Samira watched the angry guest walk away before she took a moment to close her eyes and rub her aching temples. She’d been working on a headache since lunch, and she hoped that last interaction wouldn’t be enough to push her over the edge. It was nearly time to go home, and she preferred to spend her evening relaxing, and not in the bed with a migraine.
She opened her eyes to see Andy standing in the entrance. As soon as she made eye contact, he made his way over. He wore his favorite pair of jeans and a gray hooded sweatshirt, and he was the best thing she’d seen all week. She had no control over the grin that spread across her face.
“What are you doing here?” she asked as she made her way around the desk to greet him.
Without hesitating, he pulled her into his arms and buried his face in her hair. She hadn’t wanted to draw attention to him, but once she was in his arms, she didn’t care what anyone thought.
“I missed you. I wanted to see you, but you never told me your address. Is it okay that I just showed up here? I can go back home if it’s not,” Andy said as he stood back and pinned her with his gaze.
“Samira. Introduce me to your friend,” Andrea requested after appearing out of nowhere.
“Oh. Yes. This is Andy,” she said with a gesture in his direction. “Andy, meet Andrea.”
She watched as Andrea gave him an appreciative once-over. Once she had finished, she reached out her hand. “It is so nice to meet you. I’ve heard a lot about you. It’s good to put a facewith the name. If Samira would have told me you were coming, I would have insisted she take off early.”
Andy politely shook her hand. “Well, she wasn’t expecting me. I hope I’m not getting her in trouble showing up here. I can wait until she’s finished. Do I need to be a guest to go to the restaurant?”
Samira had to fight her irritation when Andrea placed a hand on Andy’s arm. “Don’t be silly!” Andrea said before turning her attention to Samira. “You go ahead and get out of here. Your shift is over in a few minutes anyway. No reason to keep him waiting after that long drive. I’ll see you tomorrow.”
Samira wasn’t sure if she should be embarrassed or grateful. She settled on a combination of the two. After picking up her jacket and purse from behind the desk, she mumbled a thanks and led Andy to the door. It was impossible to properly react to his being there when she felt like all eyes were on her.
The cool evening air was enough to snap her into reality. She turned to face him once they were clear of the main entrance. “What are you doing here?”
Andy’s sincere green gaze didn’t move from hers. Her skin heated in anticipation when his eyes focused on her mouth. He took a few cautious steps forward, closing the distance between them, and placed his hands on either side of her face holding her in place. His lips were soft but demanding when he kissed her. She closed her eyes and parted her lips allowing a soft moan of appreciation.
“I needed to see you,” he said after stepping back to look at her. “It’s been a shitty week on the boat. I hate being out in this weather. I know you had nothing to do with my furniture shop, but I really need to know that you’re behind me before I take the leap.”
Samira looked at him in surprise. “You know I am. I’ve been telling you to do what makes you happy since before I even knew about your shop. I know you’ve got this.”
Andy released a breath and pulled her close. “Thank you.”
“You don’t have to thank me. Now, how long do I get to keep you? I know it’s a long drive.”
“How long do you want me? I cleared my schedule for the rest of the week. Eddy will be on the boat with his nephew. I was fed up. I do need to get to the shop, but that’s flexible.”
Samira took his hand and started walking in the direction of her apartment. “Are you hungry?”
Andy’s mouth lifted into a smile before he nodded. “I can always eat.”
“Chinese?”
“I haven’t had Chinese food in ages. Sounds good.”
“Takeout …?”
“Sounds even better,” Andy said with a smile filled with promise.
There was a Chinese restaurant down the street from Samira’s apartment and the food was better than any Chinese food she could remember eating down home. She was excited to share one of her favorite meals with Andy and for him to see the home that she had made for herself. She was proud of her apartment. It was a far cry from the small hotel room that was included in her salary when she first started working there.
Andy held onto their food while Samira unlocked the door to her apartment. “I hope you like it.”
He stepped inside and looked around. Samira took the bags from his hand and set them on the counter before looking at her apartment with a critical eye. Bright splashes of color accented the dark exposed brick wall. The exposed beams were what sold her on the place. It had a modern feel, but she had added her own touches to make it look and feel like home.
“I love it,” he said once he had stepped all the way inside and looked around. “It looks like you.”
Samira had to smile at the compliment. Her main goal was to have her own space and make it reflect her personality. Andy couldn’t have come up with a better compliment if he tried. She brought him the rest of the way in and showed him around.
“This is the kitchen,” she said as she gestured to the area on the other side of the island where she’d set the food. The loft had an open concept and the only thing separating the kitchen from the rest of the apartment was the island and four chairs.
