Tegan turned to see Fiona wiping the steam nozzle down, having no idea who had just walked in. She gestured to her, mouthing, “That’s Fiona...”
He nodded his understanding and gestured to the order receipt Tegan held. She handed it over along with a pen from the register. His signature was elegant and very easy to make out. She just hoped Fiona would see it.
Tegan placed the slip in the usual hold, stepped back to the desk and waited to see. It didn’t take Fiona any time at all to snatch it away and study the contents. She did a double take and looked back at Tegan, spotted the man himself and froze. Gasnier gave a small smile and wave, but thankfully, didn’t wait for her to speak. It would’ve taken days. Weeks maybe.
He stepped forward and took her hand. “Fiona, I presume?”
She let her hand be held but the other covered her mouth, looking from Tegan to Gasnier and back again. Something must have switched on in her brain right then, and she burst into a delighted scream and hugged him, just after asking permission to do so. He smiled politely and gave her back a few soft pats before breaking apart. “Can I... can I get a picture with you?”
“Absolutely. But can you do me favour?”
“Uh...” Fiona looked like all her Christmases had come at once. “For sure.”
“Can you let me steal your co-worker for a few minutes?”
“You and...” Fiona pieced it together quickly. “Hell yeah. Go for it.”
“I can’t. My break isn’t for another hour,” Tegan said.
“Yes, you can. Rush is over. Go! Shoo.” Fiona replied.
Tegan only semi tried to look like it was hard for her to leave. But she eventually walked with him out the side door and further down the back. “So... what’s this about?”
“First, I just wanted to apologise for last night. My dad was way out of line.”
“Well, at first, I thought so too. But, on my way home, I had a think, and I don’t think he was. You had no idea who I was. I could’ve been a psycho.”
“No, look. It really had nothing to do with you. There’s some kind of shady movement going on in the business to bring me down. My dad and I were talking about it before the meet and greet. If they can’t beat me in the ring, they’ll try to keep me out of it. It’s bullshit I’ve never wanted to be associated with, but now I’m so close to the belt, it’s getting worse. They’ll drum up news stories next. My dad was reminding me, in a way, that being alone with you in that setting would be all the ammunition these people would need to run with.”
Tegan nodded. “I get it. Well, I don’t, but I do. You have to protect yourself. You have to be smart. Having me there, as wonderful as it was, probably wasn’t the smartest thing to do.”
“Probably not, but I would do it again.”
“You want to be a knight in shining armour as well as a bad-arse karate man?”
Owen replied calmly, “Dunno about a knight, but I’d do it to meet you again.”
Tegan leant her head to the side and said through a big smile, “That was really cheesy... but I liked it.”
“Good, I was hoping it would soften you up for this.”
“For what?”
“Just a little payback...”
Tegan was stopped from speaking as he pressed himself into her, sending both of them gently into the wall of the coffee house. He had one hand in her hair while his tongue teased hers and she moaned in acceptance. His kiss was long and deep. The longer he held her, the further both of them sank into the embrace. When she felt his free hand squeeze her arse, the fingers cupping her, her limbs tingled. He was doing to her exactly what she had done to him. If this was payback, she’d take it any day of the week.
She stopped the kiss and pressed her fingers to his lips. “I gotta get back...” she gasped, out of breath.
He on the other hand, was breathing normally. Mr Fitness. Though his eyes blazed like she had never seen in anyone. Was this what his opponents saw? If so, no wonder he had never been beaten. Right then, he looked ready to devour her.
He moved his lips to just under her ear, giving her light pecks. “What time do you get off...”
Tegan closed her eyes and gripped his biceps hard. What the fuck was going on? Was this really happening? “Six,” she breathed. “Why?”
“I’m hoping you don’t have plans...”
“I don’t.”