Chapter 19
It’s a gloomy Saturday, a dull haze over everything, but it feels amazing to shoot the shit with Mar again as we feel the wind in our hair.
After the ride we park our bikes at our coffee spot and grab a couple stools that overlook the river. “So tell me the latest and greatest Ozzie-ism,” I say.
“Oh, this one’s a doozy,” she says, with a dark chuckle. Then she pushes up her sunglasses and her eyes go wide as she looks over my shoulder. “Holy…I shit you not,” she breathes. “Ellis is here.”
Of course he is. I turn, and my gaze lands on him immediately—standing in line. With Daniel. Both are in dirty carpenter pants, T-shirts, and baseball caps. They look sweaty. And handsome.
Nothing about this is going to be easy, I guess. “He’s with Daniel.” My voice is equally low. Pained.
Marcella gasps and turns so dramatically that other people look where she’s looking. There is absolutely no way I am leaving this interaction with even a scrap of dignity intact.
“Holyyyyy shit. That’s him?” Her voice is no longer quiet, her jaw practically scraping the floor. “Happy birthday to you.”
“An embarrassment of riches, I am aware,” I say with a suppressed laugh at her expression.
Daniel glances over then does a double take. He waves.
Shit. I wave back with a smile and try to look relaxed when Ellis turns as well. Our eyes meet and his smile is tight. After they order, they walk over to us.
“Hey,” Daniel says with a grin.
“Hi, guys,” I say, trying to avoid looking at Ellis again.
“Hey, Cassia. Marcella,” Ellis says, comfortable like he always is.
“Hi, Ellis,” she says with so much chipperness that I try not to wince. “Lovely day for rolling around in the dirt, it seems?”
They laugh. Daniel says, “We’re doing a site visit because a bunch of our plants and trees were just installed. Helping out a bit with watering and all that.”
“How’s it going?” I ask, trying my damnedest to act normal.
“Good, good,” Daniel says, quickly. He throws a little glance between me and Ellis, and I know that he knows. Then he holds his hand out to Marcella. “Hello, I’m Daniel.”
“Marcella, nice to meet you.” She smiles at him like he’s handed her a million dollars.
Ellis does a quick visual sweep over me—head to toe. I’m in very utilitarian yellow Patagonia baggy shorts and a white ribbed tank, but I flush under his gaze. Then he says, “Not too traumatized for this ride, again?”
I can’t help but smile. “Still traumatized but somehow back in the saddle.”
He nods, not following my playful tone. “Great. I’m glad you’re healed.”
Marcella makes a sound next to me that sounds too much like an “aw,” and I resist elbowing her. Daniel looks at me curiously. “Were you hurt?”
“Yeah, a few weeks ago I had a fall off my bike. That’s how I met Ellis, actually.” My eyes flit over to him and he’s suddenly busy looking at the menu on the board. “He called for help and kept me calm.”
There’s an awkward pause and then their drinks are called out, thank god. Marcella gives me a look, and I have no idea what she’s trying to relay to me. When they’re both out of earshot, she leans over and whispers, “Hey, shouldn’t you do the thing?”
“What thing?” I whisper back, so flustered by this entire situation that I’ve shredded my napkin into smithereens.
“Halmoni told me about Operation Meet-Cute. You need to ask Daniel—”
But they’re walking back and she slams her mouth shut with a panicked smile.
“There’s the restoration section we’re in charge of,” Daniel says, pointing to the river where orange cones and tape set off a large patch of concrete and greenery. “Hopefully, in a few weeks, there will be a nice walkable path and park that you can hang out in after popping in here for a coffee.”
“That’ll be so nice,” Marcella says. “The L.A. River has always been depressing af. When I first moved here, I couldn’t believe that trickle was considered a river.”
“Where are you from?” Ellis asks.
“Minnesota,” Marcella answers. “Land of a billion lakes.”
“I quite like Minnesota,” says Daniel, his eyes still on the restoration site. “The nicest people on earth.”
“Yeah, you have to be nice to live there so I was booted out,” Marcella says with a devilish grin. “Snagged myself a guy first, though. What the Midwest lacks in warm weather it makes up in good husbands.”
Daniel chuckles. “That should be on the travel brochures.”
I laugh then and he looks at me quizzically. “What?”
“Travel brochures. Do you read a lot of those?”
We hold an amused glance for a bit before Marcella says, “This restoration project is huge. A pretty big coup for your firm, yeah?”
Daniel nods. “It really is. Especially for one so young like ours.”
“Dan’s being incredibly modest,” Ellis says with a grin. “It’s really unusual for a firm like ours to get the project. But Daniel’s a star.”
I look at Daniel curiously and can see it. He’s charming and a bit dazzling—but there’s steeliness under the slick exterior. This man gets it done.
He shakes his head, embarrassed. “Let’s not exaggerate. I have great employees, too.” Then he glances down at his watch. “We’ve got to head back. Enjoy your Saturday, ladies,” Daniel says, putting his sunglasses on, his teeth white and straighter than anything.
Ellis nods and pulls his cap down lower onto his head. “Good seeing you.”
“You, too,” I say, holding up my coffee. “Good work. Lads.”
I turn and mutter, “Shut up, don’t say anything,” to Marcella before she can.
“Okay, I won’t.” A pause and then, “You’re so fucked, my friend.”
I’m about to agree when Daniel jogs back up to us. “Forgot to ask for a sleeve,” he says, sheepishly holding up his paper cup. “I’m a bit precious about holding hot coffee cups.”
The confession knocks something inside my chest. I can’t help but say, “Don’t want to mess up those hands of yours.” An awkward silence passes in which I swear to god Marcella is about to pass out from holding in her laughter. “Since, you…draw for a living?”
“Oh, yes, that,” he says, in this level tone that I can’t quite read.
When he goes up to the counter for his sleeve, Marcella pushes me forward.
“What—!”
“Go,” she says. “Ask him to the event. When else will you see him?”
Damn it. I was hoping to wait but she’s right, this is actually the perfect time. Fate is, yet again, forcing my hand.
I stand next to Daniel at the counter, pretending to grab some napkins. “For my runny nose,” I say before I can think. Real hot-girl behavior, Cass.
“Ah,” he says. “It’s nippy out today.”
“Mm-hmm. Nippy.” I keep taking napkins. Please dear god, someone stop me. I can practically see Halmoni’s furious face. “So, Daniel. Are you single?”
He almost drops his coffee. “Yes? That is, yes.”
“Great! I mean, great-ish. My matchmaking agency is actually having a really big event next weekend. It’s going to be at LACMA, our big mingling event all wrapped up in art gala packaging. If you’re interested, I can send you an invite.”
He’s concentrating on putting the sleeve over his paper cup, as if it’s a task that requires surgical precision. Then, he says, “Yeah, that sounds killer. Should I…extend the invitation to other single people I know?” With that pointed question, he looks at me.
I shake my head. “Sorry, it’s a pretty exclusive event.”
“How did I make the cut?” His mouth hitches up at the side.
I hold up my hand and wiggle my fingers. “You’re a normal single man over the age of thirty. A unicorn, check.” I fold down my thumb. “You work in the arts. Check. You…” I pause. “You’re easy on the eyes.” I hold eye contact with him. “Check.”
He goes still then holds his available hand out. “Let me give you my contact info, then.” Smooth and unbothered.
After he taps his number into my phone, he slips it back into my shorts pocket for me. It’s a little too familiar but also…it’s good. “Looking forward, Cassia.”
Things have officially been set into motion.