Because now I know she feels it too.
Katelyn flashes me another knowing grin as she carries over a paper cup of coffee and offers it to me. “It’s about time, Sawyer.”
“What’s that supposed to mean?” But I can’t keep the smile off my face. “We’re just friends. For now.”
“See, it’s that ‘for now’ that has me so excited.”
Anastasia comes out of the back, a bottle of water in her hand. As she gets closer, Katelyn leaves the table and checks in on some of the other customers enjoying their coffee and baked goods.
“You hungry?” Anastasia asks as she pauses by the table. “I was going to make a sandwich.”
“Definitely.”
She flashes a smile. “Then come on, Soldier. I’ll be upstairs if you need me, Katelyn!”
“I won’t!” she calls back as I follow Anastasia up the stairs and into her apartment. She pushes the door open and moves inside.
“You really should lock this during the day.” It’s an old argument, something I’ve been telling her to do for years. “You never know who is in and out of your shop during the day.”
“No customers go in the back,” she counters as she quickly washes her hands and pulls out a loaf of fresh-made bread. Something she bakes herself, with her own ground flour. Where she finds the time, I have no clue.
“You might miss one.” I start to take a seat at her table when I hear a soft meow. Axel comes out of her bedroom, pausing a moment to stretch. “Hey there, buddy!” I drop down to the carpet as he plops down in front of me and rolls around on his back.
“I think he missed you,” Anastasia says softly.
I look up at her as I gather him into my arms. “I missed you, too, buddy.” As I rub him behind the ear, I stand on the other side of her kitchen counter, watching as she makes two turkey sandwiches. She tops each one with a slice of cheese, tomato, and lettuce, then adds mayonnaise and mustard to hers, just mustard to mine.
It’s ridiculous, but the fact that she remembers I can’t stand mayonnaise makes me insanely happy.
“Okay, wash up,” she says as she licks some mustard off her thumb.
The simple action stirs that all too familiar desire in my gut.
Give her time. That’s what I said I needed to do.
After setting Axel down, I wash my hands then join her at the table. “Thanks for lunch.”
She smiles at me. “Anytime.”
We’ve eaten together countless times. I can’t even count the number of days I’ve come over here and begged her for lunch so I didn’t have to walk to the diner. I never had to beg much, though. Sometimes I’d even make us lunch in her kitchen and bring it down to eat in her break room with her.
So why does today feel different?
Because we’re different.
“How is your day going?” She opens a bag of chips and pours some onto my plate before sliding it over to me.
“Productive. You?”
“Not too bad.” She yawns.
“Tired?”
“Yeah. More calls last night. I’m telling you, these guys are getting annoying.”
“Guys. Did they actually talk last night?” A trickle of something dangerously close to a warning slides up my spine. Random phone calls in the middle of the night? Typically, spammers lean more toward daylight hours.
“No, I ignored them now that I know they’re bot calls. But one did leave a weird message.”
