Page 14 of They Are Mine

I want to get this right.

It’s not every day a woman like Juliet walks into your life.

And I have a feeling…

She’s about to change mine.

The bell chimes a few more times before closing.

Not her.

I wipe down the counter, slower than usual. Not in a rush to finish, not really thinking about anything except the way she looked at me last night.

My phone buzzes in my pocket. A couple notifications. Group chat. A spam email.

Not her.

I exhale, roll my shoulders, shake it off. It’s been less than a day. Maybe she’s busy. Maybe she’s waiting for me to text first.

I hesitate.

I could. I could text her right now. A simple,Hey, it was great seeing you last night.Nothing too much. Nothing desperate.

I pull my phone out, thumb hovering over her contact.

I type:Hey, had fun last night. Hope you’re having a good day.

I stare at it.

Then delete it.

Too soon.

I should wait. Let her come to me.

But damn, I hope she does.

There’s no text when I wake up in the morning. I contemplated it again as I head for work, but decide I’ll give her more time.

I’m wiping down tables when the bell chimes. I don’t even look up at first.

Then Evan says, “Hey, welcome in,” and I glance over and…

It’s her.

Juliet.

For a second, I forget what I was doing.

She’s wearing pink again. Soft, delicate, glowing. Like she doesn’t even realize how much she stands out in a place like this.

She looks right at me and smiles.

My stomach does something weird.

“Go ahead,” Evan says, nudging me, like he knows. “Take her order.”

I don’t have to be told twice.

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