Chapter 7
7
Opal
I tug on my ponytail, trying to straighten it. I know it’s not perfect, but it’ll have to do. I tried three different hairstyles and just as many outfits before I left my apartment. I finally settled on the slightly off-center ponytail before putting on a pair of jeans, a lilac T-shirt, and the vintage plaid raw trim jacket that the previous tenant of my apartment left behind. It’s a mix of black and white with big gold buttons. It’s not everyone’s style, but it suits me just fine.
I glance around the crowded café and spot the man I’m searching for right away. William Knight towers above many of the patrons of this establishment who are looking for their morning caffeine fixes. I’ve already quenched mine since I had two cups of coffee at home. That’s what waking up at five a.m. does to a person.
The noisy shower in my neighbor’s apartment initially jolted me awake. After that, a million thoughts about Turquoise Crown crowded my mind, so I got out of bed to jot down a few fabulous ideas. After that, the man I’m looking at now stole all of my brain space.
I have no idea if this meet-up is a date or not.
He somehow convinced me that having coffee together would repay my debt to him since I showered his arm with Dicey Dip yesterday.
“Opal!” he calls out to me. Virtually every woman in the café turns to look because his voice is like velvet with just a hint of raw need in it.
What? Where did that thought come from?
There’s no raw need in his voice. It’s called sleepy hoarseness. That must be what it is.
“Are you Opal?” A woman dressed in a navy blue pantsuit taps my forearm. “He’s staring right at you.”
“I’m her,” I whisper. “I’m Opal.”
“I’m jealous.” She adds a wink to that, so I suppose it’s a compliment.
I accept it with a smile. “Thanks, I guess.”
She tosses me a knowing nod, although it doesn’t hit the spot because I’m not in the know. I spilled smelly green dip on the man yesterday. There’s a good chance he went to the dry cleaner to price out the cost of cleaning the jacket and was told it wasn’t salvageable, so he’s expecting me to replace it.
I can swing it, but it means I’ll need to cut back on the party favors for the soft launch of my bar next week.
William summons me toward him with a curl of his finger, and I go straight to him like a fish on a hook. I’m snared. How could I not be? His smile and those soulful brown eyes are irresistible.
“Coffee or tea, Opal?” he asks when I’m close enough to touch him.
I do my racing heart a favor and order what I know is best for me. “Tea, please. The organic orange tea here is great.”
“I’ll have the same.” He looks toward the barista, who is staring right at him. “Did you get that?”
She doesn’t glance my way but instead nods enthusiastically. “Two organic orange teas. Anything else, William?”
He perks an eyebrow in silent query, but I shake my head because tea is all I need.
“Just the teas, Chelsie.” He pulls a credit card out of his wallet.
I move in quickly. I agreed to this early morning café meeting because I soiled his suit jacket, and the deal was I’d pay for our beverages. I slide a twenty dollar bill out of the front pocket of my jeans and shove it at her. “The drinks are on me.”
“They’re on me,” William insists.
I look up and into his face. “After what happened yesterday, I want to pay.”
He acquiesces, smiling softly as he puts his credit card back into his wallet.
I turn my attention back to Chelsie. “Keep the change.”
“Thank you,” she says, dropping the change in a jar marked for tips. “I love that jacket. It looks great on you.”
I take the compliment as it’s meant and smile at her. “Thank you.”
“I was just telling Chelsie about your plans for Turquoise Crown.” William looks at her before his gaze settles on my face.
I’ll take all the pre-launch publicity I can get, so I tell her more, “If you like playing board games, it’s the place to be… or will be the place to be once we open.”
“My sister and I love them, so we’ll be there.” She glances over her shoulder to where another barista is dropping tea bags into two ceramic mugs. “Your order is almost ready. Grab a table, and I’ll bring it out to you.”
I expect every table to be occupied, but to my surprise, I spot two vacant ones when we turn back around. William gestures to the one closest to us. He tugs on the back of one of the chairs in anticipation of me sitting down. “How much time can you spare this morning to talk board games with me?”
