Chapter 4

“So… you remembered my name.” That sounded awkward, why did I say that?

“I never forget a pretty girl’s name.”

He certainly didn’t lack for confidence but his comment had my heart dancing.

“Do I get to know your name?” I asked, fiddling with my stir stick.

“Of course. It’s Jay…”

Was he done? He didn’t sound done. Did he forget his name?

“Jay?” I repeated.

“Yes,” he said, sounding surprised.

“Nice to meet you, Jay. I’m Abbie White.”

“Yes, I’m Jay, Jay Mc…”

“Jay Mickle?”

“Yes, Jay Mickle.” This was a strange conversation.

“I feel like Judy Garland in The Clock,” I said.

“Except you tripped over a chair, not me. And you didn’t break your heel.”

“I…” I was speechless. How did he know that movie? No one knew that movie.

He smiled at me, holding my eyes in his.

“You’re a fan of old movies?” I finally said.

“My mother watched them endlessly when I was growing up.”

I sucked on the rim of my coffee cup, looking at him. Pondering.

Normally people look at me with blank faces when I make a reference to one.

* * *

I glanced at my watch. Holy cow, we’d been talking for an hour. Calvin would freak. Fingers crossed, Sam came up with a convincing story to cover for me.

“Is everything okay?” Jay asked.

“Yes, it’s just I have a real hard ass for a boss, and he’s going to freak on me for being late.”

Jay shook his head, “Don’t worry about him.” How could he say that? I had a mortgage to try to keep up with. I was sure Calvin would put this on my record. I was convinced he was building a case against me to get me fired.

“You sure must have a nice boss with a comment like that.”

He laughed. “I don’t have a boss.”

“What do you mean you don’t have a boss?” My comment seemed to surprise him, and he sat up straighter.

“No, I don’t have a job.”

“You don’t have a job?” What kind of person doesn’t have a job? It wasn’t like he was old enough to be retired. But it did explain his lax attitude about my job. He probably got fired from his last job for laziness. But it didn’t matter what he did for a one-night stand, as long as he satisfied me.

“No, I’m, um, between jobs right now.”

“Oh, then why are you hanging out downtown?”

“You know, job interviews.”

“What time is your interview? I don’t want you to be late because of me.”

“Don’t worry, I have time. I like to come good and early.”

“What’s the interview for?”

“IT stuff. Nothing exciting.”

“Good luck. I’m sorry, I really have to get to work.” I really, really didn’t want to go to work.

“I hate to lose your company while I wait. Are you doing anything Friday?”

“No.”

“How about dinner? My treat?” He just asked me out. I had to pinch myself under the table to make sure I wasn’t in my bed masturbating.

“I’d love to. What time and where?”

“Meet me at Dish at eight on Friday.” Wow, he must not have been out of work long if he was going to spring for Dish.

“Sounds perfect.”

I stood, my face beaming with excitement. He stood beside me, so close it caused butterflies to flutter around in my chest. He smelled incredible, of crisp white sheets that made me want to bury my face in him and drink in his scent all day long.

“We should exchange phone numbers, in case anything comes up.”

“Good idea.” My thumbs flew over my phone to open my ‘create new contact’ screen, and I typed in Jay Mickle, waiting for him to tell me his number.

“Just a second, Abbie. I never remember my number and it always takes me a minute to figure out how to see my number.”

Was this guy serious? Who didn’t know how to see their own number? And what kind of IT guy didn’t know to look under ‘me’ in the contacts? Oh well, he was hot and fun to talk to and that was all that matters.

“Why don’t I tell you mine, Jay, and you can text me, then I’ll have yours?”

“Good idea.”

My phone beeped with his text, and I added him to my contacts.

“Great, it’s been lovely meeting you, Jay. I’ll see you Friday.”

“I look forward to it,” he said, his smile so broad and genuine my insides melted.

He held the door open for me. We went to go our separate ways and after a few steps I turned to him and called, “Good luck in your job interview.”

His brow furrowed for a second before he said, “Thanks.”