“Oh, sure. But no, I’m just here with my dad. Would you like to come in?”
“I don’t want to interrupt.”
“It’s okay.” And he would be a welcome diversion. Maybe we could stop talking about Slay. “I have a fresh pot of coffee and cookies.”
“That’s very tempting. Maybe one cup and one cookie.” Alek entered the building. He was a businessman of something…Exporting, I believed. He moved here a month ago and worked from home remotely.
“Wonderful.” I locked the door behind him. “Alek this is my dad, Fred. He’s visiting from Sacramento.”
The two shook hands while I grabbed a mug of coffee and a plate for Alek’s cookie.
“Have you been in America for long?” my dad asked. “Your accent is very thick.”
Oh my gosh, dad!Did he have to be so blunt?
“I travel back and forth. But when I’m here, I stay for several months at a time,” Alek graciously replied. He was always so proper and more refined than most men I knew. I found him charming and enjoyed his company.
“Here you are.” I placed the mug in front of him along with cream, remembering how he liked his coffee. Cream, no sugar.
“Thank you, Cassandra.” He gazed at me, then quickly directed his attention to his cup.
For a week or so, I’d suspected Alek liked me. He asked a lot of questions about me, my background and my likes and dislikes. All the things an interested man would ask, sort of like suitors back in the day who were looking for a wife.
But being the very shy person I was, I had not allowed myself to think such things. It would take me a long time to warm up to a man, no thanks to Slay. I saw him enough around town that it was difficult to put my ex out of my mind and move on.
Also, I might not be ready to move on.
I still cared deeply for Slay, even though I knew we could never be together. We were bonded many years ago. Our history, the good and bad had been cemented in my soul and would last for all eternity.
Slay had no idea how much I’d thought of him, especially every spring when I was reminded of all that I’d lost when I was only a teenage girl.
My dad and Alek fell into casual conversation. It was nice. I sat back and let them discuss politics and the weather, while I enjoyed my coffee.
And then…
Alek’s hand went on my thigh under the table. His gesture surprised me, and I stiffened.
I wasn’t sure what to do. My heart rate increased. Stomach twisting into knots. It appeared my dad hadn’t noticed anything, and I was glad.
Alek smiled and patted my leg in a sweet way.
So, he did like me.
Instead of freaking out, I tried to relax. Perhaps this was exactly what I needed. A kind, attentive man to take my mind off my past love. Someone I could move on with and finally get the life I dreamed about: love, husband, and a child.
I couldn’t wait to tell my sister about this new development. She’d been bugging me for years to get out of my bubble and find a man.
Well, I didn’t have to go anywhere. A charming man came to me out of nowhere.
The universe sometimes worked in a mysterious way, bringing two people together when they least expected it.
4
Slay
Yesterday hadn’t gone well with Cass. I’d been dying to see her. Now that I had a meeting scheduled in San Francisco with Remo and Fabio Ferrari, I had time to drop by her café.
“Where are you going, handsome?” Suzy appeared from the kitchen as I made my way out of the building.
