Page 4 of Heart Stopping
"I don't think you're supposed to traumatize customers," she teased.
"No, that's my job." Gina bounced into the kitchen, arms laden with plates. "I don't think it's worked with him. He's been in here every day this week. He's ordered every different flavor of milkshake. Never has anything else."
I narrowed my eyes at him, causing him to look away, his cheeks slightly red. "Has he been asking what we put in the milkshakes?"
Gina cocked her head before shaking it. "No, he just orders one and sits there looking at his tablet. He seemed harmless enough to me." She grabbed up a washcloth and headed out to wipe down the tables while Erin did the last of the dishes.
"Harmless enough, huh?" I muttered to myself. Yeah, people thought Gary was 'harmless enough' until he tried to make money by nefarious means.
Honestly, I wanted to believe Cassius Titmus was harmless, but there was something about him. A layer of darkness underneath the milkshake-sipping geek. Maybe he burnt ants with a magnifying glass for fun.
I stepped over to work on tweaking next week's menu. When I turned back, he was gone, along with the other couple. Gina was closing and locking the door behind them and turning the sign to closed. In a few hours, we'd be back for the dinner rush, but in the meantime, we'd take a break.
I shooed both women out the back door before closing and locking it behind us. Giggling about something, they headed off down the street, leaving me to step the other way. I almost ran straight into Cassius.
I startled and staggered a couple of steps back. Almost tripped on a crack in the sidewalk and fell on my ass. At the last moment, I threw out a hand to the wall beside me, keeping myself from falling.
"Sorry, didn't mean to scare you," he said. He raised his hand in a gesture of placation.
"You didn’t. I didn't see you there, that's all," I said, pushing away from the wall. "Do you always lurk around in alleys waiting for women to step out?"
He offered a lopsided smile. "Not always, only once in a while. And only when the woman is beautiful." His gaze dropped to my lips for a moment before returning to my eyes. "And makes a mean milkshake."
"Still not giving you the secret ingredient." I started to step past him.
"I'm not asking," he said quickly. "I saw you in there the other day and I've been trying to get up the nerve to talk to you. Like I said, social norms aren't my strong suit. Some people would describe me as awkward as fuck."
"Fuck is pretty awkward," I said.
"I think I exceed it," he admitted.
“Right; I should go," I said.
"Wait can I ask you—" He put a hand out toward me.
Without thinking, I grabbed his wrist, dropped my upper body and threw him over my shoulder and onto the ground. He landed with a thud, bounced once before lying still, staring up at me. His tablet flew out of his hand and skittered a couple of feet away.
"Okay, that was hot." He blinked a few times before he moved and winced.
"Shit." I fixed my messy bun and stepped away from him. Throwing wasn't supposed to be hot. It was a reflex. A response to a perceived threat.
Seeing him lying there like that, I wanted to kick myself. He didn't look like a threat right then.
He looked like a lawsuit waiting to happen.
"I'm sorry," I started to say.
Fuck. Fuckfuckfuck. I always knew my paranoia would get the better of me someday, but I didn't expect it to be like this. Out in the street where anyone could have seen me in action.
He scrambled to his feet, his hands raised again. "No, I'm sorry. You must think I'm a total idiot. Hell, I think I'm a total idiot." He knitted his heavy brows. "I just wanted to ask you to dinner, but I get it. I've never been good at making first impressions." He sighed heavily.
"It's not you," I assured him. "You seem nice. I'm just not very…trusting."
That was putting it lightly.
I snatched up his tablet and handed it to him. Thank all the gods it didn't seem to be damaged.
"Come back for lunch tomorrow and I'll give you all the milkshakes you can handle." Yes, I wasn't above bribing him so he didn't sue my ass into the ground. If I had to give him free milkshakes for the rest of my life, and that's what I'd do.