I let out a laugh. “I think around half an hour. The contractor took off to grab something from his shop as I was leaving to come here. I’ll need to head out once he’s back at my bar. As I told you yesterday, I don’t trust him with the keys.”
If he’s disappointed in our limited time together, he’s not giving anything away with his expression. The man is stoic and super nice to look at.
I wonder what he would look like with a five o’clock shadow covering his smooth jaw.
Chelsie interrupts my thoughts when she places a mug of fragrant tea in front of me. She does the same to William. “Tell Scout I said hi, okay?”
“I will,” he says before she starts back toward the barista counter. His attention smoothly shifts back to me. “Scout is my sister. She’s been friends with Chelsie for as long as I can remember.”
Surprised that he told me that, I smile before I take a sip of the scorching hot tea. If I expect to finish this entire thing in the next thirty minutes, I’ll sustain third-degree lip burns because it’s that hot.
“It’s hot,” William warns a second too late before he picks up his mug and blows on the liquid.
Mesmerized, I stare at that because his lips are the perfect shape, and look pillow soft. Kissing him must be a dream. I can’t even imagine what it would feel like to have those lips pressing against my inner thigh.
“Opal?”
I shake my head because I’m reasonably sure he’s about to ask why I was staring at him. All I can hope at this point is that I wasn’t drooling.
“Yes?” I ask in as lighthearted of a tone as I can muster.
“When exactly does Turquoise Crown open, and what does a guy need to do to secure a place in line so he doesn’t miss out on all the opening night fun?”
I look into his eyes. “Are you the guy in that question?”
He stares at me before taking a hard swallow. “I’m the guy.”
“You’re in luck.” I smile. “I’m in charge of the invites for the soft launch next week, so I can add you to the guest list.”
“The soft launch?” His brows perk. “That sounds exclusive.”
“It is.” I laugh and then ask a question I may regret, “Will you be coming alone, or should I put you down with a plus one?”
His eyes leave mine to focus back on the mug in front of him. “Make it for two.”
Disappointment sweeps over me, but it’s gone before I can truly feel its grip. This city is bursting with good-looking, single men looking for some no-strings-attached fun. Mourning a lost chance with one man is a waste of time.
I open the notes app on my phone, type in William’s name, and add ‘ date ’ to the end of it. “You’re good to go. Tell whoever is working the door next Friday night that you’re on the list.”
“I’ll do that, Opal.”
As I’m about to place my phone down, it chimes in my hand. I glance at it to see a text message from Malvie. Apparently, she’s standing outside Turquoise Crown with another snack sample for me to try.
If it’s anything like Dicey Dip, it’s too early in the day for me to stomach the smell.
“I have to go,” I say with a hint of regret in my tone. “I wanted to ask about your jacket. I’d still like to cover the cost of dry cleaning, or if that wasn’t possible, I can replace it for you.”
He studies me carefully. “It’s taken care of, Opal. Don’t give it another thought.”
I won’t because every thought I’ll have for the next week and a half will be about Turquoise Crown’s soft launch. “I’ll see you at the launch?”
“Absolutely,” he answers before he exhales audibly. “Before you leave, I want to apologize for yesterday. I’m the one who got in your way, so technically, the spilled Dicey Dip was my fault. I’m sorry I bumped into you.”
Is he being serious right now? I was clearly the one who bulldozed right into his path. “William, I…”
My voice trails when my phone starts ringing. I glance down to see the contractor’s name lighting up the screen. “Oh, shoot. This is the contractor. I really do need to get back.”
“Not a problem.” He’s on his feet before I am, tugging on the back of my chair like a true gentleman. “You’re on the brink of opening up what will be the best bar the city has ever seen. I get it.”
“From your lips to the ears of the board game aficionados of this city.” I laugh. “I’ll see you next week.”
“You will,” he promises. “Until then.”