The receptionist's head volleyed between us before Maria cleared her throat.
"Thanks, Rach," Maria acknowledged, her eyes never leaving mine.
Rach's face fell. "Okay," she whined. She made to turn before she swiveled back to me. "Oh, and thank you for the muffins, Brian." And with a cheeky wink, she flounced off.
Maria's mouth twitched in shared amusement. She gestured me in, and I closed the door before moving closer. The room smelled like her; sweet and floral.
I rubbed the back of my neck. "I didn't really think this through. I was in the area, and I…"couldn't wait until Saturday to see you, so I made up a reason to leave for lunch so I could detour to the other side of town to see you"...thought I'd stop in to see if you're free for lunch."
"No, yeah. That's so sweet." Maria rubbed her hands down her thighs again before glancing at her computer screen. "Uh..."
Shit.
"Sorry, I should've called first. You're probably busy."
Her beautiful face twisted in apology. "Yeah, I am."
My body deflated.
"But," she sat back down and sent me a hopeful smile. "I was planning on ordering in. You wanna join me? As long as you don't mind me doing some typing while we eat."
A wide smile lit my face. "Yeah, of course, I don't mind. Tell me what you want, and I'll get it."
After picking up a couple of sandwiches, a soda for me, and something called Bubble Tea for Maria, I hurried back. I ignored the knowing smirks from her colleagues on the floor as I swept past them in my haste to return to her. Maria cleared her desk, and we laid our food on the wrappers.
"I have to say, I'm impressed with your salon. I can't say I've been in too many, but I like what you've done with the space."
Maria shot me a shy smile as she sipped her milky tea. She moved the computer mouse around her screen, clicking at random. I watched a few dark, small spheres shoot up her straw and wondered how she didn't choke.
"Thanks. It took a lot of sweat, tears, and money, but I'm super proud of it."
On our first date, Maria chatted about her first job sweeping floors of a hairdresser's shop at sixteen. She then progressed to a receptionist before starting an apprenticeship with a head stylist. Her job paid partial costs of her courses since it benefited them to keep her on and receive practical training. The rest was pure grit and a lot of sacrifices.
The more I learned about her, the more my respect and admiration deepened. Even more so since it was my understanding that most of her success was achieved on her own. On our first date, she casually mentioned that her mom hadn't been in her life for years. She didn't offer any more details, and I had the distinct impression it was a sore subject for her, as I would expect when you're estranged from a parent.
"I've always wanted to own my own business," she continued. "I've never been good at taking orders, and I like relying on myself for my own success."
I chewed as I regarded her words. "The master of your destiny?"
Her head bobbed. "Yeah. I've been working for a long time. I've had employers skip out on paying me, take advantage of me, or not pay me for the skill level I deserve. I promised myself I'd never be in a position where I'm at someone else's mercy."
I wasn't surprised by her answer. I was quickly learning that Maria was fiercely independent and headstrong. Qualities that might seem off-putting to some guys, but for me it enhanced her overall appeal.
"I get that," I slowly nodded. "Being self-employed can be tiring and hard work at times. But the positives definitely outweigh the negatives. For example, I get to squeeze in a second date with you during my work hours, and I won't get in trouble for it," I teased.
Maria picked off a piece of bread, her red lips fighting a smile. "Second date, huh?"
"Yep. We're having a meal in an intimate setting. Definitely a second date."
She sent me a coy look from beneath long lashes. "Well, Iwasthinking that Da Vinci's Grove was more of a third-date kinda deal," she quipped.
I threw my head back and laughed. "Another perk of being a boss—I can afford to take you to a place like that."
Maria giggled, locking eyes with me. Noise seemed to fade as we grinned at each other like fools. She looked so goddamn beautiful in a long-sleeved white silk blouse, tight black pants, and some sexy black heels. I had to tear my eyes away when I started envisioning her ass on her desk, her legs wrapped around my waist with those heels digging into my back.
That brief yet scorching kiss we shared did nothing to sate my appetite. In fact, it whet it more knowing that the chemistry between us would implode in bed if I were lucky enough to get that far with her.
Given the soft crimson stain on her cheeks, Maria must've sensed where my thoughts were. She bent her head, her dark silky locks falling around her stunning features, hiding her true reaction.
