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“Well, if you insist, I won’t say no.”
We went back to the cashier.
“A cappuccino with whipped cream and caramel topping for the lady. And a blueberry pancake,” he said.
I looked at him questioningly. “Why did you order that?”
He gave me a half smile and a wink. “Saw you looking at them earlier.”
I smiled, caught by surprise. I hadn’t felt like smiling all morning. I’d woken up in a frenzy, with my heart in my throat. I’d hoped that sticking to my usual morning routine would keep the nerves about the potential lawsuit at bay. But until this beautiful stranger had made me laugh, my insides had been twisted together like a vine.
“Well, you caught me there. And since you bought it for me, I can’t let it go to waste, can I?”
The stranger gave me a crooked smile. He motioned with his head to one of the empty tables. “Shall we?”
I glanced at the time on my smartphone. “I only have twenty minutes.”
“Plenty of time to drink our coffees and for you to enjoy your pancake. By the way you were looking at it, it wouldn’t last longer than five minutes anyway.”
Had he just called me out on my appetite? Yes, yes, he had. But since he was spot-on, I couldn’t argue with him. Walter’s was cozy, with its vintage tables and chairs and comfortable couches. We sat at a table by the window. When he’d draped the jacket of his navy suit over the backrest of the chair, I’d had a prime view of his ass. Well, hell. Now that was a detail I wanted to remember.
“Do you work at one of the companies in the area? Or are you here for a meeting?” I asked.
“I just moved my company here. You?”
“My office is nearby.” I didn’t feel like giving him any details, because any mention of my company would bring the upcoming meeting front and center again. “I stop here every morning for coffee.”
He set an elbow on the table, leaning slightly over. “And a pancake?”
“Occasionally.”
“Come on, you can be honest with me.” He winked, and I couldn’t help laughing. How could he tell that by occasionally I’d meant every other day?
“Well, I might indulge more than just occasionally. Might.”
“I see. Too early in the morning for honest confessions?” He was teasing me, and I enjoyed it immensely.
“Way too early,” I confirmed, and now he was laughing. We chitchatted about nothing in particular while we drank our coffees. He wasn’t offering any details about himself. We hadn’t even exchanged names.
I wondered if, like me, he didn’t want to think about the day ahead. Usually people liked to brag about their jobs, and judging by his expensive suit and watch, he had a brag-worthy job. I liked the anonymity of our conversation. It was freeing. This enigmatic stranger was hands down the best thing that could have happened to me this morning.
When it was time for me to leave, he stood up from his chair at the same time I did. I really liked his manners. Our arms touched as we both moved. The contact only lasted a second, but my entire body reacted. What was wrong with me? Was I so starved for affection that the slightest touch affected me so much? Okay, so it was the touch of a tall and gorgeous man, but still.
“Do you have any recommendations for lunch places?”
“Mrs. Seguin.” I answered with the first name that popped into my mind, because I planned to head there for lunch. “It’s great for business meetings too. They have a wide selection.”
“Thanks.”
“I need to hurry,” I said regretfully. Without realizing it, I’d motioned with my head across the street to my building.
“You work at Valentina’s Laboratories?”
“Yes. I’m the owner, Valentina. You know the company?” The name was written next to the entrance door, but the font wasn’t large enough to be seen from across the street.
“We have the same building manager. She told me about you.”
Kate was a darling. She bragged about me to everyone.
