Chastising himself, he inhaled deeply, taking in the spa’s eucalyptus and lemon scents and willing them to help him focus. He needed to get his head back in the game.
Looking to the left, he took in the larger spa area. Its waiting lounge had numerous plush couches and overstuffed chairs where five women were congregated. Two women stood along the back wall perusing the bar of beverages and snacks. Past the waiting area were the locker areas, steam rooms, relaxation spaces, thermal rooms, water features, and various treatment rooms.
He glanced to the right. Instead of seeing the smaller, yet no less plush, waiting area and salon workstations, large multi-paneled room dividers blocked the entire entrance.
“Good morning,” a chipper voice called out. “How can I help you?”
He turned his attention to the young woman behind the front desk and glanced at her name tag. “Good morning, Audrey. I have a meeting with Miriam Littlefield.”
“You must be Mr. Bonetti. Miriam’s running just a few minutes behind but is on her way.” She smiled and gestured to the waiting area. “Feel free to take a seat or help yourself to some refreshments while you wait. Today, our three infused waters are cucumber, honeydew, and mint; strawberry, lemon, and basil; and blackberries, orange, and ginger.”
Holy shit, he was so not fancy enough for this place. He eyed the various glass beverage dispensers across the room. “Um, is there just regular water?”
Audrey giggled. “Of course. It’s the one on the far right.”
“Thank you.”
As he turned, the entrance door swung open. Two women walked in, and he came to a halt. His gut clenched, and he couldn’t have stopped the smile on his face from spreading if he’d tried.
Freya.
She’d texted him when she’d made it home last night, reassuring him that his concern for her safety hadn’t encroached into creeper territory. It had taken him an embarrassingly long time to come up with a witty reply where he’d wished her a good night but left it open-ended. To which she’d responded with a pink heart emoji.
Did he know what the hell a pink heart emoji meant? No. But still, the woman had been at the forefront of his mind ever since.
“Xander, hi,” Freya exclaimed, surprise coloring her face. “What are you doing here?”
No fucking clue.
She wasn’t dressed in all black this morning. She wore dark jeans and a flowy, long-sleeved, blue top with flowers. Her long black hair was wavy and cascaded around her. She looked fresh and pretty. Hell, she was downright stunning. Not that she hadn’t been stunning last night. But the dark shadows that had lingered beneath her eyes were gone now.
A throat cleared, and his gaze swung to the woman standing beside Freya. Clarification: to the woman standing beside Freya who was looking at him with an amused and curious grin. “I’m Miriam Littlefield,” she said, holding out her hand. “My apologies for being late, Mr. Bonetti.”
Get your shit together.“Just Xander is fine. And no apologies are necessary,” he said, shaking her hand. “I appreciate you making time to meet with me this morning.”
“Of course.” Miriam’s eyes ping-ponged between him and Freya. “I take it you two know each other?”
“We met yesterday,” Freya replied, a soft blush staining her cheeks. “He’s the one I was telling you about. The one who helped me out with the drunk guy.”
Miriam gave him an appraising once-over and then turned to Freya. “I have to grab a few things, but why don’t you show him what the crew has done with the space so far.”
Freya’s ice-blue eyes widened. “Um, sure. Of course.”
“I’ll be right back, Mr. Bonetti,” Miriam said.
“Take your time,” Xander replied, his gaze not leaving Freya’s. “Morning.”
She cleared her throat. “Good morning. If you’ll follow me,” she said, gesturing to one end of the room divider as the pink in her cheeks deepened.
That little flush fascinated him. What would?—
No. Holy shit. Hell, no.
Shaking his head, he followed her behind the screen. Didn’t he just tell himself that getting together with her would be a bad idea?
Yeah, but that was before she was standing right in front of you. Like you fucking conjured her from thin air.
He internally cringed. Great. Now he was having a debate with himself.Motherfucking shit.
