Chapter 4 #2
“I saw the way he was lookin’ at ya. Think maybe he’s being a little cautious about it, but he wants to ask ya on a date. If he keeps bringin’ cookies to win your affections, though, I won’t complain.”
“He’s not going to be back,” I protest.
Merv throws his head back and laughs. “Right. And I’m gonna get married again.
” He shakes his head, his face fixing into a serious scowl.
“I know you’ve had a rough go of things, kid, but don’t be lettin’ it scare ya.
That man’s a good soul. He’d treat ya right, I just know it.
Don’t shut him down, okay? I want you to be happy, even if I’d hate to lose ya. ”
I roll my eyes, but affection for Merv fills my heart. “I’m not going anywhere.”
“We’ll see about that. Text me when ya get home, I’m gonna finish up payin’ the bills before I head out after ya.”
“Will do. Night, Merv.”
“Night, Mikey!”
I finish cleaning up the lobby, shut off the lights, and lock the garage bay doors before I make my way to my shoebox studio apartment two blocks away. The sun has almost fully set on the horizon, painting the sky in pinks and purples. My mind wanders back to Saint’s question.
Are you fulfilled, Mikey?
I’ve never put much thought into it. I go to work, come home, eat, read or watch TV, and go to sleep just to wake up and do it again.
On the days I’m not working, I go to the laundromat or grocery shopping.
I have a simple life, and I don’t need the added stress of another human being coming in and wrecking my routine.
Even if my routine is a bit… boring.
I shower then settle on my small sofa with the latest L.K. Bailey book. She’s my auto-buy author, one I’ve been following since the beginning of her career. She writes the spiciest, most addictive dark romance that always has me on the edge of my seat.
I’m at the part right before the bodyguard is going to confess his feelings for his boss’s sugar baby when my phone rings.
“Hi, Kelly.”
“Hi Mikeymoo, time for our weekly check in. Anything new?”
“Nothing new, no.”
“You’re lying,” she sing-songs. “Tell me. Give me some gossip.”
“Well… he came back today.”
“Shut up! What’s that, three times in the last six months? What was the issue this time?”
“His fuel pump fuse was damaged—waterlogged or something. Which is strange, because nothing else was touched by water. Anyway, yeah. I feel bad. He was at the shop for so long because there were problems with another customer’s car, so by the time I was done, the shop was closed.
Then Patrick took off with his keys, so Saint had to wait in the lobby with me.
He shared the most amazing sandwiches with me.
He made this bread with a garlicky, herby swirl in it and—”
“Wait, wait, wait. Hold on. Rewind. You had a date with him?!”
“No! It wasn’t a date, Kelly. It was just… he had food, and we were hungry, and he couldn’t leave because Patrick had his keys so…”
“That sounds like a date, Mikey.”
“No. He’s a customer who was stranded for a bit. And he lives in Cupid’s Cove. We should go visit, by the way. Check out his bakery. He brought more cookies, too. They’re delicious, and I’d like to see what else he makes.”
There’s a moment of silence where I don’t even hear Kelly breathing, and I just know the next thing she says is going to be something I don’t want to hear.
“Mikey…”
“No.”
“I think—”
“Don’t say it, please.”
“—you have a crush on him. You’ve never once had the desire to go to a bakery almost two hours away. More importantly, I think he likes you. Three times in six months, Mikey? Come on.”
“He doesn’t like me, he’s just nice. He can’t help it if his van breaks down. Sure, the timing is a little off, but—”
“Why are you so against letting yourself crush on him? And don’t give me the ‘he’s a customer’ excuse. You’re not a doctor or something. There’s no ethics violation if you date him.”
“You know why,” I whisper. I don’t want to rehash my fear of falling in love.
I don’t need to remind her I watched my dad’s heart slowly break after Mom died.
I don’t need to replay the way my heart was ripped out of my chest after my ex and all the time it took to rebuild myself.
How Kelly’s the one who had to come to my apartment and force feed me saltines because I could barely function.
“Your parents—your mom—wouldn’t want you to close yourself off from love, hon. They’d want you to grab it by the neck and hold on tight.”
“I know… but there’s no telling if this crush I have could be more. He hasn’t asked me out, and besides, I’ll probably never see him again.”
“Okay, you may be right, but what if he comes back? What if he does ask you out? Will you say yes?”
“I don’t know, Kell.”
I hear her sigh, then she says, “I’ll drop it for now. I’ve got to go, but call me if you need anything. Love you big, Mikey.”
“Okay. Love you, too, Kell.”
We hang up, and I decide it’s time to go to sleep.
That night, I dream of a man with kind hazel eyes and a blonde beard showing up at work to ask me on a date.
I say yes.