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Daisy’s laughter rang through the bar, and her gaze met mine. I felt the familiar flutter as our eyes locked. She gave me a little wave with her fingers, charging the air with flirty electricity.
Did every man feel this lucky when she looked at them?
I pushed myself off the wall, feeling a restlessness in my bones.
We hadn’t talked much since I’d left to go shopping yesterday.
When it slowed down at the bar, I made my way over and sat down.
“Okay, Boss,” she cooed with a playful tilt of her head. “What can I get you?”
“Club soda with ice.”
Daisy grinned, reaching for a glass that she quickly filled with ice and poured the club soda over.
“I missed you yesterday,” I told her. “It would have been nice to have some backup.”
She smiled, crossing her arms over her chest. “What makes you think I’d be on your side?”
I laughed and shook my head. “Nothing now.”
Daisy chuckled and leaned against the counter. Her hazel eyes glinted with mischief. “I got some news about the reopening of Styx.”
My heart plummeted. “Yeah?”
“They’re opening early. My boss was hoping I could come back for the weekend.”
The news smacked into me like a physical blow to the chest. The thought of not getting to see her all the time and possibly losing the connection we’d built was almost unbearable.
Her words coiled around me, tightening their grip with each pasting moment.
I didn’t want Daisy to leave. I’d counted on two weeks.
But it wasn’t my choice.
“I’ll miss you,” I said, gauging her reaction.
She grinned and reached for a rag to wipe the bar down. “I’m going to miss Purrlock a lot.”
“The cat? That’s who made an impression?”
A wry grin looped along Daisy’s beautiful mouth. “Truth be told, I was just warming up to you too. I’m going to miss you. As a friend.”
It felt like the rest of the bar drifted away as she watched me closely, probably waiting for me to say the right thing, but I didn’t know what that could be. I was falling for Daisy, the real Daisy. Not just the woman I’d imagined as being fun and perky last year.
Rather, the woman whose layers were complex and who had a smile laced with a sadness few knew about.
But she chose me.
Daisy opened up to me and gave me a piece of herself that she’d shielded from so many.
A waitress came up to the bar and ordered a round of drinks for her table, which Daisy quickly worked on.
Now wasn’t the time to talk to her about my feelings, but I worried I wouldn’t find the time. I’d always done well at avoiding those things. That’s probably how I wound up with Brielle. I never talked about things, so she just assumed we were together. Then, one week turned to two months, and on and on.
But with Daisy, I wanted to be intentional. I wanted my actions to be deliberate, to mean something.
Like the kiss yesterday.
