Anything for You (Blue Heron #5)(84)

“Is everything okay?” he asked, and immediately wished he hadn’t, because her face crumpled, and tears practically popped out of her eyes, and that squeaky sound came out of her like hiccups. “Oh, hey,” he said. “Come on, sit down.”

He guided her to the nearest table. Got her some napkins to dab her face. She failed to dab. Got her a glass of water, which she didn’t drink. She just sat there and cried.

Where was Colleen when he needed her?

“Jordan,” he asked, “what happened, kid? Was someone mean to you?”

“Yes!”

“Who?”

“You!”

“What?”

“I love you and you have no idea,” she wept. “It’s so hard working here. I should quit.”

Connor tried not to wince. “Uh...hey. There, there.” He handed her a napkin. Her eyes produced quite a few tears. Quite a few.

“I’m completely invisible to you. You’re dating that goddess, and of course you don’t notice someone like me. That would never happen, and I’m so stupid. I’m so, so stupid, but from the second I saw you—”

“No, no,” Connor said, just hoping to keep her from saying anything else. “Listen, you’re not... It’s not... You’re...”

Young. Innocent. Sweet. Really, really young, though. She was what...twelve years younger than he was? Barely legal for her to bartend.

He thought of Savannah, with her crush on the kid with the dopey name.

“You’re not invisible,” he said gently, handing her another napkin. She took this one. “Not at all. I definitely see you.”

“No, you don’t.”

“Sure, I do. You’re a really good kid.”

“I’m twenty-one.”

Okay. An infant. “No, I know that. But you’re very...nice, Jordan.”

“You don’t even know me.”

“You’re hardworking, you’re always cheerful, you’re a little shy, but hell, all the guys love you. Gerard, Ned, Jeremy, Mr. Iskin, all our regulars. They think you’re great.”

Her eyebrows raised.

“And you’re very pretty, Jordan. You are. I mean, come on. You must have a mirror.” He smiled.

“You would never go for someone like me.”

Danger, brother mine, said Colleen’s voice in his head. “You’re probably right,” he said, and her face fell again. “But not because of you. It’s because I’ve been in love with Jess since I was in sixth grade. That’s twenty-one years. That’s your entire lifetime. Kind of pathetic, isn’t it?”

“Totally,” she said, taking a sip of water.

“Most of that time...like, ninety-nine percent of that time, we haven’t been together. We’re a little...”

“Star-crossed?” she suggested.

“Inept, I was going to say.”

“But you’re together now,” she said.

“Yeah. Finally.”

Jordan’s eyes filled again. “I can’t imagine someone waiting that long for me.”

“Well, you’re young. And I think you’re one of those girls who, uh...who doesn’t know how great she is just yet. Who doesn’t see what everyone else sees.”

“And what’s that?” she whispered, wiping her nose.

“That you’re very kind. And loyal, and dedicated.” Sounded like he was describing a dog. “And you know, you listen to people. You do. I’ve seen it. People can talk to you. I can guarantee you’re going to meet someone who sees how special you are.”

She looked at him through her red-rimmed eyes. “Really?”

“Yeah. Absolutely. He’s probably already met you and is just waiting for you to get over your crush on some old cook.”

She smiled wetly. “Yeah, right.”

“Trust me. I’ve been a boy mooning over a girl. I can sense these things.”

She blotted her eyes and sighed. “I’m sorry.”

“It’s okay.”

“Don’t fire me.”

“I won’t.”

She blinked at him a few times, then smiled. “You’re really nice, Connor.”

“Let’s keep that between us.” He stood up and offered his hand, which she took. “Can I walk you home? You live in the Opera House, right?”

“It’s, like, thirty feet away. I’m good, Connor.”

“Yes. You are. See you tomorrow.”

She let go of him and smiled. “Yes, Chef.”

* * *

TEN MINUTES LATER, Connor was knocking gently on Jessica’s door. She answered almost right away.

“Hi,” she whispered.

“Hi.”

“Hi,” said her neighbor, who never seemed to sleep. He was smoking on the front porch, the tip of his cigarette glowing in the dark.

“Good night, Ricky,” Jess said, pulling Connor into the kitchen. “No lasagna tonight?”

“I already fed you.”

“So you did. Listen, Davey’s not asleep yet, and he’s a little overstimulated from today, so you can’t stay. I’m sorry.”

“It’s okay. I just wanted to look at you.”