It’s Saturday, and one of my part-time employees opened the shop for me. When I step in the door, Kim hustles from the kitchen wiping her hands on her apron. “Olivia, there was a delivery, and also this guy, oh my God, he was the hottest guy I’ve ever seen in my life. He stopped by and left a card. It’s on the counter next to the register.”

Kim is vibrating with excitement bouncing up and down on the balls of her feet with her hands clasped in front of her like a five-year-old on Christmas morning. It must have been Alex, and I’m pretty sure every heterosexual woman alive has this kind of reaction to him.

“What was the delivery?” I ask following her to the counter. My question doesn’t require an answer when I see the enormous bouquet of coral-colored roses sitting on the counter looking incredibly out of place.

I try to avoid Kim’s prying gaze, but it’s impossible. She takes my coat from me and hangs it on a hook behind the counter hustling back to my side when I remove the card from the flowers.

The word desire is the only word written on the card in beautiful calligraphy. I flip it over, nothing. Desire, that’s it? Kim gasps reading it over my shoulder. “Oh my God, that’s so fucking romantic,” she breathes. Kim is an eighteen-year-old senior in high school with a filthy mouth and a heart full of flowers and candy. This girl lives for romance. If she can find a way to major in it in college, I know she will.

“You think? It’s vague if you ask me. Flowers are pretty, though,” I say and walk away like I couldn’t care less that a billionaire sent me three or four dozen roses with a note that says desire.

But I do, and the question is why? My heart is pounding in my chest, and I can feel a blush creeping up my neck. Something deep inside of me makes me feel embarrassed to be longed for, wanted, desired, so publicly. Everyone knows I don’t take dating seriously so getting flowers at work feels wrong, really wrong.

I play it off as no big deal for a whole five minutes before Kim explodes. “Vague? Pretty? Have you lost your damn mind, Olivia? I mean, no disrespect because you’re my boss and all, but if those came from the man who left this…” she says patting the envelope on the counter, “… then you must have some crazy, frigid superpower or something. That man can melt a woman, hell a man, too, for that matter, into a puddle from fifty feet away with just a glance.”

I hold out my hand and wiggle my fingers until she hands me the envelope. Without a word, I open it and find a gift certificate for a spa day inside. The note says, Come in when it’s convenient for you. I’ll pick you up Sunday night at seven. Alex.

“What does it say? Who is he? Are you dating him? Where’d you meet? Holy shit, Olivia, you never date, but when you do, just… wow!”

“I hate to break it to you, but no, we aren’t dating so to speak. He asked me to a New Year’s Eve party, but that’s it. He’s an attorney, he brings his dogs here for grooming, and I’d never seen him in here until the day before yesterday.”

“What’s in the envelope?”

“He wants me to spend the day at his spa before we go out,” I say rolling my eyes, and she groans.

“Why couldn’t I have been working the day he came in? You won the Seattle sexy-ass-man lottery with him for sure.”

I laugh. “That remains to be seen. You can’t judge a book by its cover, Kim, don’t forget that. He might be all sleek and perfect on the outside, but it’s what’s inside that counts.”

“Well, flowers like that…” she says pointing at the enormous bouquet of roses, “… and spa days like that…” she points at the envelope in my hands, “… are romantic as hell. I don’t think a guy would go to all that trouble if he wasn’t like, super interested, ya know?”

“Things like this…” I say holding up the envelope and gesturing toward the flowers, “… are nothing to a man like Alex Wolfe. A quick phone call to the florist and the spa is all the effort this took. He probably didn’t even do it. I’ll bet he had a personal assistant handle it all.”

“I bet his personal assistant didn’t come up with desire for the card, though.”

She has a point. “Okay, okay, enough billionaire deliberating. We have work to do.”

“Aw,” she says sticking out her bottom lip in a pout.

“No pouting, where are we on baking so far?” I ask guiding her back into the kitchen. We spend a busy Saturday helping a lot more customers than I had expected for this time of year. Five o’clock rolls around fast. I’m finally dragging my tired butt to my car carrying the giant bouquet of roses that Alex sent when I see Lilly out of the corner of my eye standing across the street watching me. When she realizes she’s been caught, she pulls her gray coat around her tights and hustles down the street.

I stuff the roses in the front seat and hurry around to get in the car and lock the doors. I take out my phone to text Alex.

Me – Before our date, I need to clear something up.

I don’t wait five seconds for a reply.

Alex – Meet me at Jay’s in fifteen minutes.

What? I didn’t want to meet with him. I only wanted to ask what’s going on with his ex-girlfriend and why she is stalking me.

Me – That’s not necessary. I just want to talk on the phone. Are you available to call now?

Alex – Jay’s. Fifteen minutes.

