Chapter 17

A fresh batch of mini strawberry shortcakes stare up at me from the glass display counter. I haven’t made them in a while, and they look amazing and I’m dying to eat one. It’s never good business sense to eat your own inventory, especially when then shop is busy like it is now, so I hold back and tell myself that if there’s any left over by five, then I’ll eat one.

I love busy days at the bakery. We’ve already earned over a thousand dollars and it’s still a few hours until closing. These days are the best, because any extra money I earn after paying the bills goes right into my retirement account. I hope to retire when I’m young enough to enjoy my life and travel and do fun things, and maybe even keep the bakery open but just hire people to run it for me. That would be the life.

The door opens and I glance over, putting on my friendly customer service smile, only to realize a moment later that the guy who just entered isn’t a customer. Disappointment swallows me up, and I feel bad about it. I wasn’t expecting him, but I guess I should have. I invited him here, after all.

It’s Thursday. My coffee date.

Lee walks up to me with his hands in the pockets of his jeans, his face in full on bashful little kid mode. Geez, would it kill him to at least pretend to be confident?

“Looks like you’re pretty busy,” he says instead of a hello. “Do you want to reschedule?”

Yes, let’s reschedule for never, I think. But I shake my head. I’d promised Livi and myself that I’d give this guy a chance. So when I told him we should have coffee at my bakery, I can’t just back out or get upset when he actually shows up. I planned this little date, after all. I need to see it through.

“Livi and Keesha can take care of the place,” I say with a smile so fake it’s making my cheeks hurt. “What kind of coffee do you like?” I ask, gesturing toward the menu with all of our options.

“Just regular drip coffee is fine,” Lee says. He rubs his neck and then touches his hair and it’s like the picture perfect example of how people act when they’re nervous. It’s kind of cute, I guess, if I’m the reason he’s nervous. Maybe he likes me more than he’s letting on.

Today he’s wearing a black button up shirt with jeans, only his long sleeves aren’t rolled up, which is a shame, because manly forearms are one of the sexiest parts on a guy.

“Want anything to eat?” I ask as I grab a cup and fill it with coffee for him.

“What do you recommend?” He glances over the array of baked goods under the glass display counter.

“The strawberry shortcake,” I say, seizing my opportunity to eat one even though I shouldn’t.

“Sounds great,” he says, and pigs must be flying outside because Lee actually smiles at me. It’s a good smile, too. Glad to see the guy has some personality.

I take two of the shortcakes and make myself a coffee and then we settle into a table at the back corner of my bakery.

“Thanks for inviting me,” Lee says as soon as we sit down.

“Thank you for meeting with me at work,” I say, feeling a little bad about the whole thing. “I’m just so busy and it’s hard to find time to do anything.”

That’s my excuse, and my brilliant plan. I figured if I asked him to have coffee with me while I’m at work then I’m not really losing any valuable time. If we click and I end up liking him the way Livi thinks I will, then great. We can date like normal. But if it’s not a romantic love connection then I’ve already built myself an easy out. I’ll just say I’m so busy with my business that I can’t date right now. It’s the perfect plan.

Livi had winked at me as we walked by her to our table, and now, I see her watching me from behind the cash register. She sees me looking at her and gives me another wink and a thumbs up. The girl is so excited that I feel obligated to like Lee. But I know she’ll respect whatever happens between us. I think she just still feels indebted to me for introducing her to Mason and she’s trying to repay the favor. That’s another reason I feel really bad about all of this. I wouldn’t be giving Lee a chance if not for Livi. Now I’m just bundled up in obligation and sipping coffee with a guy who barely talks.

I take a bite of my strawberry shortcake that I can totally eat now that I have a good excuse. At least something good has come from this awkwardness. “So, are you from around here?”

Lee shakes his head. “I’m from New Orleans. My whole family moved here after Katrina.”

“Oh, wow,” I say. I remember that hurricane and how devastating it was. Even parts of Texas flooded and were destroyed, although New Orleans got the worst of it. “Is your family okay?”

He nods. “We lost our house, but the insurance paid out and we relocated to Texas. I thought about going back, but I really like it here. Texans are nicer people.”

I chuckle. “We do have that whole southern hospitality thing going for us.”

“Are you from here?” he asks.

“Born and raised,” I say. “That explains why I’m so boring as to grow up and build a business in my hometown.”

“That’s not boring,” he says, and he’s just trying to be nice, because it is boring. But as far as I’m concerned, my hometown is the best.

I shrug. “It’s okay. I like my little town. We’re close enough to the big city but far enough away to avoid all of the traffic and pollution.”

“That’s for sure. Houston traffic is the worst.”

Oh God. Now we’re talking about traffic? This is so not a good first date. Our conversation is dryer than Arizona, and even though my strawberry shortcake is delicious, I’m just ready for this whole thing to be over.

Lee is a nice guy, and I know he means well, but there’s no spark. Maybe I wouldn’t have noticed the lack of fireworks between us if I hadn’t met Gabe. But I did meet Gabe, and now I know what it’s like to instantly connect with someone on every level: physically, mentally, and intimately.

Anything less than that raw attraction just feels like a waste of time. I’m trying with Lee, I really am, but if I don’t feel anything between us, how can it ever work?

Lee is very complimentary about the food and coffee. He tells me like ten times how good it is, but I think it’s because he’s so painfully awkward that he doesn’t know what else to say. I ask him a few more questions just to keep the conversation going, but I don’t care about any of his answers. When I spent hours talking to Gabe, I had been fascinated by everything he said. Even the boring stuff like where he went to college and how many years his parents have been married- all of that was interesting to me. I also just liked hearing him talk. He has a gravelly voice that could lull me to sleep every night and wake me up every morning.

“Alexa?”

I jump, realizing Lee is watching me with a confused expression. “Sorry,” I say quickly. “What’d you say?”

“I asked if you’ve seen the new Marvel movie.”

Now we’re talking about movies? I guess I really zoned out for a while. I think about his question, and no, I haven’t seen the movie, but if I tell him that then he will most definitely ask me to go see it with him. It’s already been thirty minutes of coffee and dessert and I just don’t think I can stand any more time alone with this boring guy.

“Oh, um,” I say, trying to buy time but it’s pointless. There’s really only one way to answer a question like that. Maybe I should tell him that I have seen the movie, and hope he doesn’t have any questions about it. Livi appears in front of us, an awkward smile on her face. A million problems flash through my mind, things that could go wrong with my bakery that would make her come get me from my date. Did the computer crash again? Is there a fire in the kitchen? Did a customer complain about something?

“What’s wrong?” I say. There’s this evil part of me that kind of hopes there’s a fire in the kitchen because that would be the perfect excuse to end this date immediately.

“Nothing,” she says brightly. “Could I borrow you for a quick minute? I have, a um, person here to talk to you.”

There’s something in the way she says it that’s totally weird, but I can’t pinpoint why. Livi isn’t known for being deceiving, but it sure seems like she’s hiding something.

“Sure,” I say, slowly. I glance behind her, and toward the front counter. She’s probably lying, and trying to get me out of my bad date. Maybe that’s why she’s acting weird and making up something about a person being here to see me. It’s just a diversion to rescue me. Oh, bless her. She’s the best friend ever.

Then my eyes land on someone who is standing at the front of the bakery. He’s tall and drop-dead gorgeous, wearing dark jeans and a maroon shirt that does have the sleeves rolled up to reveal his sexy forearms.

And he’s looking right at me.