Maybe It's Magic

Chapter 8

Jake was three feet away from Juliet when she saw him and sat up stiffly, nodding. "Morning, Jack."

"It's Jake," he reminded her. Maybe she wasn't that into him if she still couldn't remember his name. That would make the choice easier.

Stop it! There is no choice. Stupid horoscope.

"I know." Juliet shrugged exaggeratedly. "It was a joke. Ha-ha."

Yep. She was obviously in a mood. He tried to give her a laugh as he gestured at her display. "Wow. This looks awesome," he said, hoping to smooth things over.

He kept his fist around the bracelet as his eyes roved over her jewelry. He didn't want Juliet seeing he was buying from the competition. There were some bracelets that were pink and gray, but he didn't see how Juliet thought Patience was infringing on her. Their jewelry was nothing alike.

"It's so awesome that you've, like, built up this whole business by yourself. But everyone always knew you'd do stuff that was awesome," he finished awkwardly, wishing he had another adjective handy. He squeezed the bracelet. Is this thing on? Maybe it was working despite him because Juliet stopped scowling and sat up straighter.

"Really?"

"Oh, yeah. I always knew you'd be a big shot in this town." He was probably laying it on a little thick, but that didn't matter as long as it worked. It was an MO left over from his parents' divorce. Whenever he had to pass a message from one to the other, he always made it sound like some kind of compliment even when he had to flat-out lie. And lies were okay if they stopped the anger. He hated when anyone was mad at all, but he really couldn't stand it when it was at him.

One corner of Juliet's lips quirked up. "It actually started as a hobby."

He wasn't sure if it was him or the crystals, but something was working here. "And you do this full time? Something you like? That's so cool."

She smiled widely, dimples and everything. "Isn't it, though?"

A smile like that three years ago, or even twenty-four hours ago, might have punched him in the gut. For some reason, it was doing nothing now, even though he had a death grip on that bracelet.

"I've built it up," Juliet continued. "Soon I won't need to do craft fairs. Some of the stores even carry me. I do have bigger goals, though. I've thought about politics, but I don't know..."

"No kidding. I bet you'll be mayor in five years." It wasn't a lie. After a reality star in the white house, why couldn't a jewelry and soap merchant be mayor? Wasn't even a stretch.

Juliet didn't seem to think so. "In this small-minded Pennsylvania backwoods?" She scoffed loudly. "Yeah, right!"

He wasn't sure what decade she was living in. There'd been at least three madame mayors in his lifetime. He didn't say that, though, not only because he didn't want her mad again, but because he was more concerned about how little this whole thing was doing for him. Was he some kind of jerk who only wanted something when it seemed like he couldn't have it? Stupid thought. It wasn't like he had Juliet or even that he could. Yesterday's talk didn't make her some kind of foregone conclusion. They hadn't even seen where it went.

Then again, it seemed pretty clear she was digging him from then on, with the way she was complimenting his hair and his tan and telling him how cool he'd look in a shell necklace. The crystals were obviously doing something to her, but not him.

"I'm sorry I was such a b-word before," Juliet was saying. "You know, it's like I was saying yesterday—"

"Don't worry about it," he cut in, realizing he didn't want her to finish the conversation from yesterday. He didn't want Juliet to ask him out because he didn't want to turn her down.