So Much More (Book One in the Enough Series)

10. I Really Like You

Eden

"Thank you so much, Eden. I'm sorry we had to call you on your day off." Helen, one of the store managers, apologized profusely after we had sorted through the delivery mishap. I was sitting on my office floor with a stack of papers spread around me. It had been a few hours since I had left Reed at the diner.

"No, it's fine. It had to be taken care of. Always call me, please."

Helen left me to clean up the mess of papers. I couldn't help but think of Reed and wonder what he needed to tell me. He seemed happy to see me, but maybe he didn't want to pursue things? Did he have a girlfriend? My head was swirling with so many different possibilities, none of them good.

"Eden." I heard a familiar voice. I glanced up to see one of the store employees looking nervously around my office.

"Yes? Is something wrong?" I stood, dusting off my jeans.

"Oh no, well, I don't think so. There is a gentleman downstairs who was asking for you. He says his name is Reed Sawyer." She explained.

I pulled my lips in, suppressing the giant smile I wanted to let out.

"Oh, you can send him up. It's fine."

As soon as she walked away, I rushed over to check myself in the mirror and straighten up my appearance. I was a mess from the stress of rummaging through to find purchase orders and checking the stockroom for the books we were trying to locate. Thankfully we found what we needed, and the situation was handled. I grabbed the last stack of papers from the floor and put them back onto my desk just as Reed walked up.

"Surprise." He spoke quietly.

"Hi." I breathed out. I silently wondered if there was ever a point where his ridiculous good looks wouldn't phase me. Then, I noticed he was holding a bag and coffee cup.

"I felt bad that you didn't get to finish your breakfast, and it occurred to me that I could stop in, so I did. I hope that's okay? I can just drop off the goodies and head out."

"That's so sweet of you. You're fine; I mean, it's okay, you can stay." I stumbled on my words.

Reed stepped further into the office, handing me the small bag and the coffee.

"Anything you might want to add to your coffee is in the bag and a few muffins." He slid his hands into his pants pockets. He was adorably sweet.

I took the bag and coffee, fixing it as I liked, then taking a sip. I smiled up at him, thanking him repeatedly for being so kind. He looked around the office, taking it all in, though there wasn't much to see. There were stacks of books, boxes, and a few random office decor items.

"Thank you, Reed. I'm sorry I had to run out." I motioned to a chair in the corner, pulling my chair around in front of my desk.

"Everything okay?" He asked.

"It is now; we got it all taken care of." I pulled one of the muffins out of the bag. I hadn't realized how hungry I was now that it was late into the afternoon. I groaned in pleasure at the blueberry streusel muffin. I noticed Reed clearing his throat and moving in his seat when I opened my eyes. I couldn't help but feel a little smug at the thought I had that effect on him. "Now that you've seen my place of work, when do I get to see the stadium?" I teased.

"Oh, well." He rubbed his hands up and down his thighs. "Opening day is coming up, actually; you should come."

"I would love to."

"That kind of brings me back to what we needed to talk about at the diner." Reed began again. I put the rest of the muffin into the bag, wanting to give him all of my attention. He shifted in his seat, clearly very nervous. "I mean, it's really not that big of a deal. I just..."

"Eden, Mr. Shaffer is here, and he's asking to see you." Helen walked into the office, interrupting Reed once again. I watched as he ran his hand down his face in frustration. Mr. Shaffer was the owner of Seattle Reads. He must have gotten wind of the almost issue regarding the books for the signing.

"No worries, I'll show myself out." Reed stood, stepping toward me. "I really like you, Eden; call me later." He kissed my cheek, then left, head down. I felt so guilty. I was never usually this busy, definitely not on a day off. The stars were just not aligned for us today. I was frustrated, wanting to hear whatever it was that Reed needed to tell me. I had no choice but to let him leave, though, needing to keep professional while at work. I switched gears mentally and prepared to talk with Mr. Shaffer and get it all straightened out. After that, I started to look forward to going home and crashing.

"Helen says the issue is taken care of?" Mr. Shaffer asked as we walked through the stock room after going over the whole debacle.

"Yes, she and I found the orders, and then we were able to locate the shipment. So we have plenty of books for the signing and more on the way." I explained. "I'm sorry you had to come down here."

"Oh, it's nothing. I just like staying on top of everything. Thank you, Eden. I trust you to handle things, so please don't take it personally. Gives an old man something to do from time to time." He laughed. Mr. Shaffer was kind; having owned this business for many years, he was nearing retirement. He was a firm man and expected the best from his employees but had always been good to me. "I saw the young man from the Sounders as I was walking up, I don't mean to pry, but if you have a friendship there, we could utilize that for an event day."

I paused for a moment, processing his words. How would the architect for the Sounders stadium work for an event day? Everyone recognized him; I had no idea that the stadium and the Sounders were such a huge deal. I wondered if this might be part of whatever he wanted to talk to me about.

"I suppose we could do something; I'll have Helen work on some ideas, and I can ask if he'd be interested once the stadium is complete," I replied.

"Thank you, Eden. Go home, enjoy the rest of your evening and take a half-day tomorrow for your troubles." Mr. Shaffer instructed before taking off toward his office.

"Thank you, Mr. Shaffer.  I appreciate that.  You have a good evening."  I replied, politely before heading to my office to leave.

My stomach was rumbling after eating only a few bites the whole day, so I decided to grab some take-out for Brynn and myself. While I waited for our order at the restaurant, I texted Reed, checking in and hoping to make plans with him during my half-day tomorrow. Today had definitely not gone as I had anticipated, and I was looking forward to getting home, shoveling some food in my face, and venting to Brynn.