Chapter 5
Chapter Five
VERA
“Vera, come on. Get back to work,” Nico called as I turned around.
“Did you forget who the boss was? I’m coming.”
I had to blink a few times to clear my head. That was Cara. My Cara. Mi princesa. I’d been thinking about her since I came back to my room and she was gone.
I had only gone to the masquerade ball because my abuela wouldn’t stop hounding me about getting out there. Who knew it would’ve turned into the best night of my life?
When I first saw those baby blue eyes in the elevator, it felt as if my heart literally stopped. I knew nothing about this woman, but something in those eyes told me I’d be a fool not to learn.
Her voice was like a soft blanket fresh out of the dryer, with candy-scented dryer sheets. It was warm and sweet. When we danced, and our body’s touched, it was electric. And her kiss? It set my whole body on fire.
Being able to touch her and see her let someone else take control was getting me worked up all over again.
I had to shake it away and think about it later that night, after work when I was alone with my trusted vibrator.
I wasn’t ashamed to admit that ever since our night together, she’d been the star of all my fantasies.
I had tried to block her out. It was one night and I’d never see her again. But it was like once she was there, my brain wouldn’t leave it alone.
Every time I closed my eyes, I saw her, on top of me, coming apart. I heard her cries and begging for more. What the hell was wrong with me? I’d never been this hung up on someone before.
I knew it was my mystery masquerade woman as soon as I turned around and saw those blue eyes. I’d know them anywhere. And that smile. I’d never forget that smile, but I could tell she hadn’t recognized me until Nico called for me. I didn’t know what to make of that.
It didn’t bother me, not really. It had been a few months since we’d seen each other, and we were both wearing masks.
I’m sure she was busy with work and didn’t think about our night together.
I wish I had been so lucky. I thought about it all the time.
The way her skin felt underneath mine. The way her laugh brightened up the whole room.
“Who’s the hot blonde? Is she single? I’d take her for a ride.” Nico nudged my shoulder, shaking me out of the memories.
I glared in his direction. “Get back to work. I’m sure she doesn’t want an unemployed man.”
He put his hands up in surrender. “Okay, okay, damn. Relax, V. I’m a feminist, remember?”
“Shut the fuck up, and get back to work, Nico. Now!”
That shut him up, and I didn’t hear a peep from him for the rest of the day.
I knew any man, unemployed or not, wasn’t her type, but was a woman who worked with her hands?
The way she left the next morning, I wasn’t so sure, but was I going to give up?
Not a chance in hell. I’d get her to talk to me, and I knew just the way to do it.
With my mind made up, I went home and formulated a plan. Oh, she’d talk to me alright, and I was going to get some answers.
Two days of work later, it was finally the weekend and I had never felt so happy to be off. I loved my job, of course I did, but between finishing this project out, getting prepared for the next one, and seeing Cara again, nothing sounded better than relaxing with a good book.
I walked into my favorite book store and was greeted by a young brunette’s smiling face. “Hi, welcome to Open Book.”
“Hi, Farrah. Thank you. Have you gotten any more copies of Pride and Prejudice yet?”
“Your in luck! I saved a copy just for you.”
I smiled as she pulled it out from underneath the desk. “Thank you. You’re too good to me.”
“Are we flirting out here or working?” I looked over to see Drea coming out of the back with a smirk on her face.
Drea was the bookstore’s owner, well, one of them, and a good friend. She’d hired me to do some work in the store a few years ago, and we’d kept in touch ever since.
Farah jumped as if she’d seen a ghost and turned toward Drea. “Drea! I wasn’t flirting, I was—”
“Relax, love. You can flirt all you want as long as you don’t scare her off. She’s a good friend. I’ve got this one, why don’t you go take a break, yeah?”
Farrah nodded and turned back to me. “It was nice to see you again, Vera. Enjoy the book.”
“Thank you”
She turned around and Drea picked up the book, her expression giving away no opinions on what she thought about me reading a Jane Austen novel.
She opened the book and took out a piece of paper, chuckling to herself. “I assume you don’t want her number?”
I laughed and shook my head. “No thanks, but that was very sweet of her.”
