Chapter 19 #2
I looked around to find we were all alone. No other customers were milling about, and Gina was still in the bathroom working on her makeup. “What are you doing here?
“I didn’t like how we left things.”
That ache around my heart slowly started to fade.
“I didn’t either,” I confessed, smiling for the first time that day. Knowing I hadn’t screwed up too badly was like a weight lifted off my shoulders. “I’ve been wanting to apologize to you all day. I acted like an asshole last night. I just get scared sometimes.”
“I get that.” His hand shot out to take mine, but Gina chose that moment to return so the contact was brief—too brief for my liking. “I understand where you’re coming from, so I’ll give you time. I just needed to see you.”
“Well, I’m glad you came. But what’s with the cap?” I asked, pointing to the baseball cap obscuring half of his face. “I don’t think I’ve ever seen you wear one before.”
His lips ticked up in a grin. “My attempt at going incognito.”
I giggled quietly so Gina wouldn’t hear. “Well, I hate to break it to you, but you failed miserably. Gina clocked you the instant you walked in. I thought she was going to pass out.”
His eyes quickly flashed to the counter and back to me. “Gina the one watching us right now who looks like she’s about to launch herself over that counter?”
I didn’t have to turn around to know that was exactly what she looked like. “That’d be her. So you need to order something to keep her from getting suspicious. She’s the world’s worst gossip.”
His grin remained as he gave me a small nod. “Give me whatever’s good. I’m starving.”
“You got it.” I winked inconspicuously. “Any coffee?”
“Yeah. Black. And make it big so I have an excuse to hang for a bit longer.”
I floated back to the counter on a cloud to find Gina waiting with giddy excitement. “You were just talking to Garrett Wilder!” she informed me in a hushed voice while grabbing my arm and giving it a little shake. “Holy shit! What did he say?”
“He said he wants a cranberry streusel muffin and a large coffee.”
Her face fell as her gaze bounced back and forth between Garrett and me. “That’s a bummer. With the way he’s checking out your ass right now, I’d hoped he was at least hitting on you. Then you could hook up with a rock god and I could live vicariously through you.”
At her words, I could practically feel Garrett’s gaze on me. I heated from the inside out, making my cheeks burn.
I busied myself with Garrett’s coffee and was just about to grab a muffin from the pastry case when his voice came from behind me, much closer than expected.
“Hey.”
I stutter-stepped, nearly stumbling into the case before getting my footing. When I spun around, Garrett was sitting at one of the barstools lining the counter. “Uh….” My eyes acted like tennis balls between him and Gina. “Hi.”
His smile was positively wicked as he extended his hand. “I didn’t introduce myself before. I’m Garrett.”
“Uh….”
Before I had a chance to figure out what was going on, Gina let out a high-pitched shriek from right beside me. “I knew it! I knew he was checking out your ass! That article said he preferred blondes, but he was totally checking you out!”
“I was,” Garrett said to Gina. “And I’m not sure what article you’re talking about, but they got their info wrong. I’m a sucker for brunettes.” I was pretty sure both Gina’s and my ovaries exploded just then. “So, gorgeous, can I get your name?”
It took me a second, but I finally caught on to what he was doing, and a huge smile split my face. But Gina was there to jump in before I could answer. “This is Gwen, and she’s totally awesome! And single! Really, really single!”
He looked back and forth, those dimples at full attention. “That true, gorgeous? Are you really, really single?”
I couldn’t correct her and tell her I was, in fact, in a relationship with the man sitting right in front of us, so I played along, enjoying Garrett’s game. “Like my friend said, I’m Gwen. But no, sorry, I’m not single.”
“What?” Gina chirped, causing his dimples to deepen as his smile grew wider.
I looked at her with a shrug. “It’s new. I haven’t really told anyone about it.”
“But….” She looked like I’d just told her that the Tooth Fairy wasn’t real and that Santa spent his summer murdering the Easter Bunny and all his offspring.
She leaned in close and whispered, not so quietly, “That’s Garrett Wilder.
He’s the dating equivalent of a filet mignon.
Whoever you’re dating is rump roast in comparison. Dump his ass.”
Garrett looked like it was taking everything in him not to burst into laughter. Like I said, Gina was hilarious.
I tried for nonchalance as I replied, “Sorry. I really like him.”
“How much do you like him?” Garrett fished. “I mean, you said it’s new, after all.”
“Exactly!” Gina yelped. “It’s new! You can’t like him that much.”
“I like him a lot,” I told Garrett directly.
He hummed contentedly, sending a bolt of pleasure straight to my core. “He’s a lucky guy.” His eyes traveled up and down my body, and I felt them like a physical touch. “Very lucky.”
It was my turn to grin wickedly. “Oh, he really is. And something tells me he knows it too.”
“No doubt about that, baby.”
I was enjoying our banter so much I thought nothing could kill my good mood. But then the door to the café opened and another person walked in…
And everything went to shit.