Chapter 5
Brian
" I 'll bring it to your table." The harrassed-looking café worker offered me a quick smile as she keyed in my order. Her attention swiftly moved to the customer behind, effectively dismissing me before I could get a word in.
I stepped out of line and surveyed the tables, internally swearing when I realized how packed the place was. It was pouring outside, and I had an hour and a half to kill until my next appointment. Instead of waiting in my truck or ducking back to my office, I decided to take an early lunch since I skipped breakfast. Given the number of full tables, I wasn't the only one with the same idea. I thought I was being clever in avoiding the lunch rush, but with the weather being miserable, it drove a lot more people inside. I should've done a take-out order and eaten in my truck instead, but given the flushed look on the worker's face as she punched in orders, I decided not to bother her.
I positioned myself in the corner, murmuring an apology to another patron who tried to sidestep me for the counter. My gaze bounced from table to table, noting they were packed with two or more people occupying them. I stared outside again, grimacing at the rain slashing sideways against the pavement and cars. I’d parked across the road and further down the street, so my food would probably be soaked by the time I made a mad dash across. But with no tables available, I didn't really have an option.
Just when I decided to bite the bullet and take the wrath of the café owner and a soggy burger, my gaze fell and held on a lone dark-haired female sitting at a corner table by the window. She was leaning back casually in her seat, slowly sipping her coffee, her attention zeroed in on a book she held in her other hand. One slim leg was crossed over the other, and a delicate foot twisted around at the ankle every now and then.
She wore a long olive green dress with cream-colored strappy heels—a curious choice for a wet day. Almost everyone in here was bundled up against the elements, their clothes dark and moody, perfectly matching the atmosphere. Yet, despite the dreary backdrop behind her—the grey skies and lashings of rain hitting the window—this woman stood out, lighting up the place with her presence. She was oblivious to the crowd around her, engrossed in whatever book she was reading.
A twisting sensation settled in my stomach as I continued to watch her. She licked her finger before turning the page, her eyes re-focusing on the new words. The simple act had my nostrils flaring, and I imagined licking that finger for her.
I puffed my breath out incredulously at that silly thought and glanced away from her enticing profile. I lasted three seconds before my gaze slid back towards her, unable to resist her appeal.
I rubbed the back of my neck as I considered my options. She was the only customer in the café with a table to herself. I really should leave her alone. She was clearly happy in her own little world and didn't want to be disturbed.
Yet, the thought of walking away and never speaking to this woman had my stomach in a knot. I watched her slight foot twist around again, and I suddenly had an overwhelming urge to lift that delicate foot and kiss its smooth arch. As if separate from my body, my feet propelled me over to her, dodging tables and bodies, my gaze fixed on her alluring profile. I had to at least know what color her eyes were.
As I approached her table, an intoxicating scent of floral fruity perfume or body lotion reached my nose, and I wanted to lean in and take a long inhale. My large form created a shadow on her pages, and her slim shoulders tensed, her chest drawing in a deep breath.
"I don't need a refill." Her husky voice hit my groin as she ran that slim finger against a page in the book. Her tone held a hint of annoyance at being disturbed, but she otherwise ignored me.
"Hi."
Blue eyes, the color of the clearest sky, rose to greet me. My breath hitched as the full impact of her beauty hit me. High cheekbones matched with full red lips, and those blue eyes with her almost black hair... fuck , she was fucking gorgeous.
A pit of self-consciousness hit me, and for the first time, my usual smooth pick-up lines promptly fell right out of my brain. I knew I was a good-looking guy. I kept in shape, and I was hit on a lot. Profiles swiped right on me all the time, and I had no problem securing dates and sealing the deal.
But this dark-haired beauty was way out of my league.
Her eyes raked me up and down in a slow perusal, her face not betraying a single emotion on whether she liked what she saw. She met my look with a raised brow and a hint of impatience. A heavy nervousness landed in my gut, and I almost withered under that glare.
Almost.
