After Dayton’s session, I found it difficult to focus on my next client and was grateful when lunch was next, allowing me ample time to regroup. Typically, I ate at my desk and scrolled through emails or Pinterest, but today, I felt the need to escape and hopefully clear my head in the process.
Gathering my belongings, I dipped my head to Doris as I passed and headed out, the ability to even small talk expended at the moment. The cool spring air greeted me, and I breathed it in, already feeling better as the oxygen cleared my head. I loved spring and how the earth started to come alive again. Seeing all the flowers beginning to bloom and the budding of the trees as they began to emerge was a good reminder of how things come in seasons.
Walking the streets aimlessly, I took in the city’s sights, remembering how beautiful it was at this time of year. A few minutes later, I found myself on a familiar block, one I hadn’t been on in months. When I noticed the sign was on for Ignite Ink, I made an impulsive decision and decided to see if Nicco was free. Popping into the place next door, I grabbed some tacos and hoped he wouldn’t mind a lunch date. Entering the shop, I took a deep breath and greeted Cassandra. She welcomed me, and I tried to hide my embarrassment from our last encounter.
“Well, hello, darlin’. It’s good to see you.” She smiled kindly at me.
“Yeah, you too. How are you doing, Cassandra?” Despite my attempt, my face heated anyway.
“Things are good, but I doubt you’re here to see me.”
Smiling, I nodded. “Is Nicco in? I was hoping he was available for lunch.”
“Yeah, sure. Let me go grab him.”
Nodding, I walked over to the wall and checked out some of the new designs he’d put up. When I came to a particular piece, I stopped in my tracks. It caught my focus so intensely, I didn’t hear him approach from behind me.
“It’s beautiful, isn’t it?”
“I’m just in awe, Nicco. It’s amazing.”
“Thankfully, I had something amazing to go off of. It was the only way to get you out of my mind. I thought about you every day.”
“Wow. I don’t know what to say.” I turned, taking him in. Sincerity rang true in his eyes, the grey-blue mesmerizing as always. He’d framed a sketch drawing of me laying on a pillow, my hair billowing out behind me, my features were soft, his hand cupping my cheek. It was elegant and breathtaking. I almost didn’t believe it was me.
“I’m happy to see you, Beautiful. What brings you in today?”
“I had a weird session and needed to get some air. Somehow, I found myself here. I hope that’s okay.”
“Of course, anytime.”
“Okay, good. I grabbed some food and hoped you hadn’t had lunch, thinking maybe I could crash yours and surprise you with tacos.”
He grinned wide, his whole face lighting up. His dark hair was disheveled, and he wore glasses today, making his eyes softer somehow. I’d been able to push how attractive he was out of my mind over the past few months, but standing in front of him, it was like being smacked with a gorgeous dude in the face, knocking my breath out of my chest.
“Who doesn’t love surprise tacos? Come on, let’s go to the back.”
He grabbed my free hand and pulled me along. All the memories of my last time here with him flooded me, and I found my face flooding with heat for a different reason this time. It would be hard to see his desk and not want him to throw me down on it. Thankfully, when we got to the back, he directed us to the couch and pulled over a little table for us to set the food on. Setting my stuff down, I turned to him, amazed I was here. It still felt surreal.
“I didn’t know what kind of tacos you liked, so I got a bit of everything.”
“Beautiful, it’s tacos. How can there be anything wrong?” He beamed, relaxing me.
“True, true,” I conceded. “Tacos are a staple of life.”
We both dug in, taking a few bites, letting the quiet settle around us. After a few minutes, he set his taco down and looked at me, a serious look on his face.
“Do you want to talk about whatever brought you here?”
Wiping my mouth, I swallowed before nodding. Nicco noticed my action and stood and grabbed some water from the mini-fridge. I didn’t realize how much I needed it until I’d drank half of it.
“Thank you. Those are spicier than I expected.”
“You’re welcome.” He leaned back against the couch, giving me space to talk or process.
“So, yeah, I guess I want to talk about it. I mean, I can’t really tell you too much.” I fiddled with the napkin in my lap, focusing on it to find my words. Looking up, his eyes settled me like they always did, and I found my voice. “It was just… strange. This client has been confusing from the beginning, and I feel like he’s playing a game. But I don’t know what his purpose is, and it frustrates the hell out of me.”
“What’s going on?”