The name washed over me like a rainstorm in a hot desert. "Maria. That's a beautiful name." I bet it sounded even better when I groaned it in the throes of ecstasy.
Maria pulled her hand back quickly before snatching up her coffee mug. "Thanks," she mumbled over the rim.
"Thanks again for letting me sit here."
"Mmm, hmm," she hummed as she tipped her head back and downed the last of her coffee. I started to panic a little, fearing that she would take off now that she had no reason to stay.
"Weather's shit, isn't it?" I wanted to sink into the floor at my floundering conversation. I usually wasn't this clumsy. I was smooth, charming, and flirtatious. Maria had me sliding off my game.
She shifted in her seat, finally facing me fully. Her feet kissed mine before they hurriedly retreated. My boot itched to extend out to meet her feet again, but my dirty work boots were hardly worthy of touching her delicate toes.
Maria observed the dreary street. The roads were quiet, with the occasional vehicle slowly driving by, their wipers furiously swishing against the downpour. I eyed her outfit, wondering how she'd made it here without looking like a drowned rat. Her hair was in those sexy beach waves, her makeup immaculate, and there wasn't a drop of dampness on her dress.
"Are you on your lunch break?"
"Trying to be."
I gave her a wry grin. "Sorry. I'm interrupting your peace, aren't I?"
Her eyes searched my face, and again, I spied that flare of attraction; of interest. It was subtle and brief, but it was there. She found me equally as intriguing. Okay, maybe not equally,but there was at least a mutual attraction, and I had no problem leaning into that. Women who played hard to get quickly lost my interest, especially since I wasn't looking for anything serious. Yet something told me that Maria wasn't playing any games. She had her guard up, but it wasn't part of a tactic to lure me in.
"What did you order?" she asked instead of answering.
"Double cheeseburger, curly fries, and a coke."
She hummed, her fingers tapping against the table. "Share your fries with me, and I'll forgive you."
A small whoosh of air escaped me at her concession, and I felt like I’d won a game of high-stakes poker. "Deal." A fair trade.
The air of annoyance lifted as she shifted forward in her seat, letting me know through her subtle body language that my presence was finally welcome. A lightheartedness entered the atmosphere, and I settled back in my seat, trying not to let my eyes linger on her face too long.
"So, are you from New Haven?"
"Yes. You're not a local." It wasn't a question.
"No. I moved here with –" I stopped, not wanting to bring up Hannah. "I moved here a few years ago but live out in Dellwood. I work in New Haven a lot, and I have friends and family who live here."
She nodded slowly, and her long pink-tipped fingers continued tapping on the table with a lazy rhythm. "Where are you originally from?"
"New York."
Her eyes flared in surprise. "Wow. Big change. So, do you like living around these parts?"
"It took a while to get used to the slower pace," I carefully supplied. I didn't want to offend by telling her I missed the hustle and bustle of a bigger city. It got easier the longer I lived here, but I would always be a city boy at heart.
"You don't like it here."
My eyes widened at her acute frankness. She gave me a cheeky smile as she tilted her head at me. "You looked away, and your nose gave a little scrunch."
I laughed, running my hand on the back of my neck. "It's growing on me."
She tipped her head back and laughed. "Oh, my god. You hate living here." She broke out into dainty giggles, and I couldn't help laughing along with her infectious titter.
"I don't hate it," I insisted through chuckles. "It's just...different. It's a great town, and I do like it."
Her eyes were still full of mirth. "So why did you move here and why have you stayed?"
I finally dropped our eye contact. "I'm a builder by trade. Self-employed. I started contracting myself out to businesses around the county. Eventually, I hired two laborers to keep up with the demand, and now it's grown bigger." I shrugged. "So I stayed."
