He had to do whatever he could to show Josie he was serious about wanting her.
***
Stuck in traffic, Ares thumped his thumb on the wheel, biting the inside of his cheeks.He woke up wanting to see Josie, and he wasn’t going to let the miserable traffic deter him.He went to her home, knocked on the door to the kitchen, where Josie’s mother Fleur came to the door.
“Ares!It’s nice to see you.”
Fleur was a retired social service worker and spent a lot of time volunteering on various committees he knew from charity work.
“Hi Fleur.I was hoping to see Josie.”Ares peeked behind her and noticed the kitchen that was once a beehive of activity was dark.
“She works out of a restaurant now.Her business got too big for this space.”
“Oh,” Ares prided himself on his ability to be confident, of keeping calm standing in front of Josie’s mother, keenly aware that he was lusting after her daughter and there was a ten year—at least—age gap between made dread settle in his gut.
Fleur smiled.“I can tell you that you stopped by.”
“I was hoping to see her.I guess I could just text her.”Standing here, he felt like an inexperienced virgin.
If Josie really didn’t want to see him, he’d lick his wounds and leave her be.But he needed to hear it from her.And if he made her feel uncomfortable by giving her name to Chef McNabb, he wanted to apologize.
“The restaurant is called Pacific Bistro.”
“How trendy,” Ares murmured.“Thank you, Fleur.”
“The soup kitchen is always grateful for the Montagues’ annual donation.”
Ares laughed.“We and Henri Laurent are going to make a combined donation this year.He and Xander are going to do the photo op.”
“I know Xander hates those, but it helps.”
Ares chuckled.“He knows.See you later.”
“Goodluck Ares,” Fleur’s small smile didn’t make him feel lucky.
Now, he spotted the restaurant and then got stuck behind a delivery truck.
His phone was lit with so many calls needing his attention, but he didn’t care.All he wanted was to see Josie.
He parked behind the restaurant, hoping he wouldn’t get towed, and stepped out.The air was frosty, the sky overcast, the weather people were calling for flurries.
Shoving his hands in his pocket, he strolled to the alley in the back and found what he thought was a door.It had a speaker box and a keypad.He punched the keypad.
“Hello?”
Just hearing her voice made his pulse race.“It’s Ares.Can I come in?”
“I’m kind of busy.”
His chest grew tight, and a laugh bubbled up from deep inside.“I want five minutes of your time.”
Few people dared to make him wait.Only his brother.The fact that Josie didn’t treat him as if he was a big important somebody was one of his favourite things about her.But he wanted her to treat him as her somebody.
A long pageant moment stretched out and Ares wondered if he was making the biggest fool of himself before the door buzzed and he pulled it back, opening to a tiled hallway, leading right into a small kitchen.
Josie stood with her back to him at the stove, ladling something that smelled delicious into takeout bowls.Her hair was neatly pinned back, though one curl had escaped.The sight of her made his heart jump.
“Hello.”
