“Good, because that’s all I ordered.” I see Don coming with his always-flour-stained apron covering a Hawaiian shirt and khaki shorts. Don moved from New York ten years ago and refuses to go back to “stuffy” clothes.
“Two salted caramel chocolate cupcakes and two chocolate milks. Can I get you wonderful customers anything else?”
I stifle a smile. Don seems to be keeping up the extra polite act just in case.
“Need anything?” I ask Chloe. She shakes her head while staring at the cupcakes. “I think we’re good. Thanks Don.”
After I slide Chloe’s cupcake toward her, she examines it by turning the plate in a circle. I try to assess her serious demeanor but fail. “Everything okay?”
“Salted caramel chocolate donuts from this place called Gemma’s in Denver were my favorite. I could cry right now.” She lifts a hand to cover her mouth. I’m concerned she might actually burst into tears, but she quickly lifts her hand, revealing her bright white teeth. “This feels like the first sign that I actually didn’t make a huge mistake moving here.”
“The cupcake?”
“Yes! I can’t wait to try it.”
“Dig in.” I take a bite at the same time as she does.
Her eyes grow wide. Then she reaches for the chocolate milk. After taking a sip, she finally speaks, and I can’t wait to hear what she thinks.
“Oh my word. That is exquisite. I can’t believe I’m saying this, but it might be better than Gemma’s donuts. And the chocolate milk is the perfect way to wash it down. I thought it might be too much, but it actually just compliments the caramel so well.”
“That’s exactly what I tell everyone.” I relax back into the booth. Seeing Chloe happy brings me a swell of joy.
We sit quietly for a moment, each savoring the cupcakes. After washing down her last bite, she sets her cup on the table. Now, it feels like she’s studying me. “So Leo…besides swimming on the job, what else do you do with your time?”
“Hey now, Val said I could use the pool anytime.” I squirm in my seat slightly. She smirks, and I can tell she’s enjoying this.
“Besides helping your aunt at the Airbnbs, I’m in the process of starting my own construction business. Outside of that, I spend most of my time with my son, Benjamin.” I know I shouldn’t care how that information lands, but I do. Chloe doesn’t flinch, though.
“How old is he?”
“He’s nine.”
“Oh, nice…And what does your wife do?”
“I’m…actually divorced.” I swallow. Is she judging me for having a son and not being married? Is she glad I’m not married?
Instead of stopping, my mouth continues to speak—a really annoying nervous habit I need to break.
“Benjamin’s mom got a job in Atlanta when he was five. She’s an interior designer, and one of those HGTV shows needed a set consultant. The plan was for her to go first and get settled, then we’d come. She had a short term rental and was going to find us a place…but six weeks after she left, she called and said we should stay in Sunshine Shores. A lot of her reasons initially were about keeping Benjamin in school and letting him finish out the year. Eventually, I found out, the real reason she didn’t want us to come was because…she met someone else.”
Wow, that was a lot of personal information to divulge so suddenly. I’ve kept all that locked away for so long, not wanting to deal with the shame and embarrassment. Besides the people that experienced it with us while it was happening, I haven’t spoken about the reason for our divorce in years.
Chloe tilts her head, making eye contact. “I’m sorry that happened to you and Benjamin.”
I appreciate her words. It’s not pity. It’s genuine sympathy…However, I can tell it’s time to shift this conversation. Not only because I don’t trust myself not to tell her my entire life story, including my social security number, but also because I’m curious to learn more about her.
“Now you know my autobiography. What about you? What brought you to Florida? I want the long version, remember.”
Chapter 7
Chloe
Itakeasipof chocolate milk to buy myself some time. Where do I start? Do I tell him everything? About quitting Mountain View Press and my dream to be an author? Something in me feels excited and free. I can’t tell if it's the fresh ocean air, the fact that I’m all sugared up, or this man that I just met.
After he got out of the pool, he pulled his hair into a man bun, and I had to force myself not to gawk. I’ve never seen a man bun in person, and I am quickly learning that I have been missing out. Plus, he’s looking at me with chocolate eyes that make me feel all melty.Pull it together, Chloe.
“Oh boy, um…Well, I was an editor for a publishing house called Mountain View Press in Denver for the last three years. I guess I just felt like something was missing, so I quit.”
