Page 12 of Keeping Katie
“No. I can’t. I talked to Chloe. We’ve planned for another night later this week.”
His jaw flexes, and he gestures to the plate again. I roll my eyes but take another bite, surprised by how hungry I am. Normally, I don’t eat in the morning. Coffee is my go-to.
“That displeases me. Did you find out what improvements need to be done to your parents’ house?”
I drop the fork with a clatter and start coughing. “That displeases you? What does that even mean?”
Who says ‘displeases’?
“Exactly what it sounds like. I’m unhappy that you’re not coming to dinner. You didn’t answer my question.”
What question? I can’t keep track of anything that’s happening right now. Chloe’s words suddenly replay in my mind.
I think he just fell in love.
There’s no freaking way Grady is at all interested in me. He’s him, and I’m me. We exist on different planets. Also, we just met yesterday.
I don’t even know his last name.
“It’s O’Brien.”
“Huh?” My head is spinning.
The corners of his mouth tip up into a breathtaking smile. “You said you didn’t know my last name. It’s O’Brien.”
Shit. Now, I’m talking out loud, and I didn’t even realize it. I need to get away from him before I say something dumb.
“Nothing you say is dumb. You can say whatever you want to me. Ask whatever you want.”
Holy espresso. I’m making the biggest fool of myself. I could blame it on lack of sleep, but admitting that he was part of the reason I didn’t sleep is not on my list of things I want to do.
“I need to get back to work,” I blurt as I jump up from the chair and rush behind the counter without a glance back.
I force myself not to look at him as I help Erin with the morning crowd. The next time I glance at the table, he’s gone. I drop my shoulders as disappointment floods me.
When I go to clean the plate that still has the mostly uneaten pastry on it, I find the hundred-dollar bill I tried to give back to him and a note scribbled on the back of a business card with his name and number on it.
Be a good girl and eat it.
Plate in hand, I scurry back to my small office and pull out my phone to text Chloe.
Katie:I think I’m in big, big trouble.
Then I finish the delicious, mouthwatering pastry, thinking about what a good girl I’m being the entire time.
Ihave paint specks on my hands and arms, even though I scrubbed until my skin was raw in the shower this morning. It’s probably pointless since I’ll be doing the same thing tonight and will have a fresh set of spatters to wash off.
With a sigh, I turn on the open sign and unlock the door. When the door chimes before I make it behind the counter again, I stop mid-step. It can’t be him. There’s no way. It’s only a coincidence that someone is here again within seconds of me opening.
“Morning, lass. You should always check to see who enters when you hear the door. Could be someone dangerous.”
Oh, it’s someone dangerous, all right.
When I turn, my breath hitches. His light brown hair is perfectly styled, but instead of being overly gelled, it looks touch-ably tousled. He has a different coat and scarf on, but from what I can tell, the suit is the same. Does he have a row of them in his closet? From its crispness, I doubt it’s the same one he wore yesterday.
“Good morning,” I say, barely above a whisper.
His smirk turns into a grin. “Cold out there. Colder than normal for this time of year. Make sure you wear a thick jacket whenever you go outside.”