Chapter 10
Grace
I sat on a stool at the kitchen island, chin resting in my hand as I waited, bleary-eyed, for my first cup of coffee to finish brewing.
Rolling out of bed – or off the couch, actually – before 7:30 am wasn’t my best thing on a good day, let alone after two days of major life changes. But Michael was set to arrive any minute and I was determined to at least be a minimally functioning human by the time he did.
My phone dinged with a notification just as my coffee finished. I stood and grabbed the mug, blowing across the surface of the steaming liquid as I held my phone to the side and read the message.
Michael: Bagels?
He included a picture – racks of delicious-looking rounds of golden dough.
Me: Yes.
I set my phone down, then picked it back up just as quickly. Geez, Grace. Rude much?
Me: Please. Thank you.
Michael: K. He followed it with a laughing emoji. Coffee?
Me: Got it. For you, too.
Michael: Perfect. Be there in 5.
There was a place with bagels that looked like that within five minutes of my apartment? That could be dangerous. Bread, in all its many forms, was my downfall.
I started a cup of coffee for Michael, stirred a little honey nut flavored creamer and sugar into mine, and took my first few sips, even though it was still a little too hot.
Then I let myself wander into the bathroom one last time – seriously, the last time – to check my appearance. I wore a plain gray t-shirt, black leggings, and black ankle socks. My hair was twisted up in a clip, and I’d washed my face and brushed my teeth. I looked perfectly appropriate for a first-thing-in-the-morning bed delivery, not that the delivery guys were my real concern.
“You look fine,” I told my reflection. I was saved from obsessing about it anymore by the knock on my apartment door.
I took a quick look at the tiny security monitor next to the door confirming it was Michael. He was standing at my door holding a much larger bag than I’d anticipated, and I wondered what all he’d brought with him other than the food.
I swung the door open and felt my stomach jump when he aimed that gorgeous smile my way.
“Morning, Grace.”
“Good morning.” I stepped back to let him in, the tantalizing scent of fresh, warm bagels wafting through the air as he passed me. I closed the door and let myself appreciate the exceptional view as he walked to the island and set the bag down. “Did you buy one of everything?”
Michael chuckled as he turned toward me, looking far too awake and alert and just...yum...for this early in the morning. I told myself my mouth was watering because of the bagels but I wasn’t sure that was true.
“Close. I wasn’t sure what you liked best, and I didn’t want to ask you to make decisions before coffee, so I bought a dozen different ones, and they gave me one free.”
He was not only a kind man, he was a smart one. Not that I didn’t already know that.
I was walking over to join him when I realized what he’d said and stopped. “Wait. Did you just say you bought thirteen bagels? For the two of us?”
“Nope. Bought twelve, got one free. I got three flavors of cream cheese, too.” He held up a smaller bag I hadn’t even noticed he was holding. “Plain, onion and chive, and strawberry.”
He said it as if it wasn’t completely over the top.
“You and Jamey.” I shook my head as I joined him at the island. “You both must have been Italian grandmothers in a previous life.”
Michael chuckled again. “I don’t doubt it.” He nodded toward the bags. “You get first dibs. I like them all, so grab whatever you want.”
A couple minutes later, we were settled side-by-side at the island, Michael with his black coffee and sesame bagel with plain cream cheese, me with my light, sweet coffee and a blueberry bagel with strawberry cream cheese.
We ate in companionable silence and were just finishing up when the downstairs door buzzed, signaling the arrival of my mattress.
Michael stood, the last of his bagel in his hand. “You get that; I’ll take care of the food.”
I nodded, finished off my coffee, then hurried to the door to buzz the delivery people in downstairs.
Then I opened my door and waited. Before long, I saw the first guy’s head appear in the stairway, then the top edge of the mattress. Not a minute later, he and another guy were carefully carrying it through my doorway into my apartment.
“Morning,” the first guy said, then exchanged nods with Michael where he stood in the kitchen, wrapping up the bagels we hadn’t eaten. “This go upstairs?”
“I’m afraid it does.” I cringed a little. “Sorry, I know you already had to carry it up one set of stairs.”
“Naw, this is nothing. The next delivery on our schedule is to a renovated 4-story brownstone. King-size that needs to go all the way up to the fourth floor. Now that one should be fun.”
