10. Liz
LIZ
I was in a great mood as I strolled into work.
As the newest employee of Richard’s Catering, I was a jack of all trades, though I mostly worked a lot with food preparation, like cutting vegetables.
I didn’t do as much baking as I hoped, but that was okay.
I'd probably get enough of it once I had my bakery, though I loved baking so much that I didn’t think I’d ever tire of it.
My phone buzzed while I put on my chef attire in the changing room. It was a picture my sister sent of Amy, her daughter. My heart sighed.
The two of us always dreamed about having kids at the same time. It seemed feasible considering the one-year difference in our ages, but life had other plans for us. Guess who ended up the winner? My cute niece, who got all my love. All. Of. It.
I still had about five minutes before my shift started, so I typed back quickly. My colleagues had stepped outside to smoke, so I had a bit of time.
Liz: I've got an update about the hot landlord. We kissed.
Rose: Oh my God. When? Why didn't you tell me?
Liz: It happened yesterday, and it was even hotter than I had imagined.
I put the phone down, pulling my hair on top of my head so I could put the chef bonnet over it. My phone chimed again.
Rose: So you HAVE imagined kissing him. You've been holding out on me.
Happy with my hair, I grabbed the phone again.
Liz: Just a little. I've got to go now, sorry.
Rose typed back right away.
Rose: No, you can't leave me like that.
I chuckled.
Liz: We’ll talk in the afternoon. Promise.
I put the phone in the back pocket of my pants and strolled into the kitchen.
I started chopping carrots, onions, and bell peppers.
My colleagues Lola, Martha, Suzie, and Jeff came in a few minutes later.
A part of me was going to miss this job once I had my bakery, but only a bit.
It was low-key and very fulfilling. As a bonus, I could daydream about my bakery while working.
Win-win, right? I had it all in my mind—I could visualize every corner of my store and how I’d manage things, decorate it, and the way I’d greet customers.
I wanted to make them feel like they had stepped into heaven.
Baking had always been my happy place, and I wanted to share some of that happiness with everyone.
At my lunch break, I went out to stretch my legs, walking at a leisurely pace up the North Branch Canal.
In the distance, I could see high-rise buildings glittering against the gray sky.
I was a small-town girl at heart, but I couldn’t deny that there was something fascinating about giant buildings.
While I ate my chicken sandwich, I checked my phone again. I had a new message. I was sure it was from Rose again, but to my astonishment, it was from Declan. He'd sent me a picture of a package half ripped open. There was also a caption.
Declan: I started opening it before realizing it was addressed to you. Want me to leave it in front of your door?
I typed back quickly.
Liz: Yeah, do that. Those are headphones, by the way, wireless ones, so I can listen to music with them while I dance. You've officially killed my buzz.
Instead of replying, he called me. I answered immediately.
"I know exactly how to get your buzz back," he said in that deliciously rugged voice.
Excitement skittered across my skin.
“And you're still not trying to get in my pants?" I asked, double-checking. I wasn't sure what I would actually do if he said he was.
"That's where your mind went first thing, huh? Interesting."
I cleared my throat, laughing nervously, looking to my right and then to my left. There were a few others strolling around, but no one was close enough to listen.
"You still haven't answered," I pointed out.
"Liz, that wasn't the only thing I meant."
Now it wasn’t just excitement skittering along my skin but also heat.
“Ha!” Quickly changing the direction of this conversation, I confirmed, “So my earbuds are here.”
“I won’t be home this evening, so you can blast the music all you want.”
“Hmm… but half the fun was having you beat down my door.”
He burst out laughing wholeheartedly. The sound made me grin.
“Where are you going?” I asked.
“I’m going with Luke to see a property he bought and now wants to rent out. It’s about two hours outside of Chicago.”
"You consult on properties?"
"No, but he wants someone he can trust to go over the legal aspect. The travel time is a pain in the ass, but it can’t be helped. And I always make time for my family.”
My face now sported an ear-to-ear smile. I loved that about him—about his family.
"It’s great that you trust each other implicitly. I mean, my sister and I are close as well, but with so many of you, I kind of thought it would be more complicated.”
“I didn’t know you had a sister. Just the one, then?”
“Yes. Rose. She gave birth to my niece two months ago, and I swear we’re closer than ever. Any of your siblings have kids?”
I suddenly wanted to know everything about him. I couldn’t believe that just a few days ago, we were still at each other’s throats. I huddled my knees to my chest, not liking the wind one bit. The sky was even grayer now than when I came out for my break.
“Tate.”
“He’s the one who runs the wine business, right?”
“Exactly. Paisley’s ten, and I think she’s starting to realize how much power she has over all of us.”
Awww, that was endearing. And I never thought I’d call my broody neighbor with a temper from hell endearing. My, my, things could change fast.
Checking the time on the screen of my phone, I swore.
“Damn. My break is ending in five minutes.” I rose from the bench, walking back to work with quick steps, still holding the phone to my ear.
"By the way, Luke is an architect. He deals with a lot of real estate. I'm sure he knows realtors. Do you want me to ask him if there's one he recommends for you? You mentioned the one you have isn't sending you anything useful."
