Chapter 11
Chapter Eleven
T essa
I’m late. Not that kind of late, late for the day.
My alarm didn’t go off, and now I’m rushing around, trying to get ready.
To top it off, I’m out of K-Cups, which means no coffee.
I need coffee. Slipping into my gym shoes, I grab my purse, make sure I have my phone, and rush out the door.
Only to turn back to make sure that I locked it.
Have I mentioned I hate being late?
Sliding behind the wheel of my Jeep Wrangler, I place my phone in the cup holder, sling my purse on the passenger seat, and pull out of the drive.
I’m lucky that my job doesn’t require me to be all snazzed up.
Case in point: I have on a pair of leggings, a T-shirt with my work’s logo, and gym shoes.
I tied my mass of dark curls on top of my head and didn’t bother with makeup.
I hardly see anyone during the day anyway, just my boss, most of the time her husband, and their son. I have no one to impress.
Checking the clock on the dash, I calculate that I have just enough time to stop at the Cup of Joe Café for my morning coffee, and because I’m going to be there already, I might as well grab one of their famous cinnamon coffee cake muffins.
They are life! If they didn’t go straight to my hips, I’d stop by every morning.
Alas, they do, so I stick with indulging about once a month as a treat. This month, I’m splurging twice.
It’s just a Cup of Joe Café kind of day.
I wonder if Autumn wants anything. I hit the phone icon on my steering wheel. “Call Autumn,” I announce, and dutifully, my beloved Jeep dials for me. The way my day has started, I can’t chance taking my eyes off the road.
“Morning, sunshine.” Her chipper voice blasts throughout the car.
“Hey, I woke up late.”
She laughs. “There goes your mood for the day.”
“Har har, and to think I called to see if you wanted anything from the Cup of Joe Café. I’m out of coffee at home, so I might be a few minutes late.”
“Definitely stop. We all know how you are without your coffee,” she teases.
“Harsh,” I say, barely containing my own laughter.
“Banana nut muffin, please, and I’ve already had two cups of coffee.”
“You sure?”
“Yes. I’ll be bouncing off the walls. Besides, I’m trying to cut back on my caffeine, you know, in case we decide to have another baby. Going cold turkey is hell.”
“What? Are you trying?”
“Nah, but we’ve talked about it. We want more, so it’s only a matter of time. We’re settled into the new house, so yeah… I wanted to get a head start.”
“I’m so excited for you. All right, I’m almost there. We’ll talk more when I get to work.”
“Take your time,” she says before saying goodbye. I hit the button on the steering wheel to end the call as I turn the corner.
The place is packed as usual this time of day, and I have to park at the end of the block and walk. I’m pressed for time, but my mouth is already watering for that cinnamon coffee cake muffin and coffee. I must have coffee.
As I push open the door, the smell of baked goods and yummy coffee surrounds me.
There are so many different scents, I can’t name a single one.
The only way I can describe it is delicious.
My stomach grumbles as I take my place in line.
All the small tables are taken except for one, in the back corner of the café.
Now, if I were staying to eat, that’s the table I would choose.
I’m not antisocial, but I like to people watch, fly under the radar, so to speak.
A small corner table to devour cinnamon goodness would suit me just fine.
Speaking of people watching, I can’t help but notice the man standing in front of me.
My eyes rake over him in appreciation. Sure, it’s just the backside, but impressive all the same.
He’s wearing one of those compression shirts.
It’s a royal blue color and forms quite nicely to his muscles.
A pair of black basketball shorts hang from his hips, and I can only imagine he’s one of those with the V—you know, where the shorts or, holy hell, even sweatpants hang just right.
The thought has me licking my lips, for more than just a cinnamon coffee cake muffin.
The line moves forward, and so do I. My feet move on their own accord as I stare at his ass.
What is it they say? So firm you can bounce a quarter off it?
Yeah, this guy fits the bill for sure. I take another step forward, only this time, the line’s not moving.
“Umpf.” My hands fly out and press against his back to keep myself from falling.
“Shit.” I immediately remove my hands from his toned, muscular back, but I can still feel the heat of his body on my palms. He turns to look at me over his shoulder, and I gasp.
Landon.
A slow smile crosses his face as he turns sideways.
His eyes start at my crazy mop of hair on top of my head, before skimming over my body.
