Constance turned her attention to her window. The last thing she needed to do right now was dwell on the things she couldn’t change.
They parked along the street in front of the coffee shop in town. James darted from the vehicle before Constance had a chance to unbuckle her seatbelt. He hurried around the front of the truck and opened her door.
She snickered when he held out his hand toward her.
“What?” he asked.
Constance shook her head, unable to keep the smile from her lips. “Nothing.” She was too much of a hopeless romantic, and he was quickly becoming the guy she wanted for her prince charming.
His hand was free from callouses, but still strong. She grasped it tightly, letting him pull her to her feet. Constance had to be careful not to bump into him. His touch lingered longer than it needed to and, for a split second, she thought he was studying her. The thundering in her chest resumed, but it was the only part of her that was active. She froze beneath his gaze, and she could almost feel like they were more than just two people getting a coffee.
But then James pulled his hand from her grasp and gestured toward the entrance of the coffee shop. She expelled a heavy breath and nodded, pulling her lips into a smile. “Thanks.”
Together they took the handful of steps toward the door. James’s warm hand rested on the small of her back, sending chills throughout her whole body. The universe was a cruel place. She wanted so much for this to be real.
James held open the door as they entered the shop. The scent of mocha and vanilla beans wrapped around her like a comforting hug. Constance took another deep breath, telling herself that she was doing so because she loved the smell of this place.
But if she were honest with herself, she had to admit that she was taking deep breaths because she needed to remind her heart to stop doing flips inside her chest cavity.
She turned to face James when he put his hand on her shoulder.
“What do you want?” he asked.
Constance’s gaze cut to the counter where the barista was taking orders, then ricocheted back to James. “I’ll have an iced vanilla latte.”
He nodded. “Go ahead and find us a seat. I’ll put in our order.”
Her focus swept through the coffee shop. It was moderately busy with about six couples and a handful of people sitting alone with a tablet or a computer. There was a table near the entrance right by a window offering a clear view of the street.
Constance slipped into the booth and picked up a little laminated menu card with a list of pastries. The croissant drizzled with warm chocolate hazelnut looked absolutely divine and her stomach growled in response.
She put the card away and placed her hands in her lap. What she should be doing right now was figuring out what she wanted to learn from James in the first place. He had offered his expertise, and to squander it wouldn’t be wise.
What was more important? Her crush? Or the possibility of having a career that would serve her well into her future.
It shouldn’t even be a question, which was why she was going to lock away all her hopeless romantic notions. She scowled at the tabletop. It wasn’t going to be easy, but she’d be able to do it if she put her mind to it.
A cup and a paper bag were placed in front of her. Constance snapped her head up just as James took his seat. He pried off his cup’s lid and poured a little packet of sugar in, then stirred it.
Constance eyed the paper bag with curiosity until James chuckled. “They have the most amazing croissants here. Have you tried them?”
Slowly, she shook her head.
He nudged the bag closer to her. “I hope you like it. I grabbed two of my favorites.”
She didn’t move.
James laughed. “Well, it’s not going to bite you.” He grabbed the bag and opened it up, then pulled out a croissant with a napkin. He placed one in front of her and the other in front of himself.
Constance stared at the dessert, dumbfounded. It couldn’t be. “Is that chocolate drizzle?”
“Chocolatehazelnut.”
There wasn’t even anything in her throat, but she must have inhaled wrong. Constance coughed and held her hand to her chest as she gasped for some air.
His brows furrowed. “You okay?”
The laugh that attempted to slip from her lips sounded more like a wheeze as she still fought the itch in the back of her throat. Constance nodded and reached for her drink. But it didn’t satisfy her needs.