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“Oh, FIRE has the best burgers,” Cassie sings.
“He’s been over here on Mass Ave this whole time?” I ask.
“Well, not the whole time. The website says the headquarter has only been open for a few months. It’s on the second floor above LACE,” she adds.
“How have you not run into him yet, Lay?” Cassie shakes her head. “You both work on the same street.”
“I don’t know. But I’ll have to find out from Ruth why she was meeting with him.” I pull my bottom lip between my teeth.
Cassie jumps out of the chair. “Oh, snap! I’ve got a call in five minutes. I gotta go.”
“See ya,” I mumble.
“See you Saturday. I can’t wait to officially meet Theo,” Stella says and Cassie’s already happy grin turns into a full-out gushy smile at the mention of her boyfriend.
“Can’t wait.” She winks at me and disappears out the door.
I let out a sigh. “I’m gonna go get a mid-day caffeine fix.”
“Do you guys even have a coffee maker in the office?” She laughs.
“We do, but you haven’t had Hazel’s brew yet. It’s delightful.” I fight my eyes from rolling back in my head thinking about the smooth, sinful brew. My lifeblood most days.
“You’re obsessed,” she says and I can envision her shaking her head.
“Just call me a Gilmore.” I smile as I spy my Luke’s Coffee tumbler I fill up in Sweet Wave every morning. Hazel is all about reducing waste, so she gladly fills up clean, reusable travel mugs.
“All right, I’m going to find coffee,” I tell Stella. We say a quick goodbye and I stand from my seat, pocketing my phone. Deciding I need an iced mocha, I leave my mug and head downstairs.
* * *
I don’t know why I don’t catch on right away. It’s probably because I’m clearly stuck in my head today and unable to think straight. But as I stand here in line, gazing out the window of the coffee shop and soaking in the sunny February afternoon’s promise of spring, I nearly jump when I hear my name.
A silky masculine voice saying my name again has me turning around and I find myself tilting my head back slightly to find that standing right in front of me is Cole Reed.
The first thing I register is his signature lopsided grin, and I can feel my own lips tip up at the sides. Greedily, I start to register everything about him, starting with the thick, dark brown hair that is styled the same as years ago. The slight flare of his clean-cut style somehow makes him look more distinguished as a man in his thirties. Most likely because his hair is slightly longer on top than it used to be. Dark sideburns taper into a trimmed box cut beard that covers his pronounced jaw. The beard and mustache looks typically aren’t my thing, but I’ve always found the look sexy on Cole. It fits him so well.
His blue eyes sparkle at me as he says, “Layla James, in the flesh.”
I swallow, still in shock that we are standing in front of each other. “My goodness, Cole Reed, as I live and breathe.” I finally get control of myself.
He chuckles. “I was hoping I would run into you.”
“Yeah, I just heard you were upstairs. You met with Ruth.”
“You call your grandma by her first name. Interesting.” His grin is still big.
I shake my head. “Only when it’s work-related. Helps keep that family vs. work line clear.”
Noticing for the first time he’s holding a cup of coffee in his hand, his free hand comes up and rubs his jaw. My eyes follow the motion. “Somehow, I can’t see Ruth respecting the line.”
A laugh bubbles up out of me. “No, not at all. It’s more for my sanity.”
“Fair.”
“How did I not know our grandmothers are best friends? I’ve met Dorthy a handful of times in person. I often see her on video calls with Ruth.” It still boggles my mind that this is such news.
“It’s wild for sure. I didn’t know until Ruth told Cassie and me about an hour ago. But same, I knew Ruth prior today,” he says.