Wow, that was thoughtful. I couldn't believe he offered that. I stopped walking, sitting down on another bench. It was getting a bit too windy for my taste.
"Declan, that's very nice of you, but the one I've got is highly recommended. His name is Andreas Reading. But maybe you can ask Luke if he's heard of him or if his reputation is really as good as I think. If not, we'll go from there."
"Will do. And one more thing." His voice changed again. It was almost businesslike when he spoke of Luke, but now it was an octave lower with a hint of trouble. I had no business liking it, but I did.
"Oh no, no, no."
"Why not?" he asked.
"Because your things tend to throw me off-balance, and I’m just about to head into work."
“I see.”
I waited for him to tell me anyway. To my astonishment, he didn’t.
“You’re really going to leave me in the dark, huh?”
“I’m respecting your wishes, Liz.” His voice was taunting now. My stomach somersaulted. And did he have to sound so sinful when he said Liz ? It turned my brain to mush.
“I take it back.”
“You’ll see what I mean when you get home. After all, the last thing I want is for you to be off-balance and have another work accident. I won’t be there to bandage you today.”
I felt warm all over at the thought of him taking care of me.
“I’ve really got to go. Drive safe.”
“Will do.”
Guess who had a one-track mind for the rest of the shift? Yep, me. I was only half paying attention to my tasks, but I was extra careful when setting up the chafing dishes at the party we catered. It was an assorted snack bar of sorts for a CEO who was leaving the company.
I loved it when Richard’s Catering needed me, because the parties we catered were all over town. It gave me a chance to get to know Chicago better.
We were on LaSalle Street today. It was the second time we’d catered a party in this office building, so it wasn’t anything new. That meant I had time for a bit more daydreaming about whatever was waiting for me at home.
At three o’clock on the dot, I was ready to go load all the empty dishes in Richard’s truck. It was raining heavily, but not even that was enough to dampen my enthusiasm.
Since I biked a lot, I still hadn’t learned my way around Chicago on public transportation.
There was quite a bit of walking from the station to the house, but I didn’t mind.
The rain intensified when I got off the bus.
I nearly bumped into the old lady in front of me, who’d stopped to open her umbrella.
I didn’t have one, so I broke into a run.
I was wearing a jacket that was supposed to be water repellent, but somehow I still got completely soaked in minutes.
I didn’t slow my pace until I turned onto my street.
My right foot felt numb from the cold. Glancing down, I groaned, having stepped right into a puddle.
“Oh, come on.” Damn this day.
I hurried home, unlocking the front gate quickly and then jogging to my door. I couldn’t wait to get out of these wet things.
Right there on my doorstep were two boxes, covered with a plastic tarp. Damn, the man was thorough.
Just like that, my face transformed into a grin.
I forgot all about my soaked clothes and took the boxes inside, putting them directly on the kitchen counter.
Removing my wet jacket, I noticed my shirt was drenched as well.
It clung to me, making me feel even colder than I was, but I was too excited to open the boxes to do anything else.
The one that was partially opened contained my earbuds.
My fingers were trembling while I opened the second one. It was a box of Swiss truffle chocolates. They were my favorites—but how would he know that? Helen was the only one who knew, because she’d introduced me to them.
I snapped a picture and immediately sent it to Rose.
Liz: Declan got me this.
To my astonishment, my sister called me.
"Holy shit,” she exclaimed.
“I know, right?”
“Did anything more happen besides that kiss? You left me high and dry today. Don’t think I’ll forget that.”
“No. I mean, he showed up with coffee this morning.”
“Liz. That’s not nothing.”
I chuckled, leaning against my kitchen counter.
“He said he’ll find a way to take me out even though I’m always working.”
“He sounds great. Thoughtful.”
I bit my lip. “He does. It’s just that… I really am not in the right frame of mind to date. Besides, he's my landlord. Things could get ugly, and I love this place. I’d hate to leave it if things between us went sideways."
"Somehow, I don't think that's the reason," my sister replied. “Have you been out with anyone since your surgery?"
I fidgeted before answering, "You would know if I had."
I hadn’t had any desire to do so, but I was also ashamed to admit that I was horribly self-conscious of my scar.
I wasn’t sure if it was because Dexter’s reaction had affected me deeper than I thought or because it was still extremely visible.
It had healed quite a bit but was still pink and white, and it stretched in a jagged line over my navel.
"Thought so. Whatever you decide, I approve."
I smiled. I loved my sister to bits.
"I want the best for you," she continued.
"Good, then let me get in the shower. I’m soaking wet from the rain."
"Yes, ma'am."
The second the call disconnected, I got an idea. I held the package next to my shoulder, taking a selfie and sending it to Declan.
Liz: I got home to this. Thank you so much.
He replied a second later.
Declan: You’re going to be the death of me.
My mouth formed an O. What does he mean? I scrolled back, looked closely at the picture, and gasped.
My shirt was soaked. It was completely see-through, and I’d taken off my bra after my shift. My boobs were on full display.
Way to go, Liz . Totally not the actions of a woman who claims she doesn’t want to jump in bed with her landlord.