Page 52 of The Heart Shot
Because I was a glutton for punishment, I plopped down at my favorite coffee shop, laptop open, with a large, iced mocha in hand. My phone sat on the table, my text thread with Jameson staring up at me as I debated asking if he was free.
Jameson had several busy work days this week, so we hadn’t been able to get together for a few days. Not being able to see him made it feel like I couldn’t get a full breath into my lungs—like I was missing a crucial piece of my day. I was tired of sitting in my house by myself with only my cat again.
Yes. I was the crazy single cat lady, and I never thought twice about it, until Jameson came into my life.
Or should I blame Maya? She was the reason why I met him in the first place.
Throwing caution to the wind, I tapped my fingers across the screen.
Me
Hey, whatcha up to?
The three wiggling dots flashed immediately on the screen.
Jameson
Wishing I was with you.
Ugh. Why does he have to say things that make me swoon?
Me
It’s your lucky day then.
I’m at The Roasted Bean if you’re interested.
Jameson
Interested isn’t a strong enough word. Be there in 10. : )
Smart Elsie mentally kicked me again. I was doing a terrible job at keeping my heart out of the picture. And yet…all I could think about was seeing Jameson’s dimpled face, hearing his laugh, and watching the way his eyes lit up when I inevitably embarrassed myself. My fingers simply acted on their own. I couldn’t be held accountable for that, right?
I sipped my coffee, relishing the sugary drink as I stared at the dark screen of my laptop, my fingers twitching over the keys. Every time the little bell above the door dinged, I sat up straighter, searching for those familiar eyes, but it wasn’t him.Desperate for a distraction, I turned my laptop on and searched for the file for one of my novels I hadn’t touched in years. It took a minute to find the folder, but when I did, I gasped.
In the folder titled “Silly Things,” there were not one or two books I had fully written years ago, butfive.Five books, rough and unedited, sat on my laptop. I couldn’t even remember writing them all.
Two romance novels, one fantasy, and two mysteries.
Wincing as if the file was going to physically slap me when I opened it, I double-clicked on one of the untitled romances.
“Fancy seeing you here,” a voice crooned. I let out a squeal, slammed my laptop shut, and almost knocked over my iced coffee.
I put a hand to my chest, breathing hard, like I had just run a marathon while dragging an elephant behind me. Jameson’s smirking face came into focus.“You scared me,” I breathed.
“I can see that.” His dimple was on full display as he nodded to my laptop. “Whatcha got there?”
“Nothing,” I said, resting a hand on top to keep him from opening it.
He arched a brow. “That reaction said otherwise. I think you almost gave that granny over there a heart attack.”
I peeked over my shoulder at the older lady in the corner. She glared daggers at me, her hand resting over her heart.
Well then. You try hiding the romance book you don’t remember writing from the guy you’re trying not to fall for, lady.
“Can I get you anything?” Jameson asked with a chuckle, pointing at the counter.
“I think I’m covered,” I replied, pointing at my giant coffee in front of me. He gave me a smile that had my knees wobbling despite the fact that I was sitting down, and went to order.
