TWENTY-SEVEN

TWENTY-SEVEN

"You can take that however you want," I muttered under my breath. I shut the door behind me and went around Link, trying my best to uphold a front so he would stop with his bizarre questions.

I didn't give any opening for him to carry on with his need to seek unnecessary clarifications from me. "Is Palmer here?" I swiftly asked over my shoulder, my eyes scanning the bakery. It seemed unusually empty, since normally everyone would be found hanging around together around this time.

"No." He replied slowly. "Nolan took her out to check his new workplace. And then for some lunch."

I turned my head around slowly, my eyebrows furrowed in confusion. "He got a new job?" I asked, surprised by this new information that reached me. Nolan seemed like he was under the shadow of his uncle, always running errands and covering for him. Now he had his own job?

"Lucian handed him a whole company. He's the new boss now."

My eyes widened at their own accord. Seeing Nolan's uncle handing his nephew a whole company seemed absurd, unrealistic even. "He can do that?"

Link nodded, walking back to the counter. I lifted myself onto the chair beside the counter and eagerly waited for Link to give me more. "How?" I pushed as I realised Link wasn't going to add anything else to it since he started working away with the papers. I've seen him come behind the counter numerous of times and without a word just worked on the paperwork, so I didn't question what he was doing at all.

"I don't know," he shrugged. "And I'm past questioning Lucian's ways."

"I don't think that's fair," I said slowly. "What if others want to fight for that position? He can't just pass it to Nolan because they are related."

Link nodded slowly in agreement. "I'm not so sure but there were others that went for the position." Link said before he took a pause. "I for one, went for it, but didn't get it."

My lips parted slowly as both my brows arched upwards. I was surprised at that, especially after I had this whole idea embedded in my head that Link wasn't the type to uphold a whole job, let alone a solid career. He seemed like the type to come and go as he pleased, not allowing for anything to hold him back. So seeing him going for a position, that even people that had a degree would find challenging seemed even more absurd to me. Almost like a jigsaw puzzle that so badly wanted to fit in but it couldn't since the picture of him in my head was already complete.

"Better luck next time?" I said slowly, not sure whether it was too early or too stupid to say something like that. I mean... Did he even believe in luck? Was he even going to go for something else next time? Immediately I was swallowed by the stupidity of my words and the awkwardness that it suddenly draped over us.

Link glanced at me from the corner of his eye, leaving them to reply to my stupid remark. I pulled my lips into my mouth and just walloped into myself.

"I don't think Lucian gave Nolan the job just because they are related," Link started to say. "Nolan is pretty good and he knows all the ins and outs of the main core of Lucian's mindset."

I mused over that and decided that Nolan would have made a strong candidate and Lucian placed a tremendous job on his hands so he would have to be very good. Extremely good.

"Well congratulations to him. I'm sure he worked hard for it."

"Yeah, Lucian gave everyone a handful of tasks to do. Around twenty or so tasks to complete within two hours and you had to be very clever as to how to do then all."

"That sounds easy." I huffed out dismissively.

Link looked at me again. "No, it wasn't because I didn't get past task five." Oh crap. "And I came second in place after Nolan who did all of the tasks." Shit. "And there were fifty or so people going for the job." Fucking hell.

"He must be too good then."

"That's why he got the job."

Link and Nolan never had the strongest of relationships but they did respect each other in a weird way. They never got too involved with each other even though Nolan took a quick liking to Palmer and treated her like his own family. But the respect was there. And it was here right now, with Link showing nothing but pure respect for the guy and no bitterness over the fact that he got the job over him.

"Are there any other places you're going for?" I asked Link. My peripheral vision caught something moving by the window and I quickly turned my head to see someone lingering by the door of the bakery.

It was a middle aged woman and I quickly made eye contact with her. I waved her in, slid of the chair, and let a welcome smile beam over my face.

"Hey, welcome to Palmer's Passion!" I said, turning away from Link without getting a response and got to work.

