The first time I stepped into Appetito Cafe and saw the beauty, I could barely give her my order. Since then, I’ve made a point of going in at least once a week. Sometimes twice. Hell, I’d go in every day if it didn’t make me look like a stalker. I mean, there are those who do that, right? Go into their favorite coffee shop every day without stalker tendencies? It’d be easy enough to do since my work zone is in her area, at the Convention Center and surrounding businesses. I was part of the team that repaired the blown central unit for her complex last summer.
“How’s the HVAC bizz?” She asks.
“Eh,” I shrug, “hot and cold.”
“Pfft.” Tiana grins and playfully rolls her eyes then finally shuts off the vehicle.
“Want some help bringing in your stuff?”
“I won’t say no to that, thank you. I’ll grab my bag and laptop. I’ve got groceries in the back.” She drops the keys in herpurse, unlocks the doors, and exits her side. As she walks to my side, I open the back door and start grabbing the groceries bags. There’s eight, but I easily load up four in each hand. I bump the door closed and find Tiana looking at the bags.
“I can take a few.”
“I’ve got them. Front door’s unlocked. I was inside turning on a few lights and setting the thermostat. I wasn’t sure what time you’d arrive, so I wanted it to be ready for you.”
“I appreciate that, Gavin, thank you.”
“Sure. The evening’s pleasant, isn’t supposed to get below forty, but that’s pretty chilly for some.”
“I’ll say. Glad to have the heat instead of being forced to make a fire.” She shoulders her bag and shuts the passenger door before stepping closer to me. An enticing scent of something I can’t place wafts into my nostrils, and I’m hard-pressed not to take a deep breath like some weirdo. “I never mastered that skill.” She grins.
“Well, I’m sure it won’t come to that. However, there is a nice fireplace and plenty of wood, so, if you’d like me to start a fire, you know, for the ambiance, happy to do it. It wouldn’t take any maintenance if you wanted to let it burn out during the night. Or, I could show you how to tend it.” When she only stares at me, a wide smile on her face, I say, “What? Am I talking too much? I’m talking too much, huh?”
Tiana laughs. “Not at all. You’re a charmer. And yes, I think I’d love a fire. That is, if you don’t mind.”
“Wouldn’t have offered if I did.”
She nods and turns, heading for the door, giving me a nice view of her shapely backside encased in jeans. I pull my gaze away and focus on not being that guy who stares at her ass. I mean, it’s stare-worthy, but Tiana is more than a nice ass. She’s a delight. And that’s probably the first time in my life I’ve used the word delight. She’s friendly and kind and thoughtful. Shemust have the mind of a genius with unlimited storage capacity to remember her customers’ orders. It’s astounding. Anytime I go to her cafe, it’s busy, and from what I’ve gleaned, she’s done a tremendous job in the short time she’s been in operation. There’s nothing not to like about her place, from her array of drinks to her delicious pastries and sandwiches. I’m not shy when I say I’ve tried nearly every offering, and I’ve never been disappointed.
Once inside, I take the bags to the kitchen area and describe the layout of the cabin. “It’s a great place. The Stantons have done some nice upgrades.”
Tiana sets her bag down and places her purse and laptop on the counter. “How do you know the Stantons? Did you go to school with Ronni and Remi?”
I shake my head. “No. I grew up here in Pine Valley, they grew up in the city.”
“There’s a high school here?”
I laugh. “I know it’s a small community, and no, no high school in Pine Valley itself. There’s one southeast of here. After graduation, I worked construction in the city as well as helped my parents with their cabins and property. Decided to go to San Diego City College to learn the HVAC trade. It’s no longer offered there, instead, it’s at a Tech school; and a good one at that.”
She does that staring and smiling again.
“TMI?”
Tiana laughs. “Not at all. You’re a fountain of information. Tell me more about your parents’ cabins.”
I smile. “Well, my parents own rental cabins not far from here. When Rhett and Rosemary visited the area years ago, renting one of the cabins, they had dinner with my parents and talked about wanting a vacation cabin of their own. My dad, Henry Driscoll, told them about this place, that it’d been empty awhile and that it’d need some work. They fell in love with it and within a year, this is the result.” I sweep my hand in the air.
Tiana glances around the living room and open kitchen area. “I love what I see so far. Looks like a nice mix of rustic with modern conveniences.” She walks into the kitchen to inspect the appliances, running her hands along the surface of the counter then the stove. “Makes me wish I’d brought more supplies so I could experiment with more recipes.”
“There is a small store in town. Not sure it’d have all you’d need.”
“Maybe I’ll check it out tomorrow, do some sight-seeing.”
I chuckle. “Not sure there’s much sight-seeing to do in town. But if you’re looking for an excursion in nature, there’s a great trail not far from here. Pretty scenery and easy enough to do.” She remains quiet, just staring at me. “Sorry. You probably came here to relax, maybe do some work on your laptop, not go trekking around with-”
“I’d like that, Gavin.”
“Yeah?”
