3. Olivia #2
I fidgeted with my glass. I didn't really know this man. He was a colleague. Sharing why Maria made these smoothies for me would be crossing a line.
“I’m sure you don’t want to hear my smoothie sob story.” I brushed him off, hoping he’d drop it.
His eyes burned into mine as he waited. The server brought our cannoli, setting it down in front of us. He thanked her, but didn’t take his eyes off me, just sat patiently waiting for an explanation.
After a few moments, I couldn’t take it anymore and cracked.
“Okay,” I sighed. It looked like I wasn't getting out of this. “Well… when I was a kid, my dad owned a garage and used to work long hours. So to try to spend more time with me, he’d take me with him while he picked up cars and parts, went to auctions and junkyards. He knew they weren’t the most fun activities for a little girl, so he always got me a treat at the ice cream shop next to his garage before we left—banana mango ice cream pops. ”
He watched me with rapt attention. This story was far from interesting, but his expression bordered on fascination.
“I guess it was always sort of a memory of him that stuck. When he died, I must have mentioned it to Maria one night after too much wine and ever since, whenever I’m here, these banana mango smoothies show up.
They add spinach to them because Tony says I need to eat food that doesn’t involve cheese. ”
He nodded his head slowly, apparently satisfied with my explanation.
“I’m sorry about your dad.”
“Thank you.” The air was thick. I wasn’t sure exactly what the emotion sitting between us was. It didn’t feel like pity. Maybe understanding? Maybe curiosity? Whatever it was, it was sinking deep into my bones and making me squirm.
I didn’t want to talk about my dad. Lucas was a coworker who shouldn’t have to feel anything about me having lost a parent. I definitely didn’t want to be on the brink of tears in Anthony’s pizza shop sitting across from an Alessi.
“Well! I should go back and say hello to Maria. Thanks for meeting us here.” I grabbed my things and quickly shuffled out of the booth, giving him a tight smile as I scurried away like a coward.
When I reached the kitchen, I stood inside the swinging doors and took a deep breath, as if I’d just surfaced from underwater. Maria eyed me from a worktable where she was making what looked like a batch of tiramisu.
“Care to tell me why you look like you just escaped a hostage situation?”
Because that’s what it felt like.
“It’s nothing. Helen and I met with the builder of her new house and it just put me a little on edge. You know, being around someone so influential in the industry.”
Not a lie.
Not the whole truth, either.
Lucas Alessi did put me on edge, but the majority of the reason had to do with his piercing stares and, today, that gray t-shirt.
I wasn’t fooling Maria for a second. She’d obviously peeked. She had a radar for attractive men and was not usually quiet about her assessments .
“Oh, sweetie. It’s not that man’s influence that has you flustered,” she teased.
“Maria, please. Yes, he’s an attractive man, but I’m perfectly capable of having a professional relationship with an attractive man.”
She eyed me with a knowing smile.
“Of course you are, Liv. You’re a professional woman with a wonderful career.”
I felt like a toddler whose mom was placating them so they would put their shoes on or eat their dinner. It made me want to stomp my feet and insist I definitely was not swooning over Lucas Alessi. Instead, I took a deep breath.
“Right. Well. I just wanted to say hi quickly, but I really should get back to work.”
She wiped her hands on her apron and came around the table to give me a loose hug so she didn’t get me dirty.
“Stop by for dinner later this week so we can actually chat. It looks like you’ve left some important details out of your big project that you’ll need to catch me up on.”
I narrowed my eyes at her and shook my head.
“Bye Maria!” I called over my shoulder to the sound of her chuckling.
I started back through the restaurant and stopped in my tracks when I saw Lucas still sitting at the booth. I’d expected him to be gone, but there he sat, answering emails on his phone like some Greek statue carved in the honor of blue collar workwear.
When he glanced up from his phone, his eyes found me and tracked me back to the table. It was all I could do to maintain steady breaths. His eyes were burning through me with an intensity that said a lot, but nothing professional.
“I thought you’d have left,” I stammered.
“That would be rude. We arrived together.”
“Well, we didn’t arrive together . We arrived at the same time. And this was just a business meeting.”
“Okay, then, as a colleague , I would not leave without making my exit known.”
I rolled my eyes as he unfolded himself from the small booth.
“Okay colleague , consider your exit duly noted.”
We walked side by side toward the exit. I was painfully aware of how his body moved, the extra height his boots gave him, and how impossibly long his legs looked. Refocusing, I waved goodbye to Tony and promised to return later this week.
Our exit through the door mirrored our entrance.
Again, Lucas’s hand hovered near my lower back.
Again, heat traveled from that non-touch all the way through my body.
Except this time, as I passed, Lucas bent down near my ear and said softly, “You did a great job on the plans, Angel. Congratulations.”
My eyes snapped to his face, searching his expression.
For what, I wasn’t sure. Proof of sincerity?
A motive? A clue as to why my new colleague had just issued praise that had made my core tighten and my pulse race.
His face remained stoic, giving me no context.
He simply straightened and turned toward his truck parked on the opposite side of the parking lot.
“Goodbye, Ms. Dawson. Call the office if you need anything before our next scheduled meeting.” He spoke over his shoulder as he walked away.
Like nothing had happened.
Like he hadn’t just completely knocked me off my axis.
I was still standing there when he opened his door and got behind the wheel of his pickup truck.
My feet and every other part of my body were absolutely frozen in place.
From inside his truck, he gave me a pointed glare that clearly said, I’m not leaving until you get in your car .
I blinked three times, took a deep breath, and hurried to my car without looking back.
Once inside, I sat trying to regulate my breathing.
While I tried to get a grip on my heart rate, my phone dinged from my bag. The sharp noise cleared the fog of confusion and lust from my mind enough for me to reach over and check the text.
Lucas Alessi
Lock your doors.
My eyes immediately darted to my mirror to find him still in his parking space. I slowly reached toward my door panel and pressed the lever to lock all the doors. He nodded and pulled down on his gear shifter, pulling away.
What the hell was that?