He picked up my mattress along with his partner and I led the way up the stairs to the loft. They set it on the bedframe, we checked to make sure everything looked okay, then they followed me back down.
As I hit the bottom of the stairs, I looked over to see Michael washing out our mugs, looking like it was something he did every morning, and I felt a surge of gratitude both for his presence and his thoughtfulness.
I signed the delivery guy’s tablet, tipped him and his partner, and with a “thanks” from both me and Michael, they were on their way.
Michael stood, hands in his front pockets, watching me as I walked toward him.
“Easy peasy. That couldn’t have gone better.”
Michael nodded. “I agree. Thanks for letting me be here.”
That was an interesting way to put it. As if I’d done him a favor, not the other way around.
“Thanks for being here. And for breakfast. For the next two weeks.”
There came the grin.
“You’re welcome. I’ll get out of your way so you can get on with your day.”
I reversed direction and we walked slowly toward the door. “Are you working today?” I asked Michael as we walked.
“Yeah. I’m not on until later but I’m going to go ahead and head in now. I’ve got plenty to do. You?”
“No, not until tomorrow. Mercy wanted to give me a chance to settle in, which I appreciate. Not that I have much to do since you all helped me so much yesterday.”
“Maybe you could just relax today.”
I looked at Michael, eyes deliberately wide. “Right, because I’m really good at that.” It had been so long since I’d truly felt I could relax; I wasn’t sure I knew how anymore.
“Yeah, I’m not great at it either,” Michael conceded.
“I think maybe I’ll take a walk around the neighborhood. See where the office is, get the lay of the land, just get a little more familiar.”
“Sounds good.” Michael paused at the door. “I...uh...whatever you decide to do, have a good day.”
“Thanks, you, too.”
Michael watched me for a second, not returning my smile, seeming undecided, then...
“I’d like to call you tonight to check in if that’s okay. Just to make sure you’ve got everything you need. I know we still need to get Meg’s car for you, so I’ll try to coordinate with Jamey today on that.”
A little buzz swept through me at the thought that he wanted to call me. To check on me, sure, but it was something. At least I knew I’d get a chance to talk to him.
“Sure, that sounds great.”
“Okay. Talk to you later then.”
“Talk to you later.”
Michael didn’t move.
We stared at each other, time slowing, and my mind slipped back to a moment in the pub’s kitchen so many months ago when I’d just known that Michael was about to kiss me.
He hadn’t then and he didn’t now.
He stepped back, mumbled “see ya” and headed out the door, jogging down the stairs to the ground floor.
I resisted the urge to watch out the front windows to see if he sprinted to his SUV.
I sighed as I locked the door and headed for the loft stairs.
Michael was a gorgeous, thoughtful, smart, talented, hard-working man. How could I not be attracted to him?
So fine, I was attracted to him. And there seemed to be something that sparked between us now and then. And then there were the butterflies that swarmed in my stomach when he was anywhere nearby. And the thoughts about what it would be like to be even closer to him, a lot closer.
I stripped off my clothes and pulled the clip from my hair, then stepped into the shower.
The problem was, Michael was all the things I’d listed, but above all, he was a protector. I couldn’t lose sight of the fact that he saw me as a woman who needed rescuing, someone who sent all his protective instincts revving into high gear.
It was hard for me to believe that any connection I might feel between us was anything other than that – the bond between a knight in shining armor and a damsel in distress. Even when I’d worked at the pub, Michael had known I’d had trouble following me – he’d told me that himself. It was only natural that he felt the need to defend me. It was just the kind of guy he was.
I was grateful for his presence in my life, but I had to remember what this was. And most importantly, what it wasn’t. Otherwise sooner or later I’d end up with not only a badly bruised ego, but also a shattered heart.
––––––––
I WAS LOOKING FORWARD to talking with Michael that evening, but when contact came it was in the form of a text message rather than the call we’d agreed on.
Michael: Hey, if it’s alright I’ll call you tomorrow. Today has been a shit day and I won’t be very good company on a call.
Concern swamped any disappointment I might have felt.
Me: That stinks, I’m sorry.
Michael: It does. Especially after the day started out so good this morning.
