I poked my head out of the gym and saw Kev pacing the hallway with his phone in his hand. He had always been kind to me. He was pleasant to look at with his dark brooding eyes, and chiseled jawline. He never said much to me, but I didn’t need him to talk much for this. I froze in place when he glanced up and caught me watching him.
He smiled. “Hey, April.”
“Oh, hi, Kev.” I tried to sound casual and not like I had been watching him like a hunter with prey.
“That stretch you did earlier helped.” He flexed his arm, showing off his thick biceps.
I stepped closer to him, so I wasn’t shouting. “Glad to have helped.”
I cleared my throat, gathered the courage to come out and asked him for the most ridiculous favor. We both stood there staring at each other. The air thickened with awkward silence. It was like he knew I had more to say and was waiting patiently for me to speak.
“You ready to go home?” he asked, breaking the tension.
“Yes. I like being on the road, but I do miss home.”
He nodded. “Same.”
My phone buzzed inside my pocket, startling me. I fumbled to fish it out, seeing a group message from May.
Final numbers needed for planning. ASAP.
Ugh. My shoulders sagged. She was pushing lately. How big of a deal is it for one more person? It wasn’t a formal meal. She just wanted me to admit to everyone that I was soloand not with the plus-one I had all but guaranteed a few months ago.
“You okay?” Kev questioned.
Taking a good long look at him, I held my breath and finally decided to hell with it. “Not really.”
“Can I help?” And there was an opportunity I needed.
“Not unless you can be my date for a family function in two weeks.” It slipped out before I could stop it and I watched his face twist in surprise. My cheeks flamed in embarrassment. “I don’t meanyouhave to. My sister is a jerk… Dinner.”
I was rambling and words started to come out without any context. Kev struggled to follow along since I was not making any sense.
He gripped the back of his neck. “Uh, geez, April. I’d love to help, but I’m away at the All Stars.”
“Right. Of course. No.” I spun around, wanting to crawl under something, as Josh came around the corner. His eyes bounced between Kev and me. Instantly, I stepped back. There was no reason to, yet I did.
“Am I interrupting?” he asked.
Kev grinned and thumbed to Josh. “He can do it.”
“No!” I practically shouted, making Kev jump.
Josh’s eyes lingered on me for a minute, before he turned to Kev. “Do what?”
“Nothing,” I said abruptly and bolted away, not giving them a chance to say anything else.
Kev shook his head and teased Josh. “Wouldn’t you like to know?”
Kev turned to wink at me as the exit doors closed between us. I ducked into my office and covered my beet-red face with my hands.He is so telling Josh.
We had a two-day break between the series and I needed the space. It was weird with Kev now and Josh had tried to talk to me a few times. But work wasn’t the time, or the place, to bring up whatever did or didn’t happen, and I sure as heck didn’t need him checking in on me. He hadn’t ever before and the sudden change was throwing me off-kilter. What was he trying to do? I wasn’t in the mood to dissect whatever was happening between us. Lechale had pulled his hamstring stealing second and the ordeal kept me busy while we were away.
Now that we were home, I had run out of ways to avoid him, especially since I knew he was only a few floors up. It was hard not to think about him. Even at the gym, my eyes kept checking to see if he was coming in. He didn’t. Yet, every time I heard the door open, my heart halted, hoping it was him. Even Nora was on my case about asking him to be my date for Papi’s party, and with each day getting closer to it, I was running out of options. It was only ten in the morning and I needed to get out of my head.
The summer rainstorm matched my mood. It was a welcome relief from the hot haze that had clouded the city for the past few days. The lawns and trees were dried up like straw, but rain renewed everything. I grabbed my umbrella and raincoat, and headed out to my favorite café.
The Steeped and Brewed Café was only a few blocks from our building and my favorite Sunday morning indulgence when the city was still asleep. It was a quaint café with chic, farmhouse style and dark industrial fixtures. Loose-leaf teas and organic coffees were showcased behind the counters in mason jars with little handwritten plaques. Used books of every genre lined the floor-to-ceiling shelves of the walls that people could sit and read, or purchase at a discount. The tables were a mix of family-style and little private coves, usually taken over by people with laptops or crowds of students during the weekdays.
