Page 2 of Saving You Losing Me

I falter and my tray shakes as I wonder if my hearing is playing tricks on me.

I make to leave and it happens again.

“Hey.”

I turn and my eyes collide with two sparkling orbs of my destruction. Deep blue and dangerous as they fix on me, stripping away every defense I thought I had prepared for and shattering my confidence.

He nods toward the table.

“This could use a clean.”

There is a strange silence surrounding us. Almost as if the world is waiting for the outcome of an encounter that is destiny in the making.

I nod toward the stacked tray in my arms and muster every ounce of disinterest I possess.

“I’ll be right back.”

Before I can move, he stands and I swear my pulse charges as he removes the tray from my hands and slides that devastating gaze the length of me as he whispers, “Allow me to help.”

His friends are silent, observing a scene that is as surprising to them as to me, and I take a deep breath and nod, my gaze flicking to the table as I reach for my spray and cloth. I will my fingers to stop shaking as I clean up the table, his gaze burning me as I attempt to remain impassive.

As I reach for the tray when I finish, he hands it back to me and whispers, “Happy birthday, by the way.”

I say nothing but stare and he grins, an act that crumbles my defenses in a heartbeat, and then he whispers against my ear, “I’ll be waiting for you when your shift ends and it’s your decision whether you’ll accept my offer of a ride home.”

I swear every part of me burns as I snatch the tray away from him and turn, effectively restoring the air supply to my lungs as I walk away without speaking one word.

Yes, I am the ice queen and he doesn’t need to know that I am melting inside because hallelujah all the planning has paid off. Finally! Atom regarded me as a woman and not the girl who had a crush on him from the moment I first set eyes on him.

Alice is waiting as I set the tray down in the kitchen and she hisses, “What just happened? What did he say? Did he ask for my number?”

“No.” I shrug, feigning disinterest.

“He wished me happy birthday and said he would be waiting for me when my shift ends.”

Alice gasps and her eyes widen. “No way. Fuck!”

The disappointment painted on her face offers me a moment’s satisfaction and she moans, “You lucky bitch. I would give anything to be in your shoes.”

I shrug. “You can wear them if you like instead of me.”

“Are you mad?” She raises her eyes. “You’re not interested in Atom?”

“Is that his name?” I shrug. “Not really.”

Joe yells, “Alice. Table five is waiting.”

She throws one last incredulous glance in my direction and heads off, leaving me to caress the warm glow that surrounds me at what just happened. He knew it was my birthday. He as good as asked me out on a date and wild horses couldn’t drag me away from accepting his offer, but not before I play hard to get one last time.

CHAPTER 2

ATOM

Razor chuckles softly. “Man, have you got a death wish or something?”

I watch Clara walk away and smile to myself.

Death wish is right because that woman is the tastiest forbidden fruit that could prove to be extremely bad for my health.

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