Page 81 of The Overdue Kiss

“I’m so proud of you,” I whisper in her hair. “Look at what you accomplished.”

“It wasn’t just me. It took everyone’s help to get here—including you. Thank you, Des.” She squeezes me tighter, and I check my watch, hoping it’s time to whisk her off on our date.

A gray-haired woman with a hot pink stripe in her bangs approaches, her arms wide as she points to the library around her. “What a transformation.”

“Ms. Anderson.” Maya beams and introduces me to her supervisor. “I’m so glad you made it. I thought if you saw it in person you’d have a clearer image than reading over all the data I’ve been sending you.”

“I’m so impressed. You always amaze me with your creativity, first with the bookmobile and now this. It really shows how much you love your job, not just through your actions, but how it radiates from the patrons who come in through the door. Excellent job, Maya.”

“Thank you so much. This library will always be special to me.”

“I bet it will be hard to leave this all behind, especially after spending so much time renovating it.” She watches Maya carefully before asking, “Have you ever considered a management position?”

“Management?” Maya repeats, caught off guard.

“See... we need a new branch manager for Rocosa. I had a very informative talk with Mr. Sherman where he announced his upcoming retirement, and he requested—or I should say demanded—that I offer the position to you first. And I couldn’t agree more. Really, this branch would have probably been converted into a holds locker by now if it wasn’t for all your hard work.”

Maya grabs my hand in shock.

“Ms. Anderson . . . are you saying . . . I can work here?”

“If that’s what you want.”

Maya nods enthusiastically.

“Wonderful. It might take a few weeks to fill out the paperwork and make it official, but yes, it seems like you belong here. I don’t want to bog down your festivities with work talk, but expect an email from me on Monday.”

“I’m speechless . . . thank you so much.”

“I’m excited for you and can’t wait to see what else you have planned.”

Maya shoots me a silent scream of excitement, her eyebrows high as she fights to keep her cool. It hits me with the same intensity, how all the pieces of my life’s puzzle fit together so perfectly in the end.

I glance skyward and give a little prayer of appreciation, knowing it wasn’t just luck on my side this time.

A reporter from theGolden Transcriptmoves forward and holds up his camera to get the three of us in his shot. I try to slip away, but Maya grabs my hand, her smile so full of love that my heart nearly bursts.

“Stay.”

How do I say no to that? It’s impossible.

Tension crackles between us for the remainder of the event. Each interaction adds more kindling to the fire so that I can barely breathe with the need burning through me. Like when her hand brushes mine as we pass on the stairs or she bites her lip when I hold her stare a little too long from across the room. Everything is in slow motion, the two of us longing for each other.

But it’s impossible to get a moment alone with her.

Maya is in high demand with a small gathering around her, everyone still wanting to offer congratulations and shake her hand. So I step back, letting her enjoy these last moments to shine, and tell her that I’ll pick her up in two hours for our date. Her lips pinch like she might argue, but another visitor taps her shoulder, hoping for an introduction.

It kills me to walk out of that library alone. It’s even more painful to ride home and sit on my couch to watch the clock count down at an agonizing pace. My brain isn’t helping things either, replaying a Maya montage in my head until I’m wearing a hole in my carpet from pacing back and forth.

Eventually, I give up and leave thirty minutes early, skidding into Julia’s driveway like a madman. My mind is on one thing as I race up the steps of the porch.

Of course Maya is waiting for me, opening the door before I can knock. Her eyes light to a caramel color, so warm and welcoming that I don’t even hesitate. Stepping into her space, I do what I’ve been imagining for the last three weeks. I thread my fingers into her wavy curls at the base of her neck and breathe in her sweet hints of vanilla. Her eyes widen a smidge just as my lips crash into hers—and I fall into bliss.

Her shock quickly fades, and her arms curl around my neck as she softens against my chest. Slowly, I deepen the kiss, savoring each new sensation. An indescribable completeness flows through me at the rightness of her in my arms and the taste of her on my lips. The only word I can think of is heavenly. With each caress, I sink more into a Maya-induced haze, happy to live in this state for all of eternity. Time has lost its meaning to the point that I’m not sure how long we spend tangled in each other’s arms.

All I know is she was worth waiting every second for.

I break away, leaving one last lingering kiss on the corner of her mouth. “Hello.”

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