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“Oh. How did she even remember me?”
“You saw what the traffic was like in there yesterday. Not exactly a Starbucks. And you sat with Lily Olson, one of her favorite customers.” He pauses. “Besides, you’re quite memorable.”
I don’t know what to do with that, so I sip my mint mocha. “It’s perfect. What do I owe you?”
He laughs and sees that I’m just waiting. “Were you serious?”
“Yes.”
“You’re not paying me for your drink, Elsie.”
I sip it again to give myself a moment to think. But I come up with nothing. “Beau, if you’re not here to yell at me in person for not being ready, then what’s going on?”
“Your text said that you’d been working all morning, and knowing you, that means you’ve been working all night nonstop, too. By the look of you, I’d wager I am right. So I thought you could use a break and probably some caffeine.”
“Uh, yeah, wait, by the look of me?”
“The pajamas.”
I glance down. “Oh, yeah.”
“How about you come with me for a walk by the marina to get out of this little room and see the sun while it’s still out?”
“I just ordered food—"
A knock at my door makes me jump, and I nearly spill my drink. Setting it down, I pop open the door and get my food from the delivery guy. It’s just a sandwich, so it would keep, but I’m shocked Beau is being this considerate. “I would have thought you’d want me to get back to work immediately—"
“Being stuck in this place is going to stifle your creativity, Elsie. By your own admission, you’re a traveler. Seeing new things is inspirational for you. The break will help. Come for a walk with me.”
I sigh and smile. “Okay. You talked me into it. Just let me get dressed.”
He turns his back to me.
“Thanks for the thought, but I’ll just go to the bathroom to change.”
“Ah.” He turns back around. “Lily has always had the nicest things to say about this place. Good to know the only thing she exaggerates about is my brother.”
I grab my clothes and pop into the bathroom, leaving the door cracked so I can hear him. “She exaggerates about Cormac?”
He huffs and, in a mocking tone, says, “Cormac is so great. Cormac is the best. I’ve never met anyone like Cormac.”
“Someone sounds jealous.”
“To be honest, I am glad he has found someone who thinks so highly of him. I would like to hear less about it, that’s all.”
I tease him, “Yeah, you still sound jealous.”
He chuckles. “They have a good thing. Can you blame me?”
“No,” I say, walking out in my beige sweater and white shorts. “I’m happy for Lily, too. They seem very together.”
“Shall we be off, then?”
“Yes.”
The stroll to the marina is only a few minutes, but I can feel it already. That connection with Beau. The way he looks at me when he speaks, like he’s on the verge of smiling. If I didn’t have my coffee to keep myself occupied, I would have accidentally tried to hold his hand. Out of instinct. It is too easy to be with him.
We fight like cats and dogs, and that gets me hot. But even when we’re not fighting, I want to hold his hand. To be close to him. Angry or not angry, I like him. And he’s my client.
