Page 8 of This: Blake & Emon

She grabbed her purse and headed for the front entrance, the hospital’s automatic doors whooshing open as she stepped outside.

And there he was, looking like everything she needed after her rough morning.

“What are you doing here? I thought you had meetings today,” she asked, her voice laced with surprise and a touch of amusement.

He smirked, closing the distance between them. “I figured if I wanted to see you, I’d have to bring the date to you. I know you’ve been busy, but I needed to lay eyes on you.”

Her cheeks warmed, but she arched a brow to hide it. “And this is how you fix that? By showing up unannounced and making a scene?”

“Exactly,” he said with a wink, grabbing her hand. Emon led her to the back of his truck and pulled down the tailgate. He helped Blake get on, and there laid a blanket with sandwiches and chips on it. It wasn’t much, but it was the thought that counted.

Blake took it all in, her fingers brushing his. “You’re ridiculous,” she muttered, though her smile gave her away.

“You ain’t seen ridiculous yet,” he said.

“Emon, why are you here?” Blake asked grabbing a sandwich and laying back in the truck’s bed.

“I had shitty day and something told me you could make that better.” She smiled. This was the cutest thing anyone had ever done for her. Emon leaned back beside her.

“I’m glad you did. My day hasn’t been that great either. I’m tired and running on fumes,” she said with a deep sigh.

Shoulder to shoulder, they sat in silence for a minute just basking in each other’s presence. Until he turned to look at herwatching her while she ate her sandwich. She was beautiful to him and she made him feel like he had a teenage crush.

“What? You looking at me like you wanna be this sandwich,” she mentioned, turning to stare back at him with a small smile.

“Be cool,” he smiled wiping his face to hide his cheeks touching the sky. “ But nothin, I just like looking at you.” Blake blushed under his gaze and they continued to look at each other smiling until her alarm went off.

“You gotta get back?” he asked softly, not wanting the moment to end. Blake had become his favorite thing to think about.

“Yeah, unfortunately.”

“Duty calls, but first,” he said before leaning up and pulling a receipt from his pocket. He handed it to her. “Open it.”

“What have you done?” Her stomach fluttered at the look in his eyes. Her nerves were so bad she fumbled with the paper nervously.

“You work so hard, B,” he said softly, “and I didn’t know how I could pay you back for what you did for me. I told you the couch shit wasn’t gon’ cut it. So, I did the logical thing and paid off the rest of your time in school.”

Blake stared at the receipt, her heart swelling. She didn’t need it, but that wasn’t the point. The point was that she now had one less thing to worry about. “You are... entirely too much.”

“Too much is what I do best,” he said with another wink.

“Emon, you didn’t have to do that.” She clutched the paper tightly in her hands, overwhelmed by his generosity.

He tilted his head, his smirk softening into a sincere smile. “I know you keep saying that, but I ain’t that type of man. It’ll never be enough.” The intensity in his eyes told her he meant every word. Emon would never stop thanking her for what shedid. He didn’t want to harp on it, but this was the unexpected part of his story.

Blake couldn’t speak past the lump in her throat. This man was showing up for her in ways that made her question what this was. She hadn’t experienced it before, but she liked it. She appreciated being thought of, and she enjoyed thinking of someone else.

“By the way, that scrub set looking real good on you today.” Emon left Blake blushing every chance he got. Her cheeks were hurting. He was dangerous.

“Thank you. Not just for this but for seeing me.”

“I see you, Blake. I been seeing you.” His hand found the small of her back, pulling her closer. “Even when you trying to act like you don’t see me too.” She started to protest, but he shook his head. He’d cool off. His mama raised a gentleman. However, the more time he spent with her, the more he wanted to explore every inch of her mind, body, and soul. Blake scooted off the truck and now stood between his legs. He peered down at her, lost in her eyes. “Nah, it’s cool. I got time, and I got a feeling you worth the wait.”

“You think so?”

“Absolutely.” His thumb brushed her cheek.

“Good, because I was planning to stop by the shop today. I made you something.”

---