“Since law school.”
“Where’d you go to law school?”
“Texas Tech. What about you?”
“U.T. Austin.”
The words between us stopped yet again and we just stared at each other. Although Zac had mentioned that we both needed to get going, we’d fallen right back into talking to each other without any hesitation or his mentioning again that we needed to go our separate ways. When my cellphone started ringing, Zac and I both jumped and then I checked to see who was calling me.
“I’m sorry but I need to take this,” I said, looking up from my phone. “It’s my old boss at the Austin D.A.’s office.”
“You take that call and I’ll see you later, Sinclair.”
I smiled at hearing Zac call me by my last name again and said, “See you later, Buchanan,” to see what his reaction would be at hearing me do the same to him. He smiled so big that his eyes squinted and crinkled around the corners and a cute little dimple appeared on his right cheek. I hadn’t noticed it until now and something about it made me feel like reaching out and touching it with my fingertip. I didn’t, though. I just admired it along with everything else about Zac.
After glancing down at my lips one more time, he stepped around me and started heading toward the entrance of Whole Foods. I answered Melissa’s call by quickly telling her that I’d call her right back and after she said okay, I hung up and looked back in Zac’s direction.
“Hey, Buchanan!” I called out.
He stopped walking and then turned around to face me. “Yeah?”
“This that you’ve got going on…” I swirled my finger around my mouth, along my jawline, and then pointed at Zac. “It looks really nice on you. Don’t shave it off.”
Another huge smile from him, a nod, a thank you, and then he took off walking again across the busy parking lot. I carefullylaid the bouquet of flowers in the back of my car and as soon as I closed the hatch, I looked back in Zac’s direction again. He was looking over his shoulder at me. No smile from him this time and no smile from me either. Just another curious look that we shared. A look that filled my stomach with butterflies all over again. When Zac disappeared through the entrance of the store, I got inside my car and cranked it, then called Melissa back.
“Hey there,” she answered.
“Hey! How are you?”
“I’m fine. Just calling to check on you again. I’ve been wondering how your second week has been.”
“It’s been good. I really do like living and working in Dallas.”
“I’m relieved to hear you say that.”
“Listen, I apologize if I came across as abrupt when I answered your call a few minutes ago. I was a little distracted at that moment.”
“You didn’t come across as abrupt at all. But what were you distracted by?”
I closed my eyes and shook my head at myself. “Chris Hemsworth’s doppelgänger.”
“What a yummy distraction to have.”
“He is yummy and he’s also married. Evidenced by the shiny gold band on his left ring finger.”
“Girl, run in the opposite direction of that married man and run fast!” Melissa chuckled.
“No need for me to run. I just enjoy being around him because he is so handsome and kind and engaging.”
“Oh, I didn’t realize you were talking about someone that you actually knew. I thought you spotted a good-looking man just now, wherever you are. And where are you, by the way?”
“Sitting in my car in the Whole Foods parking lot where thatsomeone, thatI met last Friday, just left my company.”
“He was with you when I called?”
“Yes, but he’s inside the store now. We happened to run into each other when I was walking out to my car with my groceries.”
“So tell me a little more about Chris Hemsworth’s doppelgänger.”