A lesser man would have apologized and backtracked. Made up some lame excuse about needing to borrow a sugar packet from the small tray of condiments on her table before ducking away with their tail between their legs. But as I stared into her sharp blue eyes, I suddenly felt a gust of confidence at the challenge in them. I pulled my shoulders back and chided myself to man up.
"Yes?"
Her tone was dismissive and bored, almost resigned to what I was about to say. She was obviously used to guys bothering her, but I refused to be one of those men who cowered away. What's the worst that could happen? She turned me down flat, leaving me disappointed and obsessively thinking about her all day? All week?
Undeterred, I flashed her a smile, making sure the dimple on my right cheek popped. This girl was a ten out of ten, and I wasn't ashamed to take advantage of what I had.
"Sorry to bother you. I ordered to eat here before I realized how packed the place was. Do you mind if I join you?"
Another flash of annoyance before her nose gave the cutest little wrinkle. Her gaze moved around the space, noting that I was being truthful and the place was indeed busy. Her brow furrowed at me, and I fought the urge to smooth it with my thumb.
"So why don't you change your order to take out?"
Her sass went straight to my dick.
Still unwilling to give up, I held my smile even though it was shaky. "I have time to kill before my next appointment and thought I'd escape the rain for a bit. If it's too much trouble, then it's fine. I'll find another spot."
I was playing chicken, hoping she’d take pity on me and relent.
Her eyes again roamed around the café before glancing outside at the dreary scenery. My confidence faltered at her lack of response. Something told me she would have no problem turning down a poor soul and sending them out in the rain without a sliver of remorse.
Finally, she gave a resigned sigh. "Well, since you've put me on the spot, I'd be a bitch to refuse, wouldn't I?"
A burst of surprised laughter came out, and she frowned at my strange response. Truthfully, I wasn't used to such blunt honesty. Hannah had been a gentle and kind soul who rarely raised her voice to anyone. She wouldn't hesitate to offer her spare seat to a stranger. In fact, she would look around and spy how busy the place was, quickly down her coffee, and leave. She wouldn't sit idly by, reading her book and casually sipping her coffee. So why did the haughty lift of this woman's chin and her searing blue eyes have me doubling down with intrigue?
"Thank you."
I pulled off my rain jacket and hung it at the back of the chair opposite, quickly sitting down before she decided that, yes, she could be a bitch and turn me away. Not that I would think badly of her. I was imposing on her space—her privacy—and small talk with a stranger was not something most people were comfortable with. But the urge to talk to this beauty superseded my standard social niceties.
She tilted her body slightly away, facing the inside of the café instead of straight ahead. She returned her attention to her book, pointedly ignoring me.
"What are you reading?"
Instead of answering, she raised the paperback, her eyes remaining on the page.
" The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo ," I read. I gave her another charming smile even though she wasn't looking at me. "Is that a reverse harem thing?"
I saw rather than heard her deep, impatient sigh. She picked up a red bookmark from the table and slid it between the pages, closing her book with a little more force than necessary. She bent down to slip her book back into the tote by her feet.
Shit. She was leaving.
I quickly extended my hand to her, right under her nose, so that she couldn't ignore me.
"Brian Chambers. I'm Brian Chambers." Fuck, I sounded like a schoolboy stuttering at my crush.
She eyed my hand as if it were a dirty sock, so I decided to go for honesty and hoped she was one of those women who appreciated that.
"Sorry. You probably get approached by men all the time. If I'm annoying you, I'm sorry. I do genuinely want to sit down and eat, but I admit, you did catch my eye. Once my food comes, I'll tell them to wrap it up to go. I just...knew I couldn't leave without meeting you."
Somehow, my honesty came off sounding like cringeworthy word vomit instead of the charming candor I was aiming for. Silence split the air despite the noisy ambiance surrounding us. Her mesmerizing stare trapped my gaze, and I shifted in my seat as the unmistakable feeling of arousal stabbed me.
Something moved behind her eyes. It was only a quick flare, but I recognized the signs all the same. Pleasure. Attraction. Appreciation. The emotions were fleeting before a cool mask of indifference shuttered down.