I growl and hit my steering wheel. That’s not what I want to do. I’m not interested in a drink at the bar down the street. I want to go home, get off my feet, and crawl into my warm, snuggly bed to watch Netflix with Jacob and some Chinese takeout.

I debate whether or not I should argue with him or just run down the street to Jay’s. He’s not one to take no for an answer. I know that very well already, but I don’t like being told what to do. I check my rearview mirror to see if Lilly is still around. She’s not, but she can’t be far away. Maybe I could just find her and ask her myself? But what if she’s dangerous? I’ve just caught her spying on me. She might not take well to being approached about it.

As much as I don’t like Alex’s demand, I decide it’s easier than arguing or getting stabbed in the gut by some clingy ex-stalker. It only takes a minute to get to Jay’s from my shop, and I don’t feel like having a drink while I wait the fifteen minutes for Alex. I turn on the engine and warm up my car before driving it one block down and parking in front of Jay’s.

I’m considering a quick nap when I hear a rap on my window and jump. I turn and find Alex staring at me through the foggy window with a concerned expression. He cocks his head toward the entrance of Jay’s, and I cut the engine. He opens the door for me taking my hand to help me out, which is unnecessary, but nice.

“Are you all right?” he asks sounding far too concerned like he’s been expecting something terrible to happen, and it may have.

“I’m fine, just tired. I worked all day.”

He does a quick head to toe of me, and when he’s satisfied that I still have ten fingers and ten toes, he places his hand on the small of my back and guides me to the door. The heat from his hand permeates through my thick down jacket right to my skin, and it feels like heaven on this cold evening.

Inside, it’s dark, and it takes my eyes time to adjust, but Alex doesn’t seem affected as he continues to guide me with his hand to a table in the very back against the wall.

He turns to me and unbuttons my coat helping me off with it and draping it over the back of a chair. He does this in such a casual manner that it doesn’t feel as weird as it should. I haven’t had someone remove my coat that way since I was a child, and even then, I can only remember my mother doing it once or twice.

“Sit. What would you like to drink?” he asks.

“I’m not in the mood to drink, thanks. I just wanted to talk to you about something. You didn’t have to come all the way over here. We could have spoken on the phone.”

“It sounded important, and I don’t like talking on the phone. I didn’t come far, I was working close by.” We sit, and he motions to the waitress. When she sees him, she moves at the speed of light to get to our table.

“Hi, my name’s Greta, what can I get for you tonight?” the pretty blonde waitress says in a flirty tone directly to Alex and ignoring me completely.

“Olivia?” he says to me completely ignoring her, and that makes me smile.

“Just a Coke, please,” I say smiling up at her pouty, disappointed face.

“Same,” Alex says before she can turn her charm back on him again. He has all but dismissed her by keeping his gaze on me causing her to walk away irritated.

“I’m not drinking my Coke, and I suggest you don’t either,” I say.

His eyebrows shoot up, and he leans back to unbutton his suit jacket. “Why is that?”

“She’s probably back there spitting into our glasses as we speak. Are you always so dismissive?”

“Only when someone flirts inappropriately. Are you always so suspicious?”

“Only when a woman has been blatantly dissed.”

“Blatantly dissed?” he says stretching out the words like they’re foreign.

“Yeah, you shut her down faster than a fat kid eats cake.”

There’s a pause before he throws his head back and laughs, and I love the sound of it. From what I know so far, Alex is a reserved man. He doesn’t seem like the type to laugh out loud in public much.

“You’re witty,” he says when he’s finished laughing.

“Uh, thanks, I think. I wasn’t trying to be, but if you say so.”

“I do say so because it’s true. Now, tell me what you need clearing up before our date tomorrow night?” He crosses his arms on the table and leans forward. Like an invisible force has been activated, I do the same.

“You used to date Lilly Foxworth, right?” His face pales, and I feel like he wants to sit back and move away from me, but he forces himself to stay put.

“I did, but what does she have to do with this?”

“She was in my shop yesterday. I didn’t know who she was, and she didn’t seem to need anything, but when she saw the dogs, she knew they were yours, and she left crying.”

“For Christ’s sake,” he says giving in to the urge to relax back into his seat. “I’m sorry, I don’t know what’s going on with her. We haven’t been together for a while now years, and all of a sudden, she’s popping up everywhere.”

“Everywhere?”

He sighs. “Yes. I bumped into her at the country club twice last month. I noticed her outside the office a couple of times, and just this week, she was at the same restaurant as me.”

“I also saw her on the street before I came to meet you. I think you may have a problem. When was the last time you saw her before all that?”

“A year at least.”

“What do you think is going on?”

