Is This Shoulder Taken?

Chapter 27

Greyson

I sat in my car after leaving the art gallery. I thought of all the things I didn't say to Kendall. I decided to let the conversation flow naturally. I was almost mute when I first arrived through the doors. I brought her a slice of the wedding cake as an excuse to see her. I convinced myself that was logical.

Once Sheila went to get her from her office—I paced back and forth, having an imaginary conversation in my mind. Kendall approached the reception desk ahead of Sheila. She looked stunning as usual. All of my thoughts went out the window at that point. I felt my heart racing.

"Greyson, it's good to see you." She sounded chipper.

"It's great seeing you too. I'm a man of my word." I handed her the box with the piece of wedding cake.

Her eyes examined the box. "This is a nice presentation for a piece of cake. You even included a fork."

I gave her a dismissive wave. "The cook added the fork in case you didn't have one." My voice shook I was a jumble of nerves.

"Well, you'll have to thank him for me. I was trying to imagine how I was going to eat the cake gracefully with my fingers." She arched her brows.

"You would have found a way." I laughed. "You are very graceful in everything you do."

She smiled and took a small bite. "This is delicious. I wondered what the cake tasted like. I didn't get to go to a cake tasting with Andrea. But it looked so beautiful at the wedding venue."

"Now you know why I wanted you to have a piece of the cake. Everyone raved over how good it was." I added—trying not to make it a big deal that I brought her a piece.

Sheila had excused herself to check on a new art shipment, to give us a few minutes to talk in private.

"I'm going to save the rest for later, with a glass of milk. It's definitely something to savor." She put the rest of the cake back in the box.

"What brings you here besides delivering the cake?" She questioned curiously.

"I was hoping you'd have lunch with me." I tried not to trip over my tongue. I managed to get that out.

She hesitated briefly. "I . . . guess I could do that. There is a new restaurant close by that I've been wanting to try. Have a seat on one of the couches and I'll let Sheila know I'm leaving for lunch." She hurried down the hall.

I was hoping to start over with Kendall. I didn't want to blow this chance. I wanted to approach us with caution. But I knew I still had feelings for her at the wedding reception. I had to figure out how she felt about me.

What would I say to Savannah? She and I had become friends again after Noah's plane crash. But I didn't love her. Her betrayal of marrying him still stung. I felt forced to help her get through a difficult time. She had no family and apparently very little friends. She needed my help with getting her finances in order and I was someone she could depend on to express her grief.

Noah was my best friend since we were three years old. I couldn't find the words to say no, to being there to help her. But now I realize I made a mistake in doing that, when I wasn't ready to make a lifelong commitment. I wasn't being fair to her or Kendall.

Kendall waved her hand in front of my face. "A penny for your thoughts."

I slid my hand through my hair and shook my head. "You don't want to know. It's something I have to figure out." I stood up and tilted my head sideways with a smile.

She poked her mouth to the side and made a face. "Alright I won't ask. I get those moments all the time. Let's go to lunch."

We ended up having lunch outside from a food truck that served barbecue beef brisket. They were having a street fair Downtown. It was crowded with arts and crafts for kids. There were all kinds of vendors. They had cotton candy and Kendall wanted ice cream.

It was a great day. We sat outside on a bench under a shade tree, eating barbecue beef brisket sandwiches. I enjoyed spending time sitting and eating with her. We started talking about Savannah and how she changed the trajectory of our budding relationship.

We had never discussed our feelings outright before—I didn't quite know what to say. I wasn't ready to open up this conversation, before I spoke to Savannah. I wanted to be free to purse a relationship with Kendall. I couldn't tell her that.

We were saved by the time on my watch. We had taken a two hour lunch. I offered to walk her back to work. My mind raced with what I was going to say to Savannah.

Kendall and I joked about the first night we met for dinner. I remember asking for her cellphone number and I still cringe. It didn't come out the way I meant. She laughed and I was so embarrassed.

I left her and Sheila at the gallery and headed towards my BMW that was parked a couple of blocks away. Now I knew why it was difficult to find parking earlier.

I still recall her hand in mine as we crossed the street to get lunch. I couldn't believe—she actually kissed me briefly, pressing her lips to mine. Our eyes met, when she thanked me for bringing her a piece of the wedding cake. I forgot just how beautiful her brown eyes were—and she thanked me for buying her lunch.

The day went better than I expected. Kendall was so understanding and kind to me. I appreciated that more than she knows. I left her at the gallery and thought—where do we go from here?

Kendall

"So, tell me all about your lunch with Grey." Sheila was all ears.

I sighed and flopped down on one of the couches in the reception area. "It was the best lunch I've had with him . . . ever. It was simple, no pretense, and we were just sitting on a bench. We ate from a food truck with melt in your mouth barbecue beef brisket sandwiches. And we talked."

Sheila clasped her hands together. "I'm so glad you two had an opportunity to spend time together. It sounds so romantic."

I nodded. "It was romantic and that's the problem. I'm supposed to be getting over my feelings for him—not developing new ones.

Sheila sat on a chair directing her attention to me. "He obviously has feelings for you, that's why he brought you a piece of wedding cake. Who does that? He wanted to take you to lunch. He may not have spoken it, but his actions showed it."

I grabbed a throw pillow and screamed into it. "I feel like the song by Tori Kelly 'First Heartbreak'. Even though it's not the first time my heart has been broken . . . this feels different. I don't know what Greyson is thinking. This whole situation is so crazy. I'm going to have to wait and be patient to see whatever comes of all this. I have no idea. I don't wan't to jump to any mistaken conclusions.

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