AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“I already offered your guy to call the cops. I think he’s going to buy me coffee instead. I was pretty freaked, he’s such a good guy.” She smiled. “You should be proud of him. You found a good one.”
“A good one,” the guy said with a note of sly intrigue. “I found a good one.”
“Yes,” she said, nodding. “He’s hot. He hasn’t said much yet, but, you know, he didn’t scream in my face, which is something that happens more than you might think… Your guy’s a good guy.”
“My guy’s a…” When he cleared his throat, she thought there might have been a whisper of a laugh in there. “Yep,” he declared. “Crazy in love with that guy, I am.”
Oh, she loved people in love. Their openness and vulnerability were humbling. “You’re very lucky. I promise not to corrupt him.”
“I’d appreciate that.” The lightness in his voice was reassuring, he must have been really worried. Alleviating his concern was the least she could do. “He works hard, you know? Sometimes I just worry he’s being taken advantage of.”
“Well, not by me,” she said. “I can promise you that. Do you want me to tell him you called?”
“No,” the guy said. “I’ll talk to him later. You enjoy the rest of your day now.”
Polite and kind. How sweet! Both of them were lucky to have found each other. “You too.”
There was a brief chuckle before the line went dead. She put the phone back on the table with a broad smile still stretched on her face. People in love were adorable. She envied them and their relationships.
The kind of security she wanted, the type of relationship she craved, didn’t exist. Time and experience taught her that. Everyone she talked to about her romantic aspirations told her they were an impossibility. And despite her desire not to believe these others, it was becoming more and more difficult to refute the longer time went on.
Coffee appeared in front of her before she saw him coming. As he went around the table to sit perpendicular to her, she swept the cool plastic into her hand.
“Thanks,” she said, righting her purse in her lap. “What do I owe you?”
“Don’t worry about it,” he said, putting his own coffee down.
Curious about his order, she smiled at his black coffee. “Americano?”
“Americano,” he said. “Easy to please.”
“You’re very understanding.”
For a few seconds, he was confused, then clarity hit. “The coffee,” he said, leaning back to glance at his lap. “I have plenty of pants. Don’t worry about it.”
“You have to get home like that. I am so sorry.”
He smiled. Wow, and that dazzle was a sucker punch.
“I live right across the street. I’ll be fine.”
Shaking off the shiver his smile sent across her shoulders, she licked her lips. “I am in here every single day.”
“And you’re wondering why you’ve never seen me before?”
“No,” she said, almost laughing. “I’m expecting kudos that it’s taken until now for me to spill on you.”
That earned her a laugh. “And I’d give you it, except I’ve just moved to the neighborhood.”
“Damn,” she said, sucking in a breath. She shrugged. “I guess I’m the welcoming committee. Couldn’t get much worse, right?” She frowned. “Wait, forget I said that. I don’t want to tempt fate.”
“I think we can take fate if she comes for us,” he said, watching her slip the straw between her lips. “So Viva Marketing, what is it you do there?”
Swallowing the coffee, she released the straw. “How come work is always the first thing people ask new people about?”
“Because it’s safe. Neutral.” The power of his subtle smile was enough to mesmerize her. “Not like you can walk up to a new person and ask, ‘Am I the only one thinking about sex right now?’”
She laughed. “True! That would definitely give the wrong impression. Though…” She rolled her eyes at herself. “That’s exactly the kind of thing I would say. My filter has been faulty since birth.”
