Page 29 of Fallen Hearts

“Ah, well… that’s nice of you to say.”

I let her play it off as a casual compliment to cap a casual conversation. But it was anything but, and I was pretty sure she knew it.

What did it really matter? There was very little chance Pia couldn’t feel my attraction to her anyway. But that didn’t change the fact that she was my employee.

“See?” I teased instead. “Your new boss is much nicer than the old one.”

Pia smiled, and before I got lost in that smile, I reluctantly added, “Band’s starting up. Another dance or should we head back to the boys?”

I could sense she wanted to stay. Maybe dance. But thankfully Pia’s foray into the forbidden forest of topics seemed to be at an end. “Let’s head back to the boys. Cole is leaving tomorrow.”

Cole could eat a sack of rocks for all I cared at that moment. But it was as good an idea as any given the current state of affairs. Every muscle in my body was tense and fine-tuned as if ready for action.

Of which there would be none, tonight or any night. At least not with Pia.

“Sounds good,” I said as we headed back. And it would have been all well and good until Pia glanced back at me on our way to the table, and those blue eyes of hers beckoned.

11

PIA

“Hey, girl,” Delaney said, coming up to our table.

I’d arrived earlier, so I stood up and gave her a hug. She seemed to be in much better spirits than the last time we spoke.

“Is this place amazing or what?”

Delaney sat across from me just as the soft jazz started. This time, it was live, the sax player pretty surprising for a small town like this. “It is. And actually my second time here already,” I said. The Big Easy was becoming my favorite dinner spot. Although, aside from takeout, I hadn’t actually gone anywhere else in Cedar Falls. Unless O’Malley’s counted, but that was just bar food.

“Get out. When were you here?”

“Last week.”

With my boss. Who I was pretty sure I had a very inappropriate crush on. Not only had I gone and blurted that stupid question last night, but at one point we’d exchanged a look that nearly had me ripping my clothes off in the middle of the bar.

“We’re gonna need drinks for this, aren’t we?”

“Um, definitely.”

Thankfully the waitress came by just then and we both ordered French 75s. Though gin wasn’t usually my go-to, it was apparently a popular New Orleans drink, and who didn’t love champagne?

“Sooo?” I prompted.

“I kinda, sorta got back with my ex.”

Based on what she’d told me of him so far, that didn’t seem like the greatest plan in the world. But in matters of the heart, we all did pretty stupid things. Myself included. So I would be the last one to judge.

“You say that like it’s a bad thing?”

Again, Delaney scrunched her nose, my bubbly new friend making me laugh. “Because it probably is.”

At least she recognized the fact.

“First of all, he broke my heart, and usually I don’t think the person who broke your heart is a great candidate to fix it. Second of all, now that I’ve moved back, we’re long distance. And third, my gut is saying it’s a really bad idea.”

Which meant it probablywasa really bad idea. “One you’re doing anyway?”

She sighed. “Yeah. I’m also madly in love with him. I swear every text he sends is like a little cocaine rush. Not that I’ve ever had cocaine,” she added. “But I just can’t explain it. He lights me up in a way no one ever has before. When we broke up, I was devastated. And now I’m on cloud nine despite the fact that it could easily all come crashing down again.”

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