Mae

Try number five got me far closer than my first four, but close enough wasn’t going to get me an A or even a passing grade on my assignment. More importantly, it wouldn’t get me the skills I needed to get out of here and start living the life I wanted.

“Is this seat taken?”

I knew the room was filling and seats were scarce, but I didn’t have to look up to know that the man behind the voice wanted more than a seat. I just needed to focus on my task at hand and call it good. If it had been one of the locals I was constantly pestered by, I probably would have let out the growl building in me, but the voice was new and sounded very unlike the people from around here. If I were to guess, the voice belonged to someone from back east.

“Not interested.” I kept my tone calm and nonchalant. I didn’t want to be rude, especially if he was one of the people who were here for Ms. Gracie.

“I’m Matt.” A hand reached in front of me, pointing to a line of code on my screen. Left hand – no ring. Why was I even looking? I wasn’t interested, except that motion caught my attention and I kind of was. ”It looks like this is the line you need to change. You’re just reassigning the original value instead of passing the new one back.”

Crap on a cracker, how had I not seen that? Of course it was. So simple, and yet hours of my time had been sucked away looking for it, yet he came out of nowhere and with one quick glance solved my problem.

I peered up, catching his green eyes with mine. He was definitely not from around here.

“Thanks. I had been working on that for far too long, and it was so simple.”

“Sometimes you need another set of eyes.” He shrugged, breaking our eye contact, for the first time allowing me to take in the entire person before me. His face was clean shaven, probably due to the funeral, but it highlighted his dimples. I was normally a stubble beard gal, but dimples were my Achilles’ heel. A smile spread across his face as he saw me ogling him. Oh well. It wasn’t like I’d ever see him again. “I’m Matt,” he offered again.

“Sorry I was so rude before.” Truth be told, if he hadn’t looked over my shoulder, I’d have been staring at that screen unsuccessfully for hours. My superhero. “I was trying to get this done and… I just was rude.” There was no excuse for it. Might as well be blunt. He smirked, his hand still reached out, ready for a shake because, being socially awesome, I forgot to actually give him my name. “I’m Mae.”

“No need to apologize.” He shook my hand, warmth spreading up my fingers, his hand slowly lowering to the table. “May I?” He glanced down at our joined hands as if his question were too vague for me to piece together. A slight reddening of his cheeks had me hopeful I had put it there. That I somehow was affecting him as much as he was affecting me. There was just… something about him.

It wasn’t even his flashy clothes or muscular shoulders that even his suit couldn’t hide. It was something more. There was a kindness in his eyes, as well as a strong spirit. Part of me wished he was here permanently so I could get to know him. Of course that would mean saying goodbye once my job prospects increased, so neither was ideal. Maybe a one and done was the way to go. It wasn’t like I could get too attached to him in one night. Right? My heart knew the answer was in the negative, but at that point I could hardly care. His thumb was tracing small circles on my hand, and that had far more than my hand responding.

“Since you’re my knight in white armor for the evening, I insist.”

He smiled at my response.

“Are you here for Ms. Gracie?”

“I am.” His eyes fell. I should’ve known better than to bring up sadness. “You’re not.” He wasn’t asking. Probably because I was dressed in my comfy clothes, something no one would wear to a funeral.

“I never had the pleasure of meeting her. I’m pretty new here,” I offered lamely.

“I thought people only left,” he mused with a slight hand squeeze. Not that I needed a squeeze. Every subtle movement by one of his fingers or his wrist drew my attention away from all else.

“That would be my goal as well.” I tried to keep a teasing intonation to avoid sounding like a whiner. It must have worked because he gave a nod of understanding paired with a smile that could charm just about anyone.

“That explains the coding in a bar on a Friday night.”

“That would be more my sister and her husband are having a date night at home and I didn’t want to be in the way.” And that was the sad state of my life in a nutshell. Hiding in a bar because I had no place to truly call mine.

“I’m glad they did.” He winked. It should have been cheesy and over the top in this day and age, but on him? On him, it worked.

“I kind of am too.” Or was more than anything. Potato, potahto.

“Ready to put your order in?” Jackie appeared out of nowhere. Probably to glean tips, but that was fine. I was hungry.

“Sure.” I didn’t need to tell her what I wanted. My order was always the same. “You want anything Matt?” I tilted my head his way. Jackie had been talking directly to me but staring at him, probably more interested in what was in his wallet than his looks. But given his hotness, his looks certainly didn’t hurt.

“Yes, thank you,” he answered me before turning to Jackie and placing his order. “Burger medium with fries.”

“That comes with mayo, lettuce, and tomato.”

“Sounds perfect.” He nodded in a subtle sign of dismissal.

“It’ll be up in five,” she called over her shoulder, taking his hint.

“So, Mae, tell me, what brings a beautiful girl like you to a town like this?”

“I feel like I’m in a cheesy romantic comedy.” Only this girl wouldn’t getting her happily ever after with the stranger from the bar. She might get a nice night, possibly dinner, but that was that. It was so much better than sitting alone all night.

“So dodging the question?”

“Just an observation.” I took a sip of my remaining, now tepid, beer. “I finished school and wasn’t immediately hired, so I came here to stay with my sister while I figured out the next stop on my journey to employment greatness.”

“That’s why you were doing that coding instead of going out with your friends.” It was nice to see him taking it for what it was and not that I was simply an unemployed loser. Even though, I kind of was. Fine. I totally was.

“I was doing that because I needed to figure it out. It was driving me bonkers and my grade counted on it. I don’t really have friends here. This town kind of keeps to their own.” And why was I spilling my guts exactly? Because he seemed to truly want to know and not asking out of politeness. Not a typical get in your pants kind of conversation; although, if he wanted in he was quickly earning the key.

“Some things never change.”

It was difficult for me to fathom a time where he didn’t make friends easily, but this town was what it was, so maybe. The hurt in his glance told me even if it was a long time ago, it still stung, and this time I found myself squeezing his hand with the hopes of giving comfort.

“Are you from here?”

“I lived here for a while as a kid.”

Ms. Gracie. Of course I should’ve made the connection. It was time to change subjects.

“I won’t push.”

“I appreciate it. Is this all right? ” He looked down at our hands, as if now was the time to ask. He was in agreement on it being subject change time.

“It really is.” Blissful. Comforting. Oddly sexy.

“I like making you do that.” He smirked.

“Do what?”

“Blush.”

And then the blush I didn’t know I had started to burn.

“Don’t waste your time on the town prude.” Creeper Bob stomped over, shouting, catching the attention of far too many people for my liking. “Not worth flirting up a fatty if they aren’t going to put out.”

Because not sleeping with him was a character flaw and not discernment. Asshat.

“I’m fairly confident I neither asked for nor desire your opinion.” Matt spoke calmly, but his eyes told a different tale. “If she rejected you, that only elevates my opinion of her because anyone who picks you has horrific taste.”

“Scram, Bob,” Jackie interjected as she placed my stuffed mushrooms and Matt’s burger in front of us. “No one has time for you. If you keep bothering my customers, I’ll have Steve kick you out.” He took her at her word and walked away, Jackie following closely behind.

“He’s a nice fellow,” Matt teased as he pushed out of the booth.

“His nickname is jerkhead, but you’re entitled to your own opinion.” He sat beside me and indicated I skootch over. “What are you doing?”

“I was coming to sit by you.”

“Why?” I asked, already moving over to make room for him. There was no way I was saying no to that offer.

“Because you want me to.”

I wanted to argue, possibly play a bit coy, but he was right. I wanted him to sit by me and more. So much more. He was only in town for a day or two. What harm could a little fun cause?