As soon as three o'clock rolled around, I realized I'd been cruising on the high from the morning for so long, I'd forgotten to eat lunch. Regrettably, the cafe in the office closed, so I needed to figure out something else to eat.

I remembered there was a cute little cafe tucked in the middle of a handful of offices down the block. I checked their website and saw they closed at four. I had just enough time to scurry down there and have a late lunch before I finished my work for the day and headed to pick up Charlie.

Grabbing my coat, I tucked my phone into the pocket and wrapped my scarf snuggly around my neck. The weatherman pissed me off again today when he promised more frigid temperatures that would last until the weekend.

I grabbed the elevator on my floor before its doors closed, heaving a sigh of relief once I realized no one else was in the car. I hated elevators and their mandatory awkwardness. I mean, what do you say when you're in a tight space with a stranger? Usually, I pray my coffee breath won't knock them out—or hope I remembered to put on deodorant in the morning.

Once I reached the first floor, I smiled at the guard and stepped outside. The air assaulted my face, and for a moment, I regretted moving here at all. Then, I remembered the feeling this morning when Leo said he'd chosen us as the firm to represent him. It made the cold air sting a little less, but just a little bit.

I spotted the cafe, Your Cup of Tea, a short distance away, and trudged through the snow and slush toward the brick building. With my hood and scarf bundled up around me, I'd lost my peripheral vision. I could only see straight ahead.

Without warning, my stiletto heel caught in the crack of the sidewalk as I swayed, ready to fall flat on my ass. But someone caught me and broke my fall just in time. I whipped around and stood nose to nose with none other than William. His eyes pierced my soul, and my heart attempted to leap out of my chest.

"William!"

"Oh, it’s you again," he said casually.

Blushing for the hundredth time that day, I swallowed hard. "Thank you."

I stood up straight of my own accord, smoothing out my coat. My subconscious screamed so loudly at me, I couldn't ignore it any longer. "Will you have lunch with me?"

William raised his eyebrows. “You speak English, lady? I already told you no.”

"But I'm just going to the cafe down the street, and I'd love some company."

He was about to decline again; I could tell by the sadness etched into his face.

"Pretty please?”

His gaze softened, and he glanced around. Barely any pedestrians walked the streets. After all, it was still business hours and well past lunch break. Not to mention it was freaking cold out!

"Well, I could use a hot meal," he trailed off.

I grinned broadly, excitement swooping in my stomach.

We walked in silence toward the cafe, where he held the door open for me once we reached its frosty glass door.

"Thank you."

He nodded as he stepped inside behind me. His stench swirled in the air, and I held my breath.

The cafe was cozy and quaint, but precisely what I wanted. Local artwork covered the walls, and smooth jazz crooned from the speakers. Not many people sat at the bamboo tables, but the staff was hustling and bustling behind the counter anyway.

A barista called from the cash register, telling us to sit wherever we liked. Her gaze stopped briefly on William, and while I caught her stare, I hoped he hadn't. The last thing I wanted was him to regret joining me for lunch because some teen couldn't keep her eyes to herself.

"Have you ever been here before?" I questioned curiously.

He furrowed his brows and shook his head.

Duh, Amelia. Don't be so awkward.

"It's my first time, too. What do you think you're in the mood for?"

We sat at a table away from the window, William's choosing. A beautiful cityscape painting hung on the wall next to us. The subtle strokes of pastel acrylics blew my mind. Damn, my new city was pretty.

William continued to study the menu. I wondered what was going through his head. Was he afraid to order? Did he even want anything from this place?

"I'm thinking about a panini," I said, hoping to break the impenetrable silence.

"Me, too," he replied.

The timid waitress popped over to our table with a couple of waters and notepad at the ready to take our orders. We both ordered the steak and mozzarella panini. I noticed the waitress wouldn't make eye contact with either of us. I couldn't technically blame her. I'm sure the scene was confusing: a professional woman in a suit eating lunch with a man wearing two winter coats and a beard that would rival Forrest Gump’s.

