More Than Friends (Friends, #2)(27)

I’ve got my back toward the door when I hear the buzzer indicating someone entering the building. I whirl around, a strangled sound leaving me when I see who’s standing there.

Tuttle. Of course.

“Why are you here?” I ask once I find my voice.

“Couldn’t stop thinking about you alone. Thought I’d come be with you. Make sure you’re okay.” He approaches the counter, walking with that unmistakable Tuttle swagger. He looks windblown—his hair is ruffled and his cheeks are red. A storm is coming in, nothing serious, but enough to drop the temps and kick up a gusty wind. He’s wearing a school hoodie and dark gray sweatpants. I have never in my life thought sweatpants were sexy before.

At this very moment, they are the sexiest things I’ve ever seen.

“Oh.” I stand up a little bit straighter. “I can handle it.”

“I know you can. I just don’t like thinking about you here. All by yourself. Anyone can see that you’re alone.” He waves at the giant windows that line the front of the store, then turns to meet my gaze. “The parking lot isn’t safe either. Who knows who’s out there?”

I fight the shiver that wants to take over me at his words. Talk about putting fear in me. “I’m parked pretty close.”

“Not close enough,” he retorts.

“Tuttle…” My voice drifts and the glare he sends me cuts like a knife.

“Don’t call me that,” he snaps.

I take a step back at the anger in his voice. “Sorry. I didn’t mean to offend you.”

He comes around the counter until he’s standing right in front of me. Blocking everything out so all I can see is him. “I told you before—call me by my first name.”

“Okay.” I nod, trying to ignore my racing heart at his nearness. He’s moody tonight. A little restless. I wonder why? “Jordan.”

The tension eases out of him and he relaxes. “You’ve got the braids in again.” He reaches out and touches one, tugs on the end like he’s six and a pain in my butt. “You look cute.”

He always tells me I look cute. I want him to think I’m beautiful. Gorgeous. Stunning. All those pretty words boys say to girls. Boyfriends say to girlfriends.

Oh my God, now I’m the one whose acting like she’s six.

“Thanks.” I glance around, trying to look anywhere but at him. Why, I don’t know. It’s like all the awkwardness of this entire situation has just hit me full force and I feel silly. Lacking. Which is dumb. He’s never done or said anything to make me feel less than in comparison to him.

But he doesn’t have to. He’s just…him. And I’m only me.

“Amanda.” I look him in the eyes when he says my name. “Do you need my help or anything?”

“Can you sit out here while I do some stuff in the back?”

“Yeah.” He reaches out and brushes stray strands of hair away from my forehead, his fingers skimming my skin, making my blood hum. “Can I buy some yogurt first?”

I burst out laughing. “Absolutely.”

Once I ring him up, I start putting away the toppings in the refrigerator, then I make sure the bathroom is clean. I wipe down the yogurt machines, run a quick broom over the floor since I already mopped, then turn off the “open” light and lock the door.

“It’s only 8:59,” Tuttle reminds me. He’s sitting at one of the tiny tables, eating his frozen yogurt like he has all the time in the world as he checks his phone. I’m instantly curious. Who texts him? Snapchats him? He has an Instagram profile but barely uses it, though he has tons of followers, including myself.

“I’m a minute early. So what?” I smile at him and he doesn’t return it, which makes me a little sad.

“You talk to your boss?”

I frown. “What do you mean?”

“About Fridays.”

“Oh!” I brighten. How could I forget? I was so worried about closing I guess I shoved it out of my mind. “I did talk to her. She said that was fine, mentioned that she could cover this Friday’s shift if I was needed that badly, which I assured her I was. I made it sound like I tried to line up the water girl job before I started at Yo Town and she was totally cool with it.”

“So you’re our new water girl.”

I nod, pleased with the happy expression on his face. “Thank you for arranging this for me.”

“I’m glad.” He offers up a smile. “Really glad you’ll be at all the games, Mandy.”

“Me too,” I murmur.

“You work on Juliet’s diary entry yet?”

I frown at his change of subject. “Um, not yet.”

He sends me a look, one I can’t decipher. “Better get to it.”

“I’ll work on it tonight.”

“You’ll text it to me?”

“Sure.” I don’t know if I want to do that. Talk about taking a chance. What if he shares the entry with his friends? That would be humiliating. He’ll probably make it sound like I wrote that to him, not Juliet to Romeo.

Yeah. I am so not sending him the entry via text. Forget that.

I slip behind the counter and work on closing out the cash register. Once I’m done, I go to the back and stash the money in the safe, then lock it and the office as well. Turning off all the lights, I come out into the store to find Jordan leaning against the counter and typing on his phone, a scowl on his face as he stares at the screen.