Page 26 of Fatkini

Thirty minutes later I was sitting at a two-top in my favorite Phinney Ridge coffeehouse, enjoying the heavenly aroma of freshly ground coffee, when Aithan strode in.

“Sorry to keep you waiting.” He took the seat opposite me. “Parking’s a nightmare around here.”

“Oh, I know. Construction’s made a mess of it up and down Phinney.”

He nodded. “And there’s always construction in Seattle, right?”

I laughed. “Right.”

We chatted about Seattle’s endless building boom and all the massive cranes dotting the skyline as the line at the counter thinned, then he pushed back his chair.

“What can I get you?”

“Earl Gray with honey, if they have it.”

“Food?”

“Nothing. Thanks. I’m good.”

“Okay. Be right back.”

A few minutes later he settled into the seat opposite me with my tea and a grande latte. He’d also gotten a pumpkin scone and placed the plate between us.

“Help yourself.”

“I wish, but I can’t.”

He squinted at me. “You’re not dieting are you? Or not eating in front of me? Because, honestly, it really bothers me when women do that.”

“No, nothing like that. I’d eat that whole fucking thing if I could, but I adhere to the AIP. The Autoimmune Protocol?” I glanced up to see if he followed.

Aithan nodded. “I’ve heard of it. To control inflammation, right?”

“Exactly. Grain, dairy, and refined sugar never cross these lips.”

His gaze lingered on my mouth, then lifted to my eyes. “What autoimmune disorder do you have? If you don’t mind me asking ….” He pulled the scone back and shoved a big piece into his mouth.

“I hit the jackpot with Graves’ disease.”

“Oof. Did you have thyroid ablation?”

I nodded. “Twice. Neither dose worked and I’m still hyperthyroid.”

“Oh man. That sucks.”

I shrugged. “It’s okay. There are worse things. I take my meds, stick to the AIP, get exercise and adequate rest. It’s all good.”

He nodded. “You handle it well.”

“Not like I have a choice.” I shrugged. “How do you know about ablation?”

“I’ve had a few clients dealing with Graves’. When you train people for a living, you have to know about health problems. Autoimmune disorders come up a lot.”

“That makes sense.” I glanced away from his intense blue gaze. “I thought maybe Tristan mentioned it.”

“No. He never talked about you, and now I see why.”

Ouch. I bit my lip.