I sink back into the booth, finally still, watching as Charlie and Alek weave their way toward me.
It takes ages—everyone wants a piece of her, customers and staff alike—but she never shows a hint of frustration.
Not that I expected her to. Charlie’s never shown frustration in these situations. Her dad always said she had the patience of a saint, and he was right. Once, after we spent twenty minutes talking with an elderly man about everything and nothing, Charlie told me, "You never know someone’s story." Sometimes, people just want to beseen, and for her, showing them that costs nothing but a few moments of her time.
Alek leans down to whisper something in her ear, and she tilts her head back with a smile.
The rough cotton of my shirt scrapes my skin as I try to rub away the ache that’s settled, rent-free, in my chest.
I see it—the way they fit together. She lets her guard down with him, safe in his presence. Even the cool chemistry between them is unmistakable.
Even if jealousy gnaws at me, those flashes of joy when she’s with him tell me she’s healing, and nothing is more beautiful than that.
Maybe this isn’t a good idea.
I can’t risk setting her back. She’s finally on a good path, and her healing matters more than anything. There had to be another way besides forcing her to face me.
As they approach, I stand and cross my arms over my chest.
Fuck. Too aggressive.
I drop them and shove my hands into my pockets, but…no, that won’t work either. Seems too casual.
Dammit.
But then arm placement doesn’t matter, because they’re right in front of me, and her signature mint and chocolate scent drifts over, flooding my senses.
My hands start to reach for her in reflex before I realize what I’m doing, and I drop them, squeezing them into a fist. “Sorry,” I mumble, lifting the other to the back of my neck.
Then something incredible happens, and I forget to breathe.
She smiles at me.
It’s small.
It’s barely there, but I've been watching her every second and I catch it, and I burn it into memory.
“You might want to breathe, man,” Alek says, the laughter loud inside his tone.
I exhale and glance at him, catching the mischief sparkling in his eyes.
Motherfucker is getting a kick out of me being so nervous.
My lips twitch, and I let him see the silent, playful ‘fuck you’ written there.
Still, I kind of want to punch him in the dick.
He must sense it, because his eyes light up even more as we all slide into the booth.
I raise my coffee, stalling, searching for the right place to begin.
Do I just jump straight in with the video?
“Hey, boss. Do you want your usual brought over?”
The quiet feminine voice comes from beside our table, and I realize she’s talking to Charlie.
Did she finally get that promotion?
