Page 16 of Code Mages & Empty Pages
“I’m glad you like it. It’s made with almond milk. I hope that’s alright.” She reached out and touched my forearm, and the warmth of her hand nearly undid me.
“It’s perfect.” The smile she gave me was brighter than the morning.
I cleared my throat, trying to sound casual. “Uh, do you want a ride to work today?”
She nodded. “Yeah, that’d be great. Unless it’s a hassle. I know you’ve got your appointment tonight and then you’re off to Des and Mia’s…”
“Oh, right. I forgot about that,” I admitted. “But you’re going too?”
She nodded again. “Yeah, it’s the first meeting of the knitting club. Harper’s coming, and another of Mia’s friends, her name is Autumn, I think?”
I shook my head. “I don’t know her, sorry.”
She smiled. “No worries. If you want, I can drive us. I can drop you at your appointment, then we can head to theirs together?”
My tail gave an involuntary twitch.
Fucking stay put!
“If you’re sure you don’t mind fighting traffic.”
Her smile came a bit easier. “Nope. I’ll be driving across Kirkmuir anyway.”
The words came easy on our shared commute, and before I knew it, we were deep in a discussion about everything and nothing. She told me that she’d moved here from Edinburgh but didn’t say why, and that her father lived in a small town on the edge of the Highlands.
“I haven’t visited him in ages.”
I hummed but didn’t tell her that I hadn’t seen mine in nearly fifteen years except when he was in a newspaper for some new business deal.
I arrived at work in a fantastic mood and solved a bug that had kept me on my toes for days.
Maybe she’s my muse?
After we left work together, we picked the conversation back up as if it hadn’t paused for hours.
“I wonder what they’re building here,” I said as we walked past the construction site in Gillam Park.
“It’s a distribution centre for Nøkken,” Dawn replied.
I snorted. “How do you know that?”
“Harper told me on my first day, but don’t ask me how she knows everything.”
“That’s impressive. I guess reception hears everything.”
“I bet she does.” Dawn grinned. “So, where to?”
“Lens & Sensibility,” I said, feeling a little smug when she burst out laughing.
“Oh, that’s brilliant. Is it an optician’s?”
“Yeah, just need to pick something up.”
She pulled it up on Kraken Maps and drove us over. After successfully parallel parking in Pear Mill, she huffed, “On-street parking here is a pain. Call me when you’re done. I’ll wander a bit.”
“Yeah, will do.” For a moment, I nearly leaned down to kiss her goodbye, then remembered we lived together but weren’t actually dating.
Pull yourself together, Atkins.