Heat courses through me, both in embarrassment and well…
a little bit turned on, if I’m being honest. Landon is sexy as sin, and to have his attention on me…
well, I’m only human. What makes it worse is that I know what it feels like to have his arms around me.
Danger. Danger. Danger. I keep repeating the words over and over in my head. Landon Barker is dangerous. Not in an illegal kind of way, but in a he-can-break-your-heart kind of way.
Suddenly, I remember that not only is my hair in a messy knot, but I also have zero makeup on, and I’m in a T-shirt and yoga pants.
Isn’t that just my luck? I literally run into the sexiest man on earth and I look like a hot mess.
Not to mention, said sexy man has been… pursuing me? Is that what he’s been doing?
Damn alarm clock!
“You okay, Freckles?” he asks in his deep, masculine voice.
“I-I’m so sorry.” I manage to squeak the words. Why am I suddenly nervous around him? This is Landon, and I’m not trying to impress him. Not really, but I’d still like to be presentable.
“Happens all the time.” He smirks.
I’m sure it does. His eyes alone are enough to have panties dropping everywhere. Add in his thick, dark locks and his body, and it’s obvious he’s not just being a conceited jerk; he’s speaking the truth. “I should have been paying attention,” I say when I realize he’s still looking at me.
“It’s all good.” He nods. His eyes are doing another lazy stroll of my body, making me feel self-conscious.
“I woke up late. It’s been one of those mornings.” I laugh humorlessly. You know what I’m talking about, those laughs that make everyone within earshot uncomfortable. Yeah, that’s me. Fuck my life.
“Uh-huh,” he says, a smile tilting his gorgeous full lips. “Something keeping you up at night, Tess?”
Why does his voice suddenly sound like sex? “So, uh, you come here often?” As soon as the words are out of my mouth, I want to force them back in. Landon has managed to turn me into a bumbling, lame, small-talking idiot.
“No, first time, actually.” He doesn’t give me more than that.
My eyes rake over him, taking him in from head to toe.
Why am I acting this way this morning? I think it’s the eyes.
Then again, maybe it’s the muscles or that beard.
Hmm, I do love me a beard. Either way, I need to snap out of it.
This is Landon. The player, not just on the field, if my internet research is accurate. We’re friends, nothing more.
“Hello.” He waves his hand in front of my face to get my attention. Not that it’s possible, but if it were, my face would be even redder from embarrassment. “You okay?” He raises his eyebrows like he’s not really sure. Is that concern on his face?
Great, I’ve officially presented myself as the crazy, messy, stare-off-into-space, laugh-at-the-wrong-time girl. Just the icing on this shit-tastic day. “Yeah, sorry, just thinking about what I’m going to get.” Lies.
“I’m not sure either.” He rubs his hand over his chin, over his beard.
“Cinnamon coffee cake muffin,” I blurt out—my favorite.
“You can’t go wrong.” I’m nodding like a crazy person.
I blame all of this on my damn alarm clock.
Waking up late puts me off-kilter every damn time.
I hate it. I make a mental note to get a backup for the future.
No more days like today. I don’t think I’d survive them, and the day’s just started.
“Next!” the barista calls out.
Just like that, he turns to place his order, and I’m once again faced with his strong,
muscular back and that ass. Realizing I’m standing here staring at said ass, I avert my gaze to anywhere but his ass. I settle on a poster advertising an upcoming craft fair at the local convention center. Maybe I’ll see if Autumn wants to go. He turns to me. “What do you want, Tess?”
“Nothing, I have a list, so you go ahead.” I wave him off.
“Tessa.”
“Landon.” I match his tone. “Really, I’m good. Next time.”
“I’m holding you to that,” he says, and turns back to pay for his order.
Closing my eyes, I take a cleansing breath. I need to get my head in the game. I’m not some teenager who can’t talk to guys, and this is Landon. He’s not a stranger. Sure, we’re not BFFs, but we’ve spent some time together, so the way I’m acting is ridiculous.
“Ma’am,” I hear an irritated barista call out. Opening my eyes and snapping my head to face forward, I see it’s my turn. I’m holding up the line, and Landon is gone.
“I’m sorry. It’s been one of those mornings,” I say with yet another awkward laugh.
“Can I take your order?” she asks, giving me a small tilt of her lips that tells me she’s not amused, but her job depends on her being friendly.
