Page 4 of Then Came You

"Who's her favourite?" she inquires.

I can't pretend not to like that she's taking an interest in my mediocre life.

"Chloe, of course. She'd love you. You're practically the walking, talking version of her." I gesture my hand up and down her body. Oh, for fuck's sake, someone stop me. When did I turn into that loser who has zero cool factor? I'm definitely a daggy dad. If my son could see me now, he’d have second-hand humiliation for me. I’m seconds away from smacking the back of my head when I’m saved by the snappy waiter.

“Blade.” I scurry to the counter to retrieve the coffees and her toast. I bet she tastes sweeter than the sugary sticky substance she’s about to drown her toast in.

We walk side-by-side to the door, stepping closer to where we inevitably will part ways for the first and last time. It doesn’t matter that my hands are full; I want to open the door for her, so I quickly put the brown paper bag holding her toast in my mouth, shift the coffees to my other hand, and pull the door open. She walks in front of me, swaying those alluring hips, which my eyes lock onto.

When we’re safely out of everyone’s way, she turns back to me, tilting her head to the right.

“I’m this way.” Her smile fails to reach her eyes this time as she squints at me. The sun is in her eyes, but she’s even more beautiful with the glow on her face.

“I’m this way.” I jerk my head to the left, confirming we’re going in completely opposite directions. Her shoulders deflate similarly to mine. This is the end of our little conversation, and it doesn’t sit well with me. I should have lied and told her I was heading in her direction. Idiot.

“Oh, well, um, thank you for breakfast,” she stutters, aimlessly pushing a stray strand of her baby pink hair behind her ear. She’s fidgeting. Drawing out these last few seconds.

She’s adorable.

“It was my pleasure, Row.” I hope she can hear the genuine inflection in my voice as I hand her the bag of toast and sugar-filled concoction she ordered for breakfast.

At this point, I’m not sure if it’s the stifling summer heat making my armpits perspire, or the fact Row keeps seductively sweeping her tongue across her lower lip, enticing me with what other oral skills she probably aces with that mouth of hers.

Breaking our staring match, she turns to leave, walking only a few steps before twirling a full circle so she’s facing me again.

Ding. Ding. Ding.

This is a good sign.

“Wait,” she yells, thinking I’m further along in my walk than she anticipated. The fact is, she’s actually caught me in the exact same position she left me. “Oh, sorry, I thought you left.” Her face scrunches as she realises she didn’t need to yell as loud as she did. “Um, I really appreciate your…generosity, but I wouldn’t feel right without extending a favour, so here.”

She fumbles through her black shoulder bag, trying to find something. After a few seconds, she finds success. “Ah, here it is.” Talking more to herself than me.

I’m bemused watching this little Tinker Bell flutter around.

When she looks up, she’s smiling as if she’s so proud of herself. It knocks me for six at how radiant she is in the most natural and understated way.

In her shaking hands, she holds a black rectangular business card. “Here.” She shoves it in my palm.

Did she just make the first move?

When I inspect the matte black card, I have to squint to see the writing. It’s metallic foil, so the sun’s glare makes it hard to read. That’s the excuse I’ll go with if she asks why I’m squinting because there’s a better chance of hell freezing over than me explaining I’m blind as shit without my glasses. I must be inspecting the fuck out of the card because she babbles on. “It’s not my number. It’s my business card for the salon I work at. If you ever need a haircut…I can help,” she finishes, looking down at the ground.

Wanting to toy with her further just so I can see her squirm, I play with her.

“Are you saying my hair doesn’t look good?” I jest, running my free hand through my hair, scratching the back of my scalp. I was right about her reaction. She’s practically got ants in her pants the way she’s shuffling from foot to foot. Her pupils dilate, and she gasps, opening and closing her mouth like a fish.

Oh fuck. I’m already addicted to her expressions.

“Oh my God. No. What? No. I swear. I didn’t. I mean.” Christ, even her squeals are appealing.

Putting her out of her misery, I laugh. “I’m just kidding. Thank you, Row. I just might take you up on the offer. What days do you work?” I ask completely for my benefit. She visibly relaxes. Actually, she does more than that, she positively glows at my question.

“I work every day but Monday.”

“Then I shall see you any day but Monday.” My confirmation throws her, and her brows shoot up to her hairline.

"Okay. I guess I’ll see you when I see you then? Thanks again, Blade." My cock twitches at the sound of my name on her lips.

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