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I smile and text him back, glad that he texted me to re-establish our connection.
INDIA: I slept like a baby. I guess I really needed to have dinner cooked for me.
JON: It wasn't the chicken marsala you needed. ;)
I laugh and imagine him texting me, grinning.
INDIA: I needed what you had to give.
JON: You did. I'm warning you. There's a lot more where that came from. Be prepared.
I laugh out loud at that.
INDIA: Oh, believe me. I have a pretty good idea what I'm in for.
JON: Good. I have plans for the night of my return. Keep it open, okay?
INDIA: It’s open. Talk later. I'm going in to work soon.
JON: Hey, what happened to when the cat's away, the mice will play?
INDIA: I'm the cat as well, you know…
JON: You are the cat's meow, to quote my grandad.
INDIA: GROAN
JON: Later.
&
nbsp; I smile at the cat emoticon he sends me and sit imagining him in Denver's airport, seated in the first-class lounge, texting me.
I arrive at the office and spend an hour finishing up a couple of reports I got from one of our suppliers. It's dry technical stuff so I need an extra cup of coffee to make it through. I take my bag and go down the street to my favorite local coffee shop on the next block. I've been going there for years, and they know me behind the counter, and start preparing my coffee when they catch sight of me outside the door.
It's busy this morning, as usual, and so I stand in line. When I arrive at the till, my coffee is ready without me having to order it, and when I move over to pay, I bump into someone. Before I can even say ‘excuse me,’ I glance up into the face of my ex.
Blaine.
He's grinning down at me, that old familiar quirk of a smile that used to make my knees weak.
Mr. Seduction, Marina always called him.
"Still like brown sugar instead of white?"
I finish stirring and slip the lid on my take-out cup, a jolt of adrenaline flowing through me.
"Still do." I finish paying and smile at the cashier. Then, I step away and turn to Blaine. "What are you doing in town?"
He glances around, apparently pleased to be back. "I'm back to open an office in San Francisco. Decided to visit my old haunts. Fancy meeting you here."
"Yes," I say, struggling for words. I'm just so totally shocked to see him that I'm at a loss. I stand there, coffee in hand, staring at nothing, wondering what I'm going to do if he's back and starts to hang out again with our old friends. Who are all still my friends.
"So, how are things? I talked to Marina this morning. She told me you're still with Pacifica. I hear it's doing pretty well. Congrats."
"Thank you," I say, trying to be polite. "Where's your office going to be?" I'm busy thinking through what this means. I hope he's not going to be in this neighborhood. The last thing I need is to see him every day.
"Just down the block. I love this area of the city and have a great space in a building with the entire top floor to myself. I'm meeting with some developers to work on a new media project. We should definitely go out for a drink later. What are you doing tonight?"
