After Linny left, I dove into work and slammed out ten bouquets in record time.
Boom.
Only one of my weekend coworkers showed up. She brought with her an explanation for the other’s absence. Martinis and men.
They both got drunk last night, so they flipped a coin and I ended up with a very queasy helper for the day. Since she was in no shape to face the people receiving the bouquets I put together, I took on deliveries again.
That’s what brought me here.
I’m at the hospital.
It’s almost eight p.m., so visitors are about to get the boot. I rushed to hand a pretty bouquet of irises to a new mom before a nurse shooed me away.
I shut down the shop before I left to come here, so my night is my own.
Scrolling through the food delivery app on my phone, I contemplate my choices.
I could stop and pick something up to save the delivery charge, or I could go super economical and eat whatever I find in my fridge that doesn’t have a layer of mold on it.
My gaze bolts from a picture of a ham sandwich to my messaging app when I hear the chime signaling a new arrival.
I open the app.
Liam: Look up.
My head darts up.
What the hell?
Standing across the lobby from me, dressed in dark jeans and a black Henley shirt is the man I haven’t stopped thinking about since last night.
He closes the distance between us with heavy measured steps.
“Are you alright? Why are you here, Athena?”
I pull a deep breath in, trying to calm my pulse. Why do I feel lightheaded whenever I’m within a foot of him? “I’m fine. I was delivering flowers.”
His face softens. “Good. That’s good.”
“Are you okay?” I question back because he’s the last person I expected to see here on a Saturday night.
Scrubbing a hand over the back of his neck, he nods. “I’m fine too.”
He doesn’t add anything else, so I take it to mean that he’s here because he’s visiting someone. Maybe it’s another ex. What is that saying about third times a charm? Or is it a nightmare?
“I want to talk.” He inches closer. “Do you have time to do that now?”
I do, but I’m wiped out.
“There’s a coffee shop a block from here.” He jerks a thumb toward the lobby doors. “Are you in?”
I should be out. Linny’s words of wisdom about Liam’s past entanglements war with my desire, but this is an innocent cup of coffee. What’s the harm in that? “I’m in.”
When I start walking toward the doors, he falls in step beside me. Our fingers brush against each other, but I pull mine away. I need to keep my hands off of him until I’m sure that another one of his ex-girlfriends isn’t going to pop up around the corner.
***
I take a seat across from him in a booth. We’re in a coffee shop with worn red leather bench seats. Our table is propped up by a book under one uneven leg.