****

It was the end of the day and Palmer still hadn't come back. I started feeling anxious about it when she didn't show up for a while and my agitated fingers fired a quick message to Nolan asking for their whereabouts.

He told me they were on their way back. That was about two hours ago.

"You think he's doing this on purpose?" I asked a silent Link. He was seated behind the counter, still working away with the paperwork. Anyone could argue this would have been a boring day, what with the only person in the bakery merely making conversation and hardly anyone coming in to provide some sort of entertainment.

But I somehow found myself enjoying this time away from being busy and found some time to just sit around, get some revision done for my upcoming exams and just not have to talk.

Link looked up from the pile of paperwork he was drowned in and shrugged in answer. "I don't know what he's doing with her but as long as she's enjoying her day."

I nodded in agreement. "As long as she can be laughing and smiling throughout the day and knowing Nolan, he'll be capable of doing all of that." I chuckled over my words.

Link smiled. "He sure will exhaust her to another level." To others, especially with Palmer's note from doctors to stay put, that would sound worrying. Link, however, seemed more than happy to let Nolan take his aunt and exhaust her. Although it did worry me as to how much Palmer could actually take  - and knowing her, she would do everything regardless if she was tired to the bone - I was still excited to hear about her day.

"He mentioned he'd also ask her some opinions on some new secretaries that would be working for him."

I raised one eyebrow. "Nolan is getting a secretary?"

"He sure is," Link clarified. "Lets hope he gets a Donna because he sure seems like a Harvey."

"And every Harvey needs a Donna." I added, fighting my lips from twitching visibly.

Making small jokes with Link always seemed dangerous, like I had to tip-toe around him whenever I said anything humorous. Because one look and it would just shut me down and I would never bring another joke up for a while until I felt comfortable again.

I glanced at the clock. It was late and started packing up my stuff. It didn't go past me that Palmer wasn't coming any time soon and I had more work to do back in my room. "You okay if leave you to the last hour or so and close up?" I asked to Link.

"Sure," he said slowly, something unusual crossing his eyes. I frowned at him and instantly opened my mouth to query the sudden change. It was something to take aback from to find Link looking unsure and so unsettled since he never openly expressed such emotion.

"Are you sure?" I said slowly. "Because of all a sudden you seem... nervous?" I wasn't sure myself whether I should blatantly call out what I was seeing. With Link, it was all about keeping out of his business and never to ask questions about something you weren't invited to do so.

I finished packing my stuff, placed my bag over my shoulder to seem hasted to leave as I waited for a response.

"I'm just nervous because I want to ask you out for a date but I'm not sure that's a great idea?"

I felt something hot trickle down my throat, my fingers suddenly shaking uncontrollably at what he was saying. Never in a million years did I imagine myself in this position with him and I knew it was all fake because you didn't go from being enemies to acquaintances to dating. But the sincerity that shined in his dark eyes threw me off my game and I had nothing to say. If I ever was utterly rendered speechless, this would be the moment. And as I tried to suck in some air, I found myself unable to do so.

"Please," he pressed further in a much lower voice. I felt a rush of quivers run down the back of my spine, finally resting by my feet which left them fighting to standing up straight. My hands involuntarily reached for the counter, providing aid for my body to stay upwards.

"Why?" I breathed out slowly.

"Just don't ask why for now because I can't answer that question."

Link, still standing behind the counter, stood stoic and expressionless. Gone was the flicker of nerves and he was back to his usual hard face with no stories to tell.

"When?"

"Tonight." He said quickly, looking determined to secure something and soon. "At eight."

/////

> I'm sorry for the long wait. I just didn't know how to get to this point, hence why all the bullshit pointless conversation early in the chapter but then again.. it kinda works on the build up for the chapter? I don't know but leave me you thoughts?

> Nolan also has a spin off story 'His Assistant' and you can find that by my profile :))

> And guys, any date ideas you'd want to see happen between these two complicated characters?? Comment down below your suggestions :)