Plopping back down onto the bench, I tried to steady the tremor in my hands while trying my best to control my emotions. Nikki's office was only a few blocks away so I could walk over there to get a ride home, but then I ran the risk of showing up only to have her be gone. I couldn't remember whether or not she had a trial today.Shit.
A long figure stopped in front of me and I looked up, expecting to see green eyes and lightly tanned skin, but the eye color was off, it was a shade of sea foam green and the skin color was a creamy white. "Do you need some help?" the stranger asked in a gravelly voice.
"I don't know," I replied, taking in the polo shirt he had on with the aquarium's name stitched neatly over a pocket. The man was really good-looking and I meanreallygood looking. He was almost as hot as Tristan with a straight nose, flat forehead, inky black hair, and full lips. Fuck me. I was worried about being abandoned but didn't waste any time in checking out the nice employee like the hussy I was. Ha.
The man squatted down so he was almost eye level with me. "I've been watching you for awhile," he said before grunting, pink coloring the cartilage of his ears. "That makes me sound like a stalker, I'm sorry. What I mean to say is that you look lost."
I giggled a little at his words because he did sound like a creep by saying he'd been watching me. Hell, he was a hot creep so I was okay with it. "I came with my friend and he disappeared."
"Have you tried calling him?"
I pointed at my leggings and lack of pockets. "I left my phone in his car and I don't have his number memorized," panic laced my words at the end. I knew there wasn't a real reason to freak out but my body couldn't comprehend it.
"Boyfriend?" he asked slowly with a twitch of his cola colored eyebrows.
"No," I told him, trying to fight back a smile at his question.
This time the man smiled. "Do you want to wait a little while longer and see if he shows up?"
I had to remind myself that if I left it would probably be harder to find him. I'd gone on quite a few field trips with my kids that the words my mantra to them, floated through my brain.If you get lost, stay where you are. Did it count if I was technically not lost but Tristan might be? I voted yes. Looking at my watch briefly, it was barely three. If Nikki was at work she normally didn't leave until closer to five, so I was safe to catch a ride but only as long as long as she was there.
"Yeah, I should probably just wait a few minutes."
He nodded, gesturing toward a spot on the bench right next to me with his head. "Do you mind if I wait with you?"
"Of course not," I told him as he straightened up, and then sat down. "I'm Katherine," I outstretched my hand in his direction.
"It's nice to meet you," he said, shaking my hand. "I'm Kieran."
"Kieran," I sounded it out. "That's a neat one. Irish?"
He nodded, a big smile covering the lower half of his face. "First generation."
"Nice." I pointed at the stitching on his polo. "Do you work here, or do you just wear that for fun?"
Kieran laughed, and then explained that he was a biologist, which I thought was really cool. Then he asked me what I did, launching us into a conversation about being a teacher and school in general. He'd just turned thirty and loved working at the aquarium. Our conversation flowed easily and quietly for short minutes that fell right after another in a domino effect. It was easy to forget that I might have been abandoned by someone that I cared about more than he deserved at this point.
"Kat!" a familiar voice exclaimed from the entrance to the exhibit.
I was so focused on Kieran's raspy voice that it took me a second to look up and find Tristan speed walking in my direction as he looked back and forth between Kieran and I. His face was flushed and desperate as he made his way over. "Where were you?" I managed to ask, standing up to face him.
"Walter called me and there was a problem we needed to resolve," he hesitated. "I'm so, so sorry I left you here for so long," he apologized, finally reaching me. He reached up to grasp my shoulder, but his eyes stationed themselves on my new acquaintance. His look was anything but friendly as Kieran stood up as well. Tristan was just an inch taller, I noticed.
I was stuck between introducing them to each other and just letting the awkward silence continue, but Kieran cleared his throat and faced me instead before smiling gently. "I should be getting back to work, but it was a pleasure meeting you, Katherine." He fished in his pocket for a moment before handing me a business card. "I'd really like to get to know you better... please feel free to e-mail or call me," he winked and my ovaries started screaming, "If you'd like."
I nodded at him in response, watching him take a few steps away before Tristan's steaming presence next to me brought my attention back to him. I felt really irked all of a sudden, I thought it was the fact that he did in fact leave the exhibit without so much as at least telling meI'll be right back. I wouldn't have cared if he needed to talk to Walter for whatever porn-related issue he had going on. I felt betrayed, and by the look on his face I knew he could tell that I was a little upset with him.
"I'm sorry, goldie. I had to run out to my car and it took a lot longer than I expected," he sighed, staring at me with those intense gem colored eyes.
"I thought you left me."
His face took on a pained expression at my words. "I'd never leave you, you should know that."
You should know that. It drove a microscopic stake into my heart. I shrugged in his direction while averting my eyes to the wall behind him. "Okay," slipped out of my mouth, but even I could hear the frustration that tainted my words.
"Goldie," he whispered.
He sighed too loudly and wrapped his arms around me, one over my shoulders and the other across the middle of my back. His warm lips pressed against my temple, making it the first time he'd ever put his lips directly on my skin without the excuse of sleep, and I felt the hairs on the back of my neck prickle up in response to his affection. He brushed those full lips against my other temple while tightening his hug. "You're my favorite person in the world, Kat. I could never forget about you."
