Call It Curiosity
Delaney
I stared up at him. Coffee?
He didn't sound like he was flirting. He didn't look like it either, because for one thing, he still wasn't smiling.
I would've killed for a coffee right about now – even if it was almost dinner time. But nothing about this was adding up.
I was a mess. He was all clean lines and composure – well, except for the mess on his shirt. And as far as my wallet, it was so empty, there were surely dust bunnies floating around inside.
I found myself studying him again. His dark hair was short and neat. His jaw was square and lightly stubbled. His eyes were dark and steady, like he was sizing me up.
I heard myself ask, "Why?"
"Why what?"
"Why would you want coffee with me?" And then it hit me. "Unless you're saying I should run out and get you one?"
Now I felt like a fool, because for a moment there, I'd thought he was asking me out.
I almost snorted. As if.
Still, a latte to-go would surely be cheaper than a laundry bill – except I still had no money.
I tried to think. Maybe if I sold the hydrangea?
Yeah, right.
To who?
Plus, I didn't want to sell it. I'd already lugged it halfway across town, which made it the closest companion I had.
Instinctively, I clutched it tighter as somewhere outside, tires squealed and a car honked. I braced for the sounds of a crash, but all I heard was the ding of the elevator.
When I turned to look, I saw a sleek silver-haired woman step out in a tailored navy suit. Her heels clicked softly against the tile floor as she strode purposefully toward the main entrance. She was nearly there when she stopped short and stared down at the mess.
She stiffened and then turned in my direction. Her gaze settled on the hydrangea.
With a little wince, I called out, "Uh, yeah, that was me. Sorry about that!"
Her eyes narrowed, but she said nothing.
Still, I forced a friendly smile. "But don't worry…I'm gonna clean it up, I promise."
Her mouth thinned as her gaze shifted from me to my battered suitcase. Without a word, she turned away, stepped neatly around the mess, and continued through the door as if I hadn't spoken.
The guy in the suit barely looked. With his eyes trained on me, he said, "If I wanted a delivery, I'd say so."
With everything else, it took me a moment to pick up the threads of our conversation. Right. The coffee. I cleared my throat. "So…not a fetching situation?"
His mouth didn't even twitch. "No."
I looked down, taking stock of my appearance. My thin white shirt had been fresh and clean this morning. Now, it was damp, streaked with dirt, and probably clinging in ways I didn't want to contemplate. Absently, I tried to recall which bra I was wearing.
Could he see that bra now?
At least he couldn't see my panties, not through my jeans, so that was something.
Still, my brow creased in confusion. "Yeah, but just look at me."
"I am."
"And what about you? Your shirt's a total mess. My fault, obviously. But I'm sure you don't want to go anywhere like that."
He didn't even look down. "I'm not worried about the shirt."
"Well, I am." I gave it a nervous glance. "It looks expensive."
"Don't worry, it's not."
Liar. But I didn't say it, because honestly, that seemed a little rude. And let's face it. Expensive to me probably wasn't the same as expensive to him.
"And besides," I added, "I'm sure I'd embarrass you."
"How so?" He gave me a long once-over. "You look pretty civilized to me."
Oh, for God's sake. "I didn't mean the way I'd act. I meant the way I look." And smell. I didn't think I was stinky, but after that sweaty hike through Chicago, I wouldn't bet my life on it. "I'd need to change…and probably shower, too."
He flicked his chin toward the nearby seating area. "Go ahead."
I stared where he'd just looked. "You mean…shower there?"
I sounded like a moron. I knew this.
What was I missing?
Maybe there was something down that short hallway? Like…did the building have a little gym or something?
I was still staring when he replied, "I mean, that's where I'll be waiting."
Oh. Of course. Feeling like a total idiot, I turned to face him. "Sorry, it's been a long day. Normally, I'm not so…" I wasn't even sure how to put it. Moronic?
In front of me, he waited, as if expecting me to finish the thought. But heck if I'd call myself a moron, so in the end, I settled on, "Disoriented."
