With the weather easing up, the café wasn't as full, so I moved towards an empty table and spoke quickly with my client who was running twenty minutes late. Usually, I would've been annoyed, except this was the perfect opportunity for me to walk Maria back to her salon. Maybe book an appointment to have my hair cut by her.
After I ended the call, I turned back to our table, expecting to see Maria's beautiful face beaming back at me. My footsteps faltered and then stalled when I saw our table empty. Not even her tote bag was there anymore. Puzzled, I glanced around the café, hoping to spot her at the counter. She couldn't have just left, could she? Surely, I wasn't gone that long, maybe thirty seconds at best.
I slowly moved back to our table; the feeling of disappointment that Maria bailed made my legs feel like lead. I continued to glance around the café, hoping she was just using the bathroom but I knew in my heart she'd left. I thought back to our conversation over the last thirty minutes. There was definite flirtation on both our parts, and I could've sworn I saw a subtle nod when I asked her to stay while I took this call.
I stopped short when my gaze landed on the table she’d abandoned. A twenty dollar note lay under the salt and pepper shakers. It more than covered the coffee and muffin she had, but that wasn't what had my heart in my throat.
Shit.No, no, no.
My wallet was open exactly how I'd left it.
And staring up at me, as clear as day, was a photo of Hannah and me that I kept in the clear photo pocket.
Our wedding photo.
There was no mistaking my face, smiling brightly for the camera as Hannah stared adoringly up at me.
Well, fuck.
Chapter 6
Maria
"Um...are you okay?"
I glanced up and glared at Linda for startling me. My mood didn't bother her as she leaned on the door jamb, her flat stomach and blue diamond belly ring out in full display. I didn't impose a dress code at work, and some of my more eccentric team members took full advantage. I didn't mind. Goodness knows I've turned up to work looking like I could double as an escort.
I'd been in my office for three hours, even choosing to blow through lunch. I had no appointments today, so decided to focus on clearing out my emails and socials before projecting the stock I needed for the upcoming months. I was finding it hard to concentrate—probably because all I had today was an iced coffee—so I wasn't thrilled at having my rhythm disturbed.
"Yeah. Why wouldn't I be?" My eyes returned to my screen as I resumed clicking the pen I was holding in rapid movements.
"Well, for starters, you've been swearing at your computer screen for the past half an hour, and you bit poor Tony's head off when he was ten minutes late with our case of conditioners." She folded her arms and arched her brow at me. "You're being more bitchy than usual."
I pressed my mouth into a hard line as I tossed my pen on the table. Linda's gaze followed its movement as it bounced off the edge before landing on the carpet. She fixed me with a pointed stare. Giving up the pretense, I sighed, rubbing at the spot between my eyes that was starting to throb. I knew I was being extra grumpy lately. It was the reason why I sequestered myself in my office. I didn't want my cantankerous attitude to bleed into my team's work environment. They were already giving me a wide berth.
"You got your period or something?"
My breath let out in another little huff. I grabbed the mouse and started to log out of my emails. There was no point continuing to work when my mood was so sour. "Why can women get away with asking that but not men?"
"Because men are insensitive idiots."
I rolled my eyes as I clicked on the shutdown icon. "Ain't that the truth," I grumbled.
"Uh oh. Trouble in love land?" Linda moved further into my office, taking liberties to sit across from me. She bent to grab the pen that had the misfortune of being in my line of fire, popping it back into my glass pen holder that doubled as a paperweight.
"I'd have to have a love life first for there to be trouble," I muttered. I took the pen back out of the holder and scribbled a reminder to confirm a bridal trial for Saturday.
"Ouch. I thought you had something going with Logan?"
My cheeks heated as I smoothed the reminder note onto my monitor. I'd stupidly confided in Linda that I was seeing Logan, determined to hold my head up high after the disaster that wasSimon. Despite my dented heart, I wanted people to know I'd dusted myself off and got straight back on the horse.
When it became clear that Logan's intentions were purely sexual and he had no interest in me beyond the bedroom, I’d stopped mentioning him altogether. Too bad I hadn’t stopped sleeping with him.
"I broke it off." Ghosted him was more accurate, but I doubt he cared.
"Oh." Linda's pretty face pinched in sympathy, which annoyed me. I didn't need her pity. "Sorry."
I waved off her concern and shoved my keyboard away from me. "Don't be. He was actually kind of a dick, but what else is new,” I shrugged. “I seem to attract losers."
