Her smile brightens. “Thanks, Henry. Means a lot.”
“Make sure you and Benny come by one of these Sundays for dinner.”
I head out of the shop with an idea, but it’s interrupted both by the snap of cold that hits me and my phone buzzing in my jacket pocket.
G
I see you, creeper. Really getting into that coffee shop vibe?
I look up to find G standing with one hand on her hip and the other clutching her phone in her shop window.
Who is this?
She looks down at her phone and then snaps her gaze back up to me. I smile at her.
Your mortal enemy. Now be a good boy and stop stalking me. You’re breaking the rules.
That was never a rule.
I watch her smile at my response. This whole staying away from each other is going to royally backfire in both of our faces.
See you at Sunday dinner?
I look up and nod. Her smile just hits me in the gut. I’m not sure I can do this. Whatever this is, it’s not going to last long. Not when I’m one week in and ready to plow my way through that door and feel her mouth on mine. Kiss her senseless. The thought makes me lick my lips.
My phone buzzes, pulling my attention back down to whatever she’s saying.
What are you making? The only meat of yours I’ll eat isn’t on the menu.
That makes me groan, but just as I look up again, she’s gone. And something that feels an awful lot like hope flares in my chest.
The wind picks up, a warm breeze compared to the cold that hovers around me. The overcast sky is promising more snow, and for January, that isn’t anything new, but that warm breeze wasn’t my imagination. Just like that playful text from her was more than just flirting.
It was an invitation.
41
Giselle
“There are onlythree reasons to use the word ‘cream’ and none of them include something sexual. I mean, people say it. I’ve read it. But the only time I ever really want to hear that word is when someone says, ‘Do you want cream in your coffee?’ Or, ‘the best flavor of ice cream is cookies and cream.’ It’s never going to win me over to hear someone say, ‘show me that cream.’ I drag that last sentence out in a low voice to really give it the oomph it deserves. “I’m about ready to whip out some Lubriderm. That’s where my head goes. Food or moisturizing. Never sex or getting off. So I’d say, unless it was delivered by a sultry voiced man or woman, it was a food related request. Were you, like, at a coffee shop or something?”
Michael only blinks at me. His arms are folded as he leans against the counter in Asher’s sprawling kitchen.
I crunch down on a raw green bean and stare back. “What?”
“Giselle! Are you coming back in here with my limes or not?” Everly yells from across the room.
I look back at Michael. He’s still blinking at me, not saying a word. Now, I wonder if I may have heard his question wrong. You know what, now that I think about it, he may have said green. Not cream.
“Michael…”
He shakes his head. “Nope. Not going to unpack that right now, G. I’ll ask someone else.” He walks away, and I’m left questioning what he could have possibly said.
I snag a few more green beans from the bowl and flick my attention out to the patio. Widespread shoulders and a bowed head, work hard on grilling some kind of meat. Henry’s sweater can’t be keeping him that warm out there. It’s freezing tonight. I see a few flames kick up. Maybe he’s warm cooking. Should I bring him a jacket? Why do I care? Oh, right. I don’t. But then, I’m also not supposed to be remembering the way we fucked like damn porn stars last weekend.
“Giselllllleeee!”
“I’m coming! Jeez!” I yell back at Everly as I round the counter and move toward the bar across the room.