Page 1 of Until Now
Chapter One
This has gotto be a joke.
I gasp as the mix of ice, liquid, and sweet cream soaks my chest — coffee meet romper. Fuck me. I don’t have time for this. I'm already running behind, but won't make it through my meetings without coffee. The stain has already started settling into the white stripes, no way to hide it from—
“Maybe you should watch where you’re going.”
I look up from the crime scene to see what, or should I say who ruined my favorite romper. The smirk on his lips irritates me, but the lack of coffee on his own clothes irritates me more. “You think this was my fault?”
“You did just walk without looking, so yeah.”
“Testa di cazzo.”
His whiskey-colored eyes hold a warmth that the rest of him doesn’t. Something in them feels so…familiar. Wait, do I know him? Tapered dark brown curls match the stubble on his sharp jaw. Not to mention the way his white T-shirt displays very toned arms, skin bronzed from hours spent in the southern sun. Guarantee if I wasn’t in heels, he’d stand at least five inches taller. “I’ll take that as your apology.”
“Apology? Scusa? Tu sei quello che non ha guardato, tu…” I scoff. “You know what, I don’t have time for this.”
“Nina?” Lucy calls from the pick-up window, a fresh iced coffee in her hands. “This one is on the house as long as you promise not to spill it on anyone else.”
“See, even she knows it was your fault.” I can hear the smirk in his voice.
Taking the new coffee, I make sure to avoid the stranger when I step off the patio this time. I need to get to the office before Kathleen. Crossing Sparrow Street, I survey the damage done — a light brown stain has infiltrated the white stripes settling in for what was sure to be a long battle for my dry cleaner. Naturally, this would happen the day after I take my extra clothes home from the office. I’m going to have to buy something else to wear for my meeting.
“What happened to you?” Michaela asks when I walk through the front door. Michaela Davis — friend, assistant, and intern. We met in college at Rosecliffe University — a public university near the Carolina borders, mostly known for its architecture and business programs. Michaela was a freshman who had placed into a higher-level calculus class, I was a junior who had avoided it as long as possible. She came to work for me as an intern when I opened my interior design firm, DV Designs, but more recently she has been handling designs on her own.
“Oh, I thought it could use a little color. You don’t like it?” I glance at the clock. Shit. I have one minute before Kathleen is supposed to be here. “Some guy ran into me at Java.”
“Was he cute?”
Yes.
“No, Michaela, why is that the first thing you ask?”
“I’m just curious.”
I roll my eyes. “Kathleen is going to be here any minute to go over samples, I need to go get something else to wear. Can you handle her for ten minutes?”
Michaela huffs, “Fine, but you owe me.”
“Not like it’s part of your job or anything, but sure, I’ll buy lunch today.”
“You’re a saint!” Michaela yells as I race back out the front door. Kathleen is not the type of person who would approve of a coffee-stained outfit. She would prefer me to be ten minutes late with clean clothes than show up with a large stain across my chest.
Approaching Sparrow Street again, I can’t help but glance at the patio of the Java Fountain. No sign of him. A small ball of disappointment settles in the pit of my stomach. Why do I care? It’s not like he’s going to apologize and offer to buy me a new outfit. We aren’t going to swap life stories and fall in love. This is real life, not a Hallmark movie. I will probably never see him again, but I can’t shake the feeling I know him from somewhere. And, I almost wish I could see him again — if only to return the favor and add a splash of color to his white T-shirt.
Chapter Two
“There you are!”A blonde girl shouted over the music grabbing ahold of my arm. Wait, when did I get to the kitchen? And, when did I get another drink? Tobias stood next to me talking to Jonas and a different guy I don’t recognize. “I’ve been looking for you,” the blonde said. Lydia Holt — English major at Rosecliffe. We became friends on the first day of welcome week.
“Not hard enough,” I said downing the rest of my drink. Some kind of tequila and fruity mixture.
“One minute we were talking and the next you were just gone.”
“You found her!” A dirty blonde boy broke through the crowd. His baby blue eyes matched the color of his shorts. Lee Madigan — business major and my “boyfriend,” if you could even call him that. We had never put an official title on things, mostly because I never wanted to. I was content to stay friends with benefits if only to get under the skin of my so-called best friend, Teagan Kennedy. Needless to say, it’s complicated. “What are you doing in here? I thought we were gonna hang out.”
“Stavo cercando di stare lontano da te,” I huffed.
“English, please.”