Just then, the buzzer went off for her apartment, which was at least forty decibels too loud for her humble one-bedroom.
“Hold on, someone’s here.”
“Did you order anything?”
“Don’t think so. Gimme a sec.” Cierra walked over to the intercom.
“If you need to let me go, that’s fine.”
“You sure?”
“Yeah, we can talk more later.”
Cierra smiled. “I’d love that. Love you, Lisa. And congratulations. Tell Jess I love her too, okay?”
Cierra clicked out of the call before talking into the microphone. “Hello?”
A familiar voice came in on the other line. “Yes, um, I was wondering if you could tell me if this is the apartment of the viral Chef Cierra? We got bagels a week ago, and I just wanted to see if I could get an autograph.”
Stepping back from the small intercom, Cierra gasped with a sense of glee. “Um . . . yeah. Gimme me two minutes.”
She flipped her hair to one side and quickly put on a pair of tennis shoes and a workout dress before heading downstairs. The excitement of Julian’s unexpected house call dampened the angst she’d been feeling the past week over his slow texting speed. But he was here now. Mia had been right, she was reading into things.
There wasn’t a mental image in her mind of how he would look, but it certainly wasn’t in running shorts, trainers, and a revealing tank top, displaying his developed upper body. His smell was a mix of sweat and some kind of woodsy deodorant, and his skin was extra reflective of the sun, which was defining him even more.
“Julian . . . what are you doing here?”
“I was planning on texting you to ask if you were free this week, but then I realized your new place was along my running route,” he said, grinning with that look that made Cierra want to melt. “Are house calls still a thing? Am I being creepy right now?”
She laughed. “Maybe a little old-fashioned, but I like it.” She eyed a bouquet of daisies in his hand.
He followed her gaze, and with a big grin, held them out to her, “As a house-warming gift. For you.” She took them, inhaling their sweet scent. “Sorry I had to cancel earlier.”
“It’s alright,” she said. “It’s for the best, actually. My week ended up being way busier than I thought, too.”
“Regardless, I want to make it up to you.” A grin spread across Julian’s face. “If you tell me when you’re free, I’ll plan everything, okay? I have a way lighter week coming up.”
“I’d be down for that.”
“What about Saturday?”
“That should work.”
“All right then.” He leaned in and gave her a kiss on the cheek. “I’ll text you with details. See you then.”
As he started running down the street, the older woman who lived across the way nodded in approval of her male caller. Cierra waved at her before heading back inside, smiling to herself.
But on the walk upstairs, she remembered something he’d said which didn’t make sense — why had Julian referred to her as a “viral” chef? Then she recalled how earlier in the week, Mia had asked for the farmers' market footage to edit down for her intro video. She hadn’t expected that Mia could’ve gotten it done and posted that fast.
Cierra: did you already post the video???
Mia: yeah! People are loving it. Have you seen it?
Cierra: why didn’t you tell me?!
Mia: :)
Cierra: I really wish you would’ve let me see it first