Because he’d seen me? Or just because everything had gone smoothly with the bed delivery?
Me: Anything I can do to help?
The dots popped up, then danced like he was debating how to respond.
Michael: No. Thanks, though. I don’t want to drag you down with me.
Me: No dragging involved. If it would help to vent, I’m here for it.
No response.
I waited a minute, then texted again.
Me: Or if you want to skip it until tomorrow like you said, that’s okay, too. I just don’t want you to think that you always need to be in a great mood around me. Or act like you are.
A few seconds later, Michael’s number lit up my phone.
“Hi,” I said softly as I connected, grateful he’d decided to call after all.
“Hey,” he responded on an exhale. In the background, I heard the sharp crack of a beverage can being opened.
“Are you at home?”
“Yeah, I got home about twenty minutes ago.”
I looked over at the little clock on the microwave with surprise. It was after 9pm. Had Michael been at the pub the entire day?
I snapped my attention back the conversation as Michael went on.
“I took a quick shower and was going to call you, but then thought maybe it would be better if I didn’t.”
I felt bad that I’d pushed him on it.
“If you really don’t feel like talking, it’s fine. We can talk tomorrow, or whenever. I just don’t want you to think you always have to be all sunshine and roses with me.”
“’Sunshine and roses’, huh? Is that what I am?” Michael’s words were laced with humor.
“You know what I mean,” I responded.
“I know. And I appreciate it.”
When he didn’t say anything more, I nudged a little. “Do you want to tell me what happened today?”
Michael exhaled roughly. “I had to fire one of the cooks today. He didn’t take it well – at all – and we had to get the police involved to remove him. He still refused to leave after they showed up. He started spouting threats against me, Jamey, the other kitchen staff – you name it. Then he resisted when the police went to arrest him, and things went from bad to worse. It was a shit show.”
“It sounds pretty awful.”
“It’s my fault. I should’ve fired him weeks ago, but I kept thinking maybe he’d pull it together. He’s flaky but he has some talent. When he started harassing one of other cooks every time he worked with him, though, he was done.”
“It’s not your fault, Michael. There’s nothing wrong with giving someone a chance, or several chances. You took care of things when you needed to.”
“I guess. If I’d realized how he’d react I would have handled it differently.”
“How could you know, though? Most people would just leave, or maybe cry or get mad first, then leave. You couldn’t predict he’d react so badly.”
“Maybe not.”
He wasn’t buying it – I could tell – but I let it go.
“So, you were there all day?”
“Yeah, one of the other cooks was shaken up badly enough that we sent him home, so we were down both of them. Jamey and I tag-teamed dealing with the police stuff and pinch hitting in the kitchen. Robby – who you might remember from when you were at the pub – came in early so that helped but it was chaos for a while.”
“I can imagine.” The pub had slower days, but at least in my experience, it was rarely truly slow. Managing without two cooks would be challenging at best. “I’m sorry that all happened.”
“Me, too. Thanks for letting me talk about it, though. Tell me about your day. What did you do?”
Respecting his desire to change the subject, I told him about the tour I’d taken of the neighborhood and the Italian restaurant I’d found along with the deli where he’d bought the bagels. Then I skimmed over the organizing I’d done in the apartment, not wanting to bore him with the details.
“It sounds like you’re settling in.”
I ran my eyes around the main area and kitchen, happy with what I saw. “I am. I have a few things I still want to get, but the apartment already feels a little bit like home.”
I hadn’t had that feeling in a while – longer than I liked to think about – and it felt good.
“Glad to hear it. Anything you need help with, you know I’m here.”
“I know.” I resisted the urge to say thank you, knowing he’d tease me for it.
“Listen, I’m going to let you go, okay? It makes me feel ancient to say it, but I need to crash, and I know you have a big day tomorrow.”
“I do. You go crash. I hope tomorrow is better.”
“God, me, too. Will you call me tomorrow and fill me in on your first day?”
Don’t read into it, Grace. Don’t.
“Sure, if you want me to.”
“I do. I’ll look forward to it. Night, Grace.”
“Good night, Michael.”
I disconnected then held my phone to my chest with a sigh. I’d do my best to keep my head on straight and my heart in check, but Michael was making it hard not to fall for him.