“I don’t know. I was her first real boyfriend. We met at a social function her parents were having, a benefit for cancer research. The age difference put me off at first, but it turned out she’s not as young as she looks. Anyway, we dated for three years, but she wanted more than I was willing to give at the time, and I let her go. I felt guilty keeping her around when I had no intention of ever making a life with her.”

“How old is she?”

“Twenty-five.”

“Any history of mental illness?” I ask cringing inwardly. It’s an invasive question, and I hardly know this man, but something has to be making this woman switch gears as she has.

“No, none.” The way he says this leads me to believe he’s had her background thoroughly searched.

“Well, she’s creeping me out. I’m concerned that if I go on this date with you, she’s going to be a frequent flyer at the Bark Avenue Bone Bakery, and I don’t need to be worrying about crazy window shoppers with a grudge, you know?”

“Consider the problem solved. There’s nothing to worry about now that you’ve brought it to my attention. I’ll have it taken care of.”

At this exact moment, our waitress walks by carrying our drinks. She hears Alex’s threatening words and continues to the kitchen where I’ll bet she pours us two new Cokes, minus the spit.

“Wasn’t that our waitress?” he asks cocking his head to the side watching her retreat.

“Yep. She heard you talking about having someone taken care of. She probably figured she better give us fresh spit-free drinks so that she will make it home in one piece tonight.” I laugh, and he looks horrified which makes me laugh harder.

For such an intimidating man, he doesn’t seem to realize how scary he can come off. I see him as intense, but I can understand where his stern, sharp looks and the I’m all business air he has about him could come off as frightening.

Moments later, she returns setting our glasses on the table glancing between us. “Will either of you be needing a menu?” she asks in a much more professional tone of voice. I shake my head.

“No, thank you,” Alex says, and she leaves quickly. I giggle again, and he strokes his chin between his fingers. “Am I that bad?”

I scrunch up my top lip and cock my head to the side trying to look sympathetic. “Yeah, kind of.”

“I thought I was more approachable than that.”

“Under different circumstances you are.”

“Like?”

“Like when you walked into my store. You didn’t scare me one bit.”

“I didn’t?”

“No, you were a perfect gentleman until you stole my phone and put your phone number in it without me knowing.”

“I wasn’t leaving without your phone number.”

“Why didn’t you just ask for it?”

“Because I sensed a giant chip on that lovely shoulder of yours, and I was quite sure you would have told me to go screw myself.”

A smile spreads across my face. “Have you been researching me or something? Because that’s exactly what I was going to say.”

“A little, but at that point, I didn’t know enough.”

“A little? What, you’ve been doing a background check on me?”

“You seem to have done some digging on my end as well, it’s only fair.”

“But you didn’t know that until just now.”

“What difference does that make? You have to be careful these days, Olivia. Don’t trust people you don’t know.”

“Like you?”

“Stop it. You know what I mean.”

“No, I don’t know what you mean. I don’t know you other than you’re a successful lawyer with three Siberian Huskies and a big ego.”

“You know that I am generous. I’m taking you to the best NYE party in town. Attentive, I came immediately when you had a problem. Compassionate, I own, care for, and love three animals. Disciplined, I’m in excellent physical condition. And intelligent, I chose you to ask on a date.”

He has me there. He’s all of that and much more, but I’m not admitting that to him.

“And you’re bossy, don’t forget that.”

“I am not bossy. I’m authoritative, commanding even, but not bossy.”

“Hmm, I guess if that’s what helps you sleep at night.” I rest my elbows on the table and cradle my face in my hands to mock him with my eyes. A smirk appears when he lifts one corner of his perfectly shaped mouth, and I feel an ache between my legs. Images flash in my mind of me crawling across the table and straddling him in his chair, grinding on him, kissing him. Oh my God, I need to stop!

“You’re sassy when you want to be, aren’t you?”

“I’m not sassy. Sarcastic, yes. I’ll cop to that.”

“Sarcastic as well. Yes, I agree. I hate to wrap this up because there is nothing I’d rather do than spend the evening with you and your sassy, sarcastic mouth, but I was in a meeting that I have to return to. I’ll see you tomorrow night at seven.” He stands gracefully buttoning his jacket before rounding the table to kiss me first on the cheek and then as if he can’t resist, his lips cover my mouth. His hands cradle my face as he deepens the kiss and then bam, he pulls away straightening out and leaving me panting and breathless.

He smiles, and I blink up at him dumbfounded and stunned.

“I’m glad to know I can quiet that gorgeous mouth with a kiss. I wonder how many other ways I’ll find to do the same?” he says and strolls out of the pub.

The waitress walks by rolling her eyes as his words repeat over and over in my head. How many other ways will he find to quiet my gorgeous mouth? Yeah, I’m in way over my head with this man. Way over.