Okay, yeah. I might be a little crazy about the guy.
When I walked inside the meeting room, I was surprised to see Monroe having a heart-to-heart with a new face. Some good-looking surfer type with streaky blond hair and a killer tan. Their conversation looked intense, emotional, and extremely personal. For privacy, I averted my gaze, debating whether I should leave the room, when Press rushed in.
“Hi, sorry I’m late. I’m running my end-of-winter sale, so it was busy. Not that I’m complaining.”
“Good. Glad to hear.”
“Oh, yeah. All these men wanting to buy jewelry for their wives, girlfriends, or daughters.” He chuckled. “Sometimes it’s hard to tell who’s who.” He took off his coat and draped it over the back of the chair. Stray snowflakes stuck to his cheeks and glistened in the overhead lights. His thick hair had grown a bit longer than when I first met him, and I liked running my hands through its silkiness and holding it tight when I pushed inside him…
Okay, cut it out. No hard-ons in grief counseling.
“I missed you this week.”
His eyes smoldered. “I missed you too. I was stuck in some crappy hotel room in the middle of nowheresville. And all they had was straight porn. I needed three drinks from the bar to make myself tired enough to fall asleep.”
Unease trickled through me. “Did you meet anyone, talk to them?”
“Yeah. A few people I’ve known from the industry for years.” He cast me an amused glance. “Nate, are you jealous?” He put his hand on my thigh. “No one under the age of seventy. I know them from when my father owned the store.”
Relief made me weak, and I felt foolish. “Sorry. I’m an idiot.”
“Yeah, you are. Why would I look anywhere else when I’m with you?”
My damn father had left me with some major league trust issues for sure.
“It was supposed to be casual and fun.”
“Guess we can’t always plan how things like this go.”
Things like this…What the hell was going on here? I was almost afraid to ask.
“Well, all I know is that I missed you and I want you to come home with me tonight.”
“You do? But don’t you have work tomorrow? I have to open the store at ten. A customer is coming in to look at a Georgian sterling tea service and several other pieces. If she buys everything I’m hoping for, I’ll have enough with my other savings to put a nice down payment on a gorgeous one-bedroom I’ve been coveting.”
“I’ll make sure you won’t be late. Trust me, I know just the way to wake you up.”
Press’s dark eyes flashed. “I’ll bet you do. But I don’t have—”
“Yeah, you do. I bought you underwear in your size. Three colors. Plus a fresh white shirt.”
Stunned didn’t begin to describe Press’s reaction to my words.
“What? You did all that just to get me to stay?”
“Not to get you to stay. To show you how much I want you to.” People began to file into the room, and the seats filled up. Our conversation had to end. “Please come home with me?”
“You make it hard to say no.”
“Then don’t. Say yes.”
Monroe rose from his chair, and the man he’d been speaking with walked out after giving Monroe a long, soulful look. “Shall we get started, everyone? I know it’s cold and snowy outside, and people don’t want to stay too late.”
I nudged Press. “We’ll talk afterward.”
“How has everyone been doing lately? Any breakthroughs or setbacks you might want to talk about?”
Leo, the widower, began. “I talked to one of my neighbors, whose husband died last year. She was chasing after her cat, who’d run out of her apartment, and when I heard all the commotion, I ran out to help catch him.” He had a sparkle in his eyes and was definitely more animated than at previous meetings. “She thanked me by making dinner, and I helped fix a few things she needed.”