I kept my hand raised, letting her know that I wasn't one to back down from a challenge. It was only a matter of seconds but felt like an eternity before the charm bracelet she wore on her wrist tinkled as she raised her slender arm and extended her hand to me. I immediately engulfed her small hand with my larger palm. Her hand felt smooth and warm, and I was unsurprised when a cluster of tingles shot up my arm. Could she feel it, too?
"Maria Smith."
The name washed over me like a rainstorm in a hot desert. "Maria. That's a beautiful name." I bet it sounded even better when I groaned it in the throes of ecstasy.
Maria pulled her hand back quickly before snatching up her coffee mug. "Thanks," she mumbled over the rim.
"Thanks again for letting me sit here."
"Mmm, hmm," she hummed as she tipped her head back and downed the last of her coffee. I started to panic a little, fearing that she would take off now that she had no reason to stay.
"Weather's shit, isn't it?" I wanted to sink into the floor at my floundering conversation. I usually wasn't this clumsy. I was smooth, charming, and flirtatious. Maria had me sliding off my game.
She shifted in her seat, finally facing me fully. Her feet kissed mine before they hurriedly retreated. My boot itched to extend out to meet her feet again, but my dirty work boots were hardly worthy of touching her delicate toes.
Maria observed the dreary street. The roads were quiet, with the occasional vehicle slowly driving by, their wipers furiously swishing against the downpour. I eyed her outfit, wondering how she'd made it here without looking like a drowned rat. Her hair was in those sexy beach waves, her makeup immaculate, and there wasn't a drop of dampness on her dress.
"Are you on your lunch break?"
"Trying to be."
I gave her a wry grin. "Sorry. I'm interrupting your peace, aren't I?"
Her eyes searched my face, and again, I spied that flare of attraction; of interest. It was subtle and brief, but it was there. She found me equally as intriguing. Okay, maybe not equally, but there was at least a mutual attraction, and I had no problem leaning into that. Women who played hard to get quickly lost my interest, especially since I wasn't looking for anything serious. Yet something told me that Maria wasn't playing any games. She had her guard up, but it wasn't part of a tactic to lure me in.
"What did you order?" she asked instead of answering.
"Double cheeseburger, curly fries, and a coke."
She hummed, her fingers tapping against the table. "Share your fries with me, and I'll forgive you."
A small whoosh of air escaped me at her concession, and I felt like I’d won a game of high-stakes poker. "Deal." A fair trade.
The air of annoyance lifted as she shifted forward in her seat, letting me know through her subtle body language that my presence was finally welcome. A lightheartedness entered the atmosphere, and I settled back in my seat, trying not to let my eyes linger on her face too long.
"So, are you from New Haven?"
"Yes. You're not a local." It wasn't a question.
"No. I moved here with –" I stopped, not wanting to bring up Hannah. "I moved here a few years ago but live out in Dellwood. I work in New Haven a lot, and I have friends and family who live here."
She nodded slowly, and her long pink-tipped fingers continued tapping on the table with a lazy rhythm. "Where are you originally from?"
"New York."
Her eyes flared in surprise. "Wow. Big change. So, do you like living around these parts?"
"It took a while to get used to the slower pace," I carefully supplied. I didn't want to offend by telling her I missed the hustle and bustle of a bigger city. It got easier the longer I lived here, but I would always be a city boy at heart.
"You don't like it here."
My eyes widened at her acute frankness. She gave me a cheeky smile as she tilted her head at me. "You looked away, and your nose gave a little scrunch."
I laughed, running my hand on the back of my neck. "It's growing on me."
She tipped her head back and laughed. "Oh, my god. You hate living here." She broke out into dainty giggles, and I couldn't help laughing along with her infectious titter.
"I don't hate it," I insisted through chuckles. "It's just...different. It's a great town, and I do like it."
Her eyes were still full of mirth. "So why did you move here and why have you stayed?"