He shrugged. "So you need caffeine." He didn't phrase it as a question.
He was right. I did need caffeine – desperately. But how would I pay?
I tried to think. Maybe I had a few dollars buried somewhere in my suitcase? Or maybe I didn't. And forget cash. The thought of standing in some coffee shop while my card got declined made my stomach twist with humiliation.
I'd already enjoyed that experience at the hotel.
Plus, my family had always been weird about money. The whole dynamic was stupidly complicated. And secretive, too.
But secrecy wasn't my style, which went a long way in explaining why I didn't quite fit.
Before I could stop myself, I just said it. "I can't, because, well…I'm actually kind of broke."
As soon as I said it, I wanted to take it back. "Not broke, broke," I added. "I just mean…I don't have any cash. And my credit card…it's not working."
This made him frown.
My face burned as I rushed to clarify. "But just so you know, I'm not asking for money. Or help. Or a sandwich. I'm doing fine. I'm just telling you, the coffee thing would be a challenge…at least right now."
His frown deepened. "So I'll buy it."
"Yeah, but that doesn't seem fair. I ruined your shirt."
"So?"
"So the coffee was supposed to make up for it. But if you're the one paying, it defeats the purpose, right?"
"Not if the purpose is something else."
I adjusted my grip on the flower pot. "Like what?"
His gaze flicked to the hydrangea, then to the suitcase, and then back to me. "Call it curiosity."
"What do you mean?"
"It looks to me like you have a story."
I let out a shaky laugh. "Yeah, but not a good one."
"So it's a bad one."
"Maybe a little," I confessed. "But it's not a sob story or anything. I mean, I'm doing fine." I gave a hard swallow. "Honest."
He lifted his wrist and glanced at his watch. "You know what?"
"What?"
"It's almost dinner time."
"Yeah, so?"
"So, how about coffee after dinner?"
My mouth watered at the thought. "Dinner?"
"My treat."
"Yeah, but…I'm not starving or anything, if that's what you think."
And of course, right on cue, my stomach grumbled loud enough to make me a liar.
When he just looked at me, I confessed, "Okay, maybe I'm a little hungry, but it's not like I'm starving in the gutter."
"I know."
Well, that was a relief. Sort of. "But wait…how could you know?"
He glanced around. "No gutters here."
Okay, that was definitely a joke, but he still wasn't smiling.
Suddenly, I was curious too. No. Beyond curious. This guy definitely had a story. And even though I was utterly exhausted, I was dying to hear it.
Plus, who was I kidding?
Whatever his story, I wouldn't mind watching him tell it. Just saying.
Still, I refused to be pathetic. "Yeah…well, I just don't want you to think I'm some kind of charity case, that's all. I mean…I can afford food."
"Me, too," he said. "So, you wanna meet up in thirty?" But then, he held up a finger. "Wait…let's make it forty. I'm expecting a delivery."
So he lived here?
But of course he did – probably in one of the penthouses from the looks of him.
Did he know my sister?
Had they ever dated?
Everybody loved Tessa – guys in particular.
This guy looked incredibly successful, which meant he was exactly Tessa's type. Reluctantly, I asked, "By any chance, do you know Tessa?"
He didn't even blink. "And Tessa is…?"
"My sister."
"Never met her."
I found this hard to believe. Tessa was the kind of girl a guy would definitely notice. "But she lives in this building."
"That doesn't mean I've met her."
"Oh." I glanced toward the elevators. "Yeah…I guess that makes sense."
Undaunted, he said, "So, forty minutes?"
Before I knew it, I had already nodded.
I couldn't even regret it. Today had been a total crap-fest. So was it any wonder I'd grasp at something just the opposite?
And besides, it was only dinner. What's the worst that could happen?
It wasn't until I was already heading up inside the elevator that I realized something odd.
I didn't even know the guy's name.
I hadn't asked.
He hadn't offered.
Stranger still, he hadn't asked for mine.
What was that about?