Skinny Love

Chapter Five

I had grown to realise that I had a little thing for William. I don’t know what it was about him, but there was something that drove me wild every time I saw him. I tried to dress nicer around him, I watched my language and I absolutely never brought my friends around to the bar when he was working. When it was slow in the mornings we would talk about nothing at all and wash down the tables, flicking soap suds at each other or gossiping about the other tender, Samuel, and his problems with his mother.

It went on for months like this, harmless flirting, until Jonah stopped me one day in the corner of the staff room.

“What’s up with you and my brother?” He asked quietly while making himself a cup of coffee. I frowned, my cheeks warming. Because of the blush I knew I was caught, I could see his eyes glistening with humour. “You like him, don’t you?”

“No, I don’t.” I lied, fiddling with my cloth. “Why would you think that?”

“Well, all you two do is flirt with each other. AND you stare at him when he’s not watching.” He added, taking a sip of his beverage. “Which is kind of creepy by the way. Just saying.”

“I do not like your brother.” I cleared my throat awkwardly, shifting my weight from foot to foot. “And he does not like me. Get over yourself, you wannabe cupid.” I poked my tongue out for effect and he snorted.

“I think he does.” He wiggled his eyebrows at me and I stopped in my tracks. “It’d be sort of cute if you two dated. You’d lift him up and he’d keep you grounded.” I blushed again, this time ten times redder. Even my ears started to burn and I looked down to hide my face. Jonah made kissy noises and I groaned.

“Get out! You’re wasting my break time!” I wailed at him and he darted back out the front, laughing at me. I wasn’t exactly used to people asking me straight out if I liked someone. Harriet would usually trick me into it, asking sneaky questions so I’d fall into her little trap. Taylor and Mia didn’t care about my love life because they were Harriet’s side characters anyway.

Speaking of Mia and Taylor, they were officially dating and it was officially cute. They went out on dates and took pictures with each other and Mia had actually started a diet. I was sort of jealous of the two of them, with them being happy in lust and me being sex-less and weird. The last boyfriend I’d had was at the start of Year 14 and that was a long time ago.

I sighed into my hands and tried to massage the blood out of my face. Jonah had a way of making me squeamish without even having to try. He was a classic older brother character and I was happy that he seemed to do that for William. Curling my fingers into the little couch that I was sitting on, I threw my head back and watched the ceiling. I had been standing on my feet for four hours, but that was expected because it was a full time job; something I hadn’t had before.

My mother was proud of me for it because she knew I was starting to save for my European Road Trip that I had been planning since I was seven. I had a few bumps in the road, seeing as Harriet and I had been shopping a week before and together we spent 800 Euros in the city. At least I had gotten a whole new wardrobe, which I had been looking forward too. More clothes to impress William with too, which was always good.

“Hey Rose.” Samuel slipped into the back and started towards the coffee pot. “I heard you have a crush on little Willy.”

“Little Willy sounds so demeaning.” I scoffed and he winked at me. “And no, I don’t. Don’t start with me Samuel or I’ll end you.” I sniped back and he scoffed again, pouring himself a cup.

“Hey, it was bound to happen sooner or later. Two attractive people the same age in a small space for this long a time? I think it’s adorable.” He waggled his fingers at me and I gave him the finger. He snickered, taking a sip and opened the door back into the pub. “So adorable.”