Once she walked away rather hurriedly, I drew a blank as what to say next. What exactly do you talk to a homeless man about?

I settled on an easy one, or so I hoped. "So, where are you from?"

"New York City," he said. Reluctantly, he took off his winter coats and wiped a bead of sweat from his brow.

"What a great city!”

William shrugged. "It's okay."

"I'm from Candlebrook," I said. “Not too far from Pittsburgh.”

He nodded but didn't respond.

Fuck, this is isn't going well.

"What brought you here?"

"You’re nosey."

“Well, I’d just like to get to know you is all.” I shrugged.

“But why?”

I hesitated. “Well, to be honest, you kind of remind me of my father.”

William grunted. “Your dad was a bum, too?”

I swallowed. “No, but he had the same sleeping bag as you, and he was also in the military.”

William reached for his dog tags, clutching them in his gritty fingertips.

“Which branch?” I asked.

"Army."

"Thank you for your service, William."

He nodded and finished his Coke.

"I bet you have a lot of stories from your time in the military," I offered enthusiastically.

Again, he nodded with no response. Maybe I shouldn't pry? Maybe something bad happened to him while serving?

The waitress returned with our paninis, a welcome interruption to our conversation, which seemed to be going nowhere.

My mouth watered as I glanced down at my plate. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw William's eyes grow two sizes bigger. I wondered if it was the first warm meal he'd had in a long time. Well, at least since I left him the sandwich. Elation bloomed in my chest as I felt happy to be the one providing it to him.

"This looks so good! Almost too good to eat!"

I peered up to William and saw he'd dug into his panini. A piece of mozzarella cheese dangled from his lip, caught in his beard.

I smiled, took my napkin, and reached to pull the cheese off his mouth. He flinched at my touch, which in turn, caused me to pull back. If anyone were watching us, they'd either be laughing or feeling fucking sad. We’d certainly be the most awkward people they'd ever seen.

"Sorry," I said, shrugging.

"Whatever."

I ate half my panini, and while I could have finished the other half, I saw William's eyes stare at the savory steak and cheese on my plate. "I'm full; do you want the rest of mine?"

"No, thank you."

I shook my head and scraped the rest of my lunch onto his plate. "Eat," I demanded.

Without waiting for his protest, I stood and went to the ladies’ room to freshen up. I walked into the restroom, reapplied my lipstick and put an extra glob of concealer under my eyes. The bags under my soft chestnut-brown eyes were far too noticeable for my liking. I needed to get more sleep.

I walked back into the central part of the cafe and heard fierce arguing erupt over by the table William and I had chosen.

A man in a chef’s hat stood berating William, whose fists were clutched at his sides.

"No loitering! You must leave this instant!"

William stood, his eyes narrowed and his chest heaving. "I'm not loitering, asshole."

The man, whom I assumed to be the manager, yelled back, "Leave now, or I'll call the police."

I rushed to the table and tapped on the manager's shoulder. "Excuse me, but what is going on here?"

The manager, old enough to be my father, huffed and puffed. He looked at me and back to William several times. "This man is homeless. We are not a homeless shelter."

William took a step toward the manager, but I held my arm out to prevent his advance.

"My name is Amelia Montgomery. I'm with Logan and Logan Attorneys at Law. This gentleman is my guest for lunch. He is not loitering, and if you'd like, we can settle this back at my office."

The manager's eyes grew, then he spewed apologies. I held up my hand, indicating for him to stop talking. I turned back to look at William, except he was gone. He'd vanished without a sound. All that he'd left behind was a crumpled five dollar bill.

I grabbed my coat, ignored the manager's continued apologies, and stalked out of the cafe. I looked up and down the block, but William was nowhere to be seen.

Just when I'd convinced him to take a chance and join me for lunch, everything blew up in my face. The high I rode from the morning evaporated, and nausea forced itself upon me. This man, a war veteran no less, didn't deserve that kind of treatment.

I wondered deep down if I'd ever see him again. And, if I did, would he even want to talk to me?

Fuck.