I finally dropped our eye contact. "I'm a builder by trade. Self-employed. I started contracting myself out to businesses around the county. Eventually, I hired two laborers to keep up with the demand, and now it's grown bigger." I shrugged. "So I stayed."
There was a gaping hole in my story, and I prayed she wouldn't try and dig deeper. It was just the easiest answer to give without going into extensive details about my private life. That could come later if things went the way I hoped.
Maria frowned and opened her mouth to respond but thankfully, I was saved.
"Sorry for the wait." A waitress set my burger in front of me, along with a basket of fries. "And here you go," she panted as she set down my cold glass of coke. She blew her bangs out of her eyes as she tucked the tray under her arm. "Can I get you anything else?" She eyed Maria's empty coffee mug.
"I'm good," Maria handed her mug to the waitress. "Thanks."
I pushed my basket of fries towards her, hoping to tempt her to stay longer. "Help yourself," I offered.
She inclined her head in acknowledgment before lifting a curly fry and taking a bite. Her eyes lit up in pleasure, and my body exploded in lust. I downed a big gulp of my cold soda, hoping to kill the throb of arousal at her simple act.
"So what do you do?" I took a big bite of my burger, the juicy meat oozing onto my tongue, satisfying my earlier hunger. My gaze never left her face as I wiped my lips with a napkin. Maria covered her mouth with her hand as she chewed, the gesture amusing me at her dainty manners.
"I own a hair salon."
I leaned forward in my seat; my gaze lit with admiration. "Wow. That's awesome."
Beautiful and smart. I covertly eyed her slim fingers. Rings on a few but none on the one that mattered. Of course, that didn't mean that she wasn't taken. I wasn't one to poach another man's woman, but I was ashamed at how quickly I was willing to drop that rule when it came to Maria. "What's it called?"
She sent me a shy smile as she plucked another fry. I loved that she'd taken over my basket of food without apology. "M but lately, my heart was slowly opening up to the possibility of taking things slow but serious with someone.
"Listen," Maria said as she scrunched up her napkin. "I gotta head off. I've been away long enough." I could see the slow reluctance on her face and knew this was my cue to grab her number.
"Yeah, I gotta start making my way to Plaza Street for my meeting."
I yanked my wallet out of my back pocket, ready to pay for our meals. But before I could open my mouth, my cell phone rang. I threw my open wallet on the table and flashed her an apologetic look. "Sorry, this is my next appointment. I'll be quick. Please don't leave yet."
A warm blush stole her cheeks again, and my heart flew into a quick pattern at how much I wanted this woman.
With the weather easing up, the café wasn't as full, so I moved towards an empty table and spoke quickly with my client who was running twenty minutes late. Usually, I would've been annoyed, except this was the perfect opportunity for me to walk Maria back to her salon. Maybe book an appointment to have my hair cut by her.
After I ended the call, I turned back to our table, expecting to see Maria's beautiful face beaming back at me. My footsteps faltered and then stalled when I saw our table empty. Not even her tote bag was there anymore. Puzzled, I glanced around the café, hoping to spot her at the counter. She couldn't have just left, could she? Surely, I wasn't gone that long, maybe thirty seconds at best.
I slowly moved back to our table; the feeling of disappointment that Maria bailed made my legs feel like lead. I continued to glance around the café, hoping she was just using the bathroom but I knew in my heart she'd left. I thought back to our conversation over the last thirty minutes. There was definite flirtation on both our parts, and I could've sworn I saw a subtle nod when I asked her to stay while I took this call.
I stopped short when my gaze landed on the table she’d abandoned. A twenty dollar note lay under the salt and pepper shakers. It more than covered the coffee and muffin she had, but that wasn't what had my heart in my throat.
Shit. No, no, no.
My wallet was open exactly how I'd left it.
And staring up at me, as clear as day, was a photo of Hannah and me that I kept in the clear photo pocket.
Our wedding photo.
There was no mistaking my face, smiling brightly for the camera as Hannah stared adoringly up at me.
Well, fuck.