“Yes, I’ll take a large black coffee with two sugars, one banana nut muffin, and one cinnamon coffee cake muffin.”
“Sorry, the guy before you took the last cinnamon coffee cake. What else can I get you?”
My shoulders sag. Of course, he did. “Just two banana nuts,” I say, defeated.
Today is just not my day. Pulling my debit card out of my purse, I hand it over and try to give her a kind smile.
It’s not her fault. Hell, it’s mine. I never should have suggested my favorite.
If I hadn’t been fumbling around like an idiot, I might not have.
“Thank you,” I say, taking my card back and sliding it into my wallet.
She hands me my coffee and a small bag containing two muffins.
Although the banana nut is delicious, I’m not nearly as excited as I was when I walked through the door.
“Have a nice day,” I say politely, turning toward the door.
I notice that everyone seems to be looking at the back corner of the room, and that’s when I see him.
Landon. The lucky player got my muffin. I take a step toward the door and stop.
Everyone’s staring at him; no wonder he thinks he’s God’s gift to women.
Sure, he’s easy on the eyes, but the bastard took my muffin.
I take another step, keeping my eyes on him and the bag holding his delicious muffin, which sits on the table untouched.
He’s drinking what I assume is coffee and scrolling through his phone.
He’s not even eating it. Come on, when you have a Cup of Joe Café cinnamon coffee cake muffin within your reach, you don’t ignore it for social media.
Before I know what’s happening, my feet are carrying me to him.
Obviously, this little adventure of mine wasn’t planned out. Hence the reason I’m standing next to his table, holding my coffee and small bag, staring at his bag, knowing what’s inside.
“What’s up, Tess?” He smirks, setting his phone on the table as he stares up at me. Damn, those eyes.
“So, um, you got the last cinnamon muffin, and I kind of had my heart set on it. I thought maybe I could trade you or we could split it, and I could give you one of my banana nuts?” The words spew from my mouth.
He holds my stare. Those deep cerulean blue eyes seem to be penetrating my soul. I fidget from one foot to the next. I need to get to work, but dammit, I really wanted that muffin.
A slow grin spreads over his face as he raises his hands and motions for me to sit with him. He slides the bag containing all the goodness that is the Cup of Joe Café’s cinnamon coffee cake muffin.
“Here.” I shove my bag at him. “One of those is for Autumn,” I tell him.
He pushes it back toward me. “I already ate breakfast. I just stopped for coffee on my way to practice.”
“Then why did you buy the muffin?”
“Truth?”
“Always.”
“I didn’t plan to. You said it was your favorite. I was going to bring it to you today after practice. I didn’t realize I’d bought the last one.” He nods toward the bag. “Eat up, Tess.”
Not needing to be told twice, I pull open the bag and lift the muffin, taking a huge bite. So far, this is the best part of this terrible day.
“Why are you grinning?” I ask him after swallowing.
“Date number four.” He smirks.
“What?” I ask, just about to take another large bite.
“This is our fourth meal together.”
“You’re not eating. It doesn’t count.” I feel smug. Taking another big bite, I close my eyes to savor the muffin. When I open them again, Landon’s eyes are watching me intently. He reaches for my bag, pulls out a muffin, and takes a big bite.
His eyes never leave mine as he chews and swallows. His dimples appear. “Date number four, Tess.”
“Are you going to be late for practice?” I ask him, changing the subject.
“Are you going to be late for work?” he counters.
“Yeah, but Autumn knows, and besides, she gets a muffin out of the deal.”
“Fair enough.” He pops the last piece of his muffin into his mouth and glances at the time on his phone.
“I should get going.” He stands and gathers his trash, as do I.
I can finish my muffin on the way to work.
I walk toward the door and feel his hand on the small of my back.
Reaching around me, he opens the door for me, and we exit the café.
“Have a great practice, Number Eighteen.” I’m already feeling more like myself.
“Have a good day, Tessa. I’ll call you later?”
I find myself nodding. He grins and turns, jogging off to his SUV.
How is it that I’ve been in this town since college and have never run into him, and now, here we are, immersed in each other’s lives at what feels like every turn?
I point my Jeep toward the shelter and think about what to tell Autumn.
I can already hear her telling me it’s fate.
Is it fate?
Do I believe in fate?
Only time will tell.