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Chemistry
TwoMonthsago
“Dani!” Maggie cried, seeing her oldest friend sitting in her café, Common Grounds. She ran across the room with her arms outstretched dodging tables and patrons alike.
Maggie held Dani at arms’ length and looked her up and down. “You haven’t changed a bit! I can’t believe you’re finally here in my place! It’s been killing me to know you were in town and not seeing you, but I know how busy you’ve been with Miss Lu. Did Eustace get the King Ranch casserole we sent?”
“He did and I’m lucky I got a bite! And I’m sorry about not getting in here sooner, Maggie, truly. I’ve wanted to get by but once I get done helping to take care of Aunt Lu at the hospital all day, I’ve only had enough energy to go fall into bed.” Dani hugged her friend again. “Now that s getting she’s getting close to being released, I hope we can get together for a girls’ night soon.”
“Anytime, Dani, anytime.” Maggie turned her beaming smile toward the man sitting with her friend at the table. He had sandy blonde hair that was just a bit too long, a square jaw covered in intriguing blonde and dark brown stubble, and the most amazingly colored eyes. They weren’t a plain brown like hers but were filled with gold flakes. They were like a glass of whisky with sunshine pouring through them. “And who do we have here?”
“Maggie, I’d like you to meet one of my very best friends from the hospital in Dallas, Dr. Zane Savage. I asked him to come down to consult on Aunt Lu’s case. You know, nurse paranoia!” She smiled and turned to the man who had been sitting with her. “Zane, this is Maggie, my best friend from, well, forever!”
Maggie watched his amused smile widen as he scrambled to his feet and held out his hand. “Very nice to meet you, Maggie. Dani’s told me so much about you.”
Maggie took the large, proffered hand with her own petite one. She noted how warm his hand was as it engulfed hers. My, my. “Well, charmed I’m sure.”
Zane continued to hold her hand as they stared at each other. She could feel the flush that was starting to color her neck.
Dani cleared her throat, again.
Maggie started visibly at the noise and pulled her hand from Zane’s, tucking her hair behind her ears. What was she doing? She saw Zane shake himself a little before he clumsily retook his seat. Had he felt that pull, too?
“Where is JT?” Dani asked grinning, looking back and forth between her two friends. “I was hoping to see him today as well.” Dani turned to Zane, who’s smile may have dimmed just a little at the mention of JT. “JT is the chef,” Dani explained. “He was also the chief instigator of mischief when we were kids.”
“Oh, so you and JT run this place together?” Zane said, trying his best to sound casually interested.
“We do, we opened it right after I got home from college and he finished culinary school.” Maggie beamed proudly. “JT, come see who it is!”
A man with tousled blonde hair and chocolate brown eyes that almost exactly matched Maggie’s popped his head out of the kitchen door. His face lit up with a 1000-watt smile as he shot across the café, a large spatula still in his hand.
“Dani!” He hollered and grabbed her up in his arms, swinging her around and barely missing the people at the next table. “You’re here!”
“Put her down!” Maggie commanded her brother though she said it with a broad grin on her face. “You’re going to break something.”
“Good to see you, too, JT,” Dani laughed as he dropped her back to her feet.
They stood there smiling stupidly at each other until Zane cleared his throat and stuck out a hand in JT’s direction. “Zane Savage. I’m a friend of Dani’s.”
JT raised his eyebrows at Dani in question as he switched the spatula to his left hand and so he could shake with Zane. “JT. Maggie’s brother. Nice to meet you! Any friend of Dani’s is a friend of ours.”
“Nice to meet you, too,” Zane parroted sincerely as his boyish grin returned full force.
“Uh, sorry! You had me in the air so fast I didn’t get to introduce you.” Dani said, smiling, and giving JT a small punch in the arm. “Zane is a neurologist from my hospital in Dallas. I asked him to come check out Aunt Lu and make sure she was actually ready to transition home.”
“Ahh, it’s good Miss Lu has all these people looking out for her! You let me know when she’s getting out and I’ll make some meals up for the freezer.” JT winked at Dani. “Or did they teach you to cook in that nursing school of yours? If I remember correctly, there was that little incident with the actual boiling of water…”
“I was nine,” Dani said with exasperation. “You are never going to let me live that down are you? I can remember plenty of times….”
Before they could continue to rehash embarrassing stories, Maggie remembered she had interrupted their order. “Oh my goodness! I ran over here and took over before you even got food! What kind of hostess am I?”
She motioned everyone back to the table and turned to Sofia, Common Ground’s head waitress, who had been waiting patiently during the reunion. “Bring us some of that quiche, Sofia, please, and a couple of JT’s croissants before they’re all gone. Oh, and a coffee carafe and a large Diet Dr. Pepper.” She raised her eyebrow at Dani inquiringly.
“Yep, still an addict.” Dani laughed.
“You do know about her addiction and her refusal to even sip the elixir of life and you’re still her friend, right?” Maggie stage whispered to Zane playfully. She felt an inexplicable need to see the man break out that smile again.
Zane pulled a mockingly heartbroken face. “Yes, it’s a tragic flaw but I give her the benefit of my friendship anyway.” He shook his head lamentably but then his eyes flashed with humor. He grinned and just kept staring at her. Maggie felt fluttering deep in her belly.
