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His dark brows drew together as unspoken questions flashed in his eyes. Apparently, she wasn’t the only one to remember their run-in. But why had he followed her here? Was he some sort of stalker? Worry sent her pulse racing.
“You. You’re the woman from the building this morning.” He set aside the menu.
“And you’re the man who stood there eavesdropping.”
“I did not. I was politely waiting to ask a question.”
“If you say so. Still, you could have cleared your throat or said something.” The man’s gaze grew darker. Good. Let him be angry. She didn’t like to be spied upon and she didn’t have time to waste. “I have to get back to work.”
“But where is Alan?”
“It’s Alina. And I’m standing right here, but not for much longer.” Her brain said to turn around and walk away, but her feet refused to move.
“Wait.” Confusion showed in his eyes. “That can’t be right.” He reached in his pocket and withdrew a slip of paper. “I’m looking for Al or Alan Martin. He’s the building manager at the Stirling Apartments on Holly Lane.”
“I’m the building manager.”
The man stared at her for a moment as though trying to figure out if he believed her or not. “Can I ask you a question?”
She shrugged. “You can but it doesn’t mean I’ll answer.”
A smile lit up his face, making him downright gorgeous. The breath hitched in her lungs. For a second, she forgot she’d been irritated with him. She took a moment to really notice him. He was wearing a charcoal gray suit with a brilliant blue dress shirt sans the tie. The top button was undone, revealing a silver chain around his neck. Interesting. Perhaps it wouldn’t hurt to give him another chance.
Her gaze rose, taking in a squared jaw that was clean-shaven, until finally she met his dark gaze. She could sense he was quite observant, and right now, he was studying her. What was he seeing in her? And why was he interested in her?
Was he planning to ask her out? A bubble of laughter rose up in her throat. She swallowed hard. This man could easily grace the glossy pages of any magazine—then again, perhaps he already did. Either way, there was no way he’d be interested in plain old her—the memory of her stepmother’s insults still lingered in the back of her mind.
“What is the deal with this place?” he asked.
She wasn’t sure she understood. “Excuse me?”
“The restaurant, is it really called the Christmas Café?”
“Yes.”
His eyes widened. “You mean all year-round?”
She nodded and smiled. “In here, it’s Christmas year-round.”
“Even in the summer, it’s decorated for Christmas?”
“Well, Santa and his buddies do like to celebrate other holidays so they put up valentines, shamrocks, jack o’lanterns, and in the summer, Santa breaks out his board shorts and surfboard.”
If it was possible, the man’s eyes widened even further. “Seriously?” When she nodded again, he said, “That’s a lot of Christmas.”
“I take it you’re not a fan of the holiday.”
“No.” There was no hesitation in his very firm answer.
What in the world had made him so grinchy? But she stopped herself from asking. She didn’t have time to get to know this man, no matter how cute she might find him or how curious she was to know the man behind those dark, mysterious eyes.
“I really need to get back to work,” she said. “Do you want to order?”
“In a moment, but first I need to speak with you about the apartment building.”
“Listen, if you’re looking for an apartment to rent, you’ve come to the wrong place.”
“Why’s that?” His brown eyes sparked with interest.
