“You look great.”
“You saw me a few minutes ago. Nothing has changed.”
She waved him off, taking off the name tag and trying to fix her hair.
“Well, I get to see all of you now.”
And he was paying attention, too. There were many differences and he hadn’t taken his eyes off of her, when she made a disparaging sound.
“What are you doing?”
He was noting that her hips were a little wider and fuller, like she had gotten more womanly, somehow. Her chest was bigger and free, moving with a bit more bounce. Vincent couldn’t say any of that, though. He knew that it wouldn’t be appreciated in the vein that it would be said. She would not be flattered, even though she should be.
“Taking you in, Mallory. It’s been a while.”
“It has been a few years.”
They were walking down the sidewalk. The coffee shop that she wanted to go to wasn’t that far away. He figured that she thought it was safer if they weren’t in a car together. Locked in, close. Vincent had to wonder if she was thinking about the same thing he was.
When he looked over at her face and saw the serious expression, he doubted it. She had never been too carefree, but now Mallory looked like she had the weight of the world on her shoulders.
“So, are you done gawking?”
That made him laugh and look away, properly chastised. “Yeah, I guess I am.”
“Good.”
“You’re not going to tell me that I am looking good, too? I have been keeping in shape.”
He chuckled and she glowered. “If I thought that your ego could get any bigger, maybe I would throw you a bone, but I think it’s as big as it is going to get.”
“I seem to remember you saying that you were sure something else wouldn’t get bigger, and it did.”
Again, she looked away. Vincent knew that he shouldn’t laugh, but he couldn’t help the snicker that came from between his lips.
Mallory didn’t comment one way or another. She was red-faced and he knew that he had to tone it down. Usually, Vincent was able to read people better, control himself more. Why did he feel like a teenager when he was around her?
“So, what was it that you wanted to talk about again?”
He straightened up and managed to get his eyes back to her face. She looked about the same as before, though her eyes held more life in them. She had been through some things since he’d seen her last, hard things. They were written on her expression as well, wrapped in a little bit of suspicion.
“Everything. I want to know how you’ve been.”
“Are you asking me as a once self-proclaimed enemy, or as my instructor?”
It was Vincent’s turn to be a bit embarrassed. He had not been proud of losing control and giving in to his temptation for her. But no one really knew about it. She hadn’t breathed a word of it to anyone and neither had he. It was a mystery, but it was still in the back of his mind.
He decided that it was best just to be as honest as possible.
“Neither. How about as an old lover that wonders about you more than he should?”
She may not have agreed with his words, but she certainly hid her face and got shy like she appreciated them, if nothing else.
They were at the coffee shop and as he was opening the door for her, Vincent suggested that they get the drink to go. She agreed and he was smiling so wide his face hurt. Why was he feeling like an idiot? Had he missed her that much?
He had, really he had. Mallory had made her mark on him and it was glowing red in her presence. She was also thinking dirty with a few choice words from him. That in and of itself, gave him hope. Vincent had a whole slew of things going on but hope for her was stronger than all of the rest.
He didn’t have time for this courting mess he was doing on Mallory. But it was worth it, because now he had hope.
