Twin Roses: A Beau Rivage Short Story Read Online Free PDF

being Rose Red in the curse or the prince’s brother?” Thurston asked.
    “Theo’s the one who had to live as a bear for ten years. We didn’t suffer. Do you think you suffered?”
    She didn’t ask like she cared—more like she was smacking down his pity party. He shifted in his seat, restless. He was one of those guys who treated every piece of furniture like it was too small, when really he just needed to take up more space. It was ironic, she thought, that he was sitting a few feet away from a cursed Goldilocks.
This chair is too big, this chair is too small
.
    “Just so you know,” Thurston said, “I don’t date girls who work in coffee shops. Or girls with sisters.”
    “When did I give you the impression I was interested in your life?”
    Luxe twisted around in her chair. “Can you two take your romance somewhere else? It’s embarrassing.”
    Thurston laughed. Ruby thought to herself,
The customer is always right
. Whoever had said that had never dealt with a Goldilocks.
    Jewel flipped her notebook closed. “Change of scenery?”
    “Please,” Luxe said.
    Now the customers were down to Thurston and a few stalwart students. But they were buried so deeply in their textbooks and laptops that it was almost like she and Thurston were alone.
    “What kind of a name is Thurston?” Ruby asked.
Rude, rude, rude
. She was never rude at work. It was kind of nice to have an excuse.
    “A regal one. How’d your mom decide on Ruby and Pearl? She own a jewelry store before this?”
    “She renamed us once we were cursed. Pearl was marked with white roses; mine are red. We started out as Ava and Zora. Now those are our middle names.”
    “Which one of you was Zora?”
    “Does it matter?” She was tired of answering his questions. She wasn’t sure why she’d answered him at all.
    “I guess I’ll find out when they print the wedding invitations.
Pearl Ava-or-Zora Ramble and Theodore ‘Grizzly’ Trevathan invite you to join them for their happily-ever-after kickoff party
. We’ll probably walk down the aisle together. As maid of honor and best man. That’ll be the only time, though.”
    She was saved from getting into it with him by a pair of customers who wanted smoothies. Throwing ice and fruit into a blender and listening to the growl of it being pulverized was about as therapeutic as it got around here. Aside from eating half a row of cupcakes and then chasing the sugar high with espresso.
    Through the open door to the kitchen, she could see Pearl and Theo, their hands covered in flour, adorable smiles ontheir faces.
Adorable
. Pearl was a happy person, generally, but she rarely shined like she was doing now.
    Pearl deserved so much happiness—all the happiness in the world. Ruby wanted that for her, and she wanted to share it—even if it meant being happy for her instead of alongside her.
    Why was that so hard? Why did she see Pearl and Theo together and feel sad?
    The well-trained smile was back by the time she rang up the smoothies. No broken hearts at this counter.
    Thurston was still watching her—quietly. She went about her business. Nabbed a cupcake from the pastry case. Started in on round one of her sugar high. Laughter wafted out of the kitchen—sweeter than the smell of cookies baking.
    She wanted to be happy for her sister. She did.
    “I missed hot food,” Theo said as he slid the tray of cookies into the oven. “And I don’t mean hot like old cheeseburgers roasting in a garbage can.”
    Pearl laughed. “I didn’t think that was what you meant. Also, that’s disgusting.”
    “I know. Yesterday my parents tried to take me to a steakhouse for dinner, but all I wanted was macaroni and cheese. I ate five boxes. I used to like the ones with noodles shaped like dinosaurs, so my mom bought some that were teddy bear–shaped, but I had to leave those in the pantry.”
    “Too soon?”
    “Too soon. I don’t want to see any bears for a while. Not even in pasta form.”
    Pearl pulled Theo