to you.” She closed the small distance between them. “But I do enjoy working at the library.”
He cupped her cheek, and tilted her head back. “Then if it’s what you want, I’m happy for you to do it.”
“Thank you, Cole.” She pressed a kiss to his lips. “Stop threatening every single guy, okay? It’s really not good.” She winked at him, and this had him laughing. “I would have to start threatening every single woman that came your way, looking at you, wanting you.”
“There is no other woman for me, Elena. Never has been. Never will be.”
She kissed his lips again, sucking his bottom lip into her mouth. “And there’s no one else for me.”
****
Date three went better than Elena expected, only as they came out of the movie theater, Cole got a call. There was an urgent job that he needed to go to, so dinner was a no. She offered to go with him, and instead he dropped her off at home.
Again, she didn’t mind at all.
Date four was back at the hospital to remove the stitches in her hand. She was good as new.
By the time the second week rolled around, Elena was back at the library and working there. She took over from Claire for the reading, and kids slowly began to come back to listen to her. She did love being in the library, and she also loved working with Deuce and Cole. Of course, it meant that he had to hire another person. David seemed nice enough as well. He got the work done, and he knew a thing or two about DIY, which always came in handy.#p#分页标题#e#
Two weeks into being back at the library, and Elena was sitting on her sofa inside her apartment, eating chocolate ice cream.
Juliet entered at around seven in the evening, and paused. “Do I need to be worried?”
“Why would you need to be worried about anything?” Elena asked.
“You’re back on the sofa eating ice cream. Where’s Cole? Wasn’t he attached at your hip?”
This brought a smile to Elena’s lips. “Nope. I think he’s upset with me.”
“Why?” Juliet collapsed down onto the sofa, and took the spoon once again. This was not the first, the second, or probably the last time this would ever happen. Her best friend was always stealing her ice cream.
“He’s been off with me since I told him I wanted to go back. One of our dates was to get my hand fixed. Since then … nothing. We’ve not had any dates.”
“Wow.”
Elena shrugged. “Maybe he’s bored or something.”
The apartment doorbell rang. Both of them turned toward it.
“Ignore it,” Elena said. “I’m going to feel sorry for myself, and eat this entire carton of ice cream.”
The doorbell went again, and this time Juliet sighed. “There are times I find you so depressing.” She slapped her hand down on her knee, and got up.
“What are you doing?”
“Finding out who is at our door, and trying to pull myself from depressive land.”
Elena didn’t like feeling this way either, and she didn’t know how to pull herself out of it. Cole was distant, and she hated that. The library was fun, and she loved being there. In a weird way, she also missed Deuce, and his sexist comments. Of course she missed catching glimpses of Cole, and then there was the office sex. They had done that one time, and since then, it was like he’d been way too busy to give her the time of day.
When she was at the store, he wasn’t there.
It was crazy, and now she was freaking out a little.
“Erm, Elena, I think you should come here,” Juliet said.
“I’m not going anywhere. I want to sit here and wallow in self-pity.”
Juliet stormed over, took the ice cream from her, and the spoon. “Door, now!”
“You’ve only just got home from work, and you’re being really bossy. I don’t like you right now.”
“You love me. You know you love me. Stop being a pain in the ass, and go and see.”
Getting to her feet, Elena vowed that if it wasn’t for a good reason to be at the door, she was going to take Juliet’s vibrator, and throw it in the trash.