“Poor girl never stood a chance.” She closed the book and continued to check me out. “Anyway, I’m glad you stopped in. How’ve you been?”
“I’ve been good, just keeping busy with work. I’m off for a few days, so I’d thought I’d come by and see what you’ve got.”
She smiled. “Well, you need to come around more! We miss seeing you. Oh, I wanted to thank you again for the work you did on Kaia’s office.”
“It was no trouble. I enjoyed it, and Kaia is such a sweet girl. How’s she doing, by the way? Is she here?”
She shook her head. “No, today’s her day off. She and Daisy are going to Fairview to visit Daisy’s childhood friends for the weekend.”
“Well that’s good, I’m glad things worked out with them. They are so adorable together.”
“Yes, I quite love them together. Speaking of adorable together, I have someone who I think would just be perfect for you. She—”
“Drea, not this again,” I groaned. Every time I came into the store, Drea was trying to set me up with one of her friends, no matter how much I declined every time.
“Come on, love. Why not? You’re single. She’s single. You both should mingle. I think you’d really hit it off. She’s hard working, just like you. She’s gorgeous. And I think you two would really take a liking to one another.”
“As always, I appreciate that you want to set me up, and if she’s a friend of yours, then I know she’s good people, but I’m just not interested. Work keeps me pretty busy.”
Work was always my excuse. It was the truth, though.
Between finishing up the sidewalk work, starting in the office building, working on the car, taking care of Nyx, and now figuring out the whole Cara situation, I didn’t have time to date anyone.
Unless Drea’s friend was a five foot something blonde with striking blue eyes and an ass that didn’t quit, I wasn’t interested.
“One of these days you’ll say yes, I’m sure of it! I know you want to settle down eventually, and I’ll be right here with my roster of potential suitors when that day comes!”
I laughed. “Okay, Dre. If that day ever comes, you’ll be the first to know.” She rolled her eyes and we said our goodbyes before I headed out the door. Drea said she had a date to get to with her fiancée, and I had a book to read.
When I got home, I let Nyx out while I put my book on the coffee table and made a cup of hot chocolate.
All of my friends and family knew that I liked reading, but when they asked me what I read, I just said a little bit of everything.
No one knew that my favorite things to read were Regency and Victorian era romance novels.
There was just something about the sweetness of the romance that stole my heart. Every time.
Nyx came back in and settled on the couch next to my favorite spot.
We had our routine down to a science. Hot chocolate on the couch with my favorite reading blanket.
A looped fireplace video on Youtube playing in the background on the TV, and some of my favorite clustered gummy candy as a little sweet treat during my reading time.
Otherwise known as the perfect way to spend any day.
I was only a few chapters in when my mind started wondering about other things. I couldn’t get my conversation with Drea out of my head since I’d left the bookstore.
She’d been trying to set me up with this one friend of hers since we’d met and I didn’t know why. What was so special about her? Who was she? Should I just agree to meet with her? I mean, it couldn’t hurt, but I just wasn’t interested, at least not in her.
Drea was right, though, I did want to settle down someday, and I knew I wasn’t getting any younger. I was almost thirty, and while that was still very young to some people, it wasn’t to me.
My parents were twenty-two when they had me, and my abuela was nineteen when she had my mother. I knew that didn’t mean I had to follow in their footsteps, and I hadn’t, but I also did want to settle down and start a family someday soon.
For some reason, my conversation with Drea made me think of Cara.
I had this silly idea that she would’ve been happy to see me.
I thought our night together was special and more than a one night thing, at least, that’s what I was hoping.
But judging from her reaction to seeing me again, I was wrong.
From the moment I saw her, I was captivated.
She looked absolutely stunning in her red dress, and even though I could only see her eyes, I knew every part of her was magnificent.
I wanted to get to know the woman underneath the mask.
She carried herself like someone who was confident in her skin, and that was extremely sexy to me.
She knew what she wanted. And what she didn’t.
I shook my head. I had to stop thinking about her. Clearly, she wasn’t a fan of mine. I returned back to my book with a sigh, trying to get back to a love story that was actually possible.