“I know. I have interesting stories to go with it,” I quipped back. He liked my answer. His face warmed, and he leaned closer to the counter. Maybethiswas what I needed. Casually flirting. Maybe a date. I hadn’t gone on one since Derrick six months ago. A date would keep my mind away from my off-limits roommate.
“Are you a student here?” I asked, not hiding my interest. I got a to-go cup ready and poured the fresh brew into it.
“Yes. Grad student, that is.” He had his hands in his pocket and watched as I put the lid on and slid the coffee to him on the counter. “Thank you.”
“Of course. This is my job.” I winked. “That’ll be three bucks.”
He handed me a credit card, and I swiped it, going through the motions and catching his gaze three more times. Oh yeah, this guy was into me, but I wasn’t going to make it easy on him. “Here you go.”
“So, Ryann, are you a student here too?”
“Yup.” I popped the ‘p’ and frowned when someone else came up to the counter. The handsome man took a step back and held my gaze for a second before he shrugged. The woman ordered five drinks for her study group and left a decent tip, which was nice, but seeing the guy still waiting there made my stomach flutter just a bit.
It wasn’t anything like earning a smile from Jonah, but it was still there. The fact I intrigued him was good for my ego. “Finish your coffee already?”
“No, actually. I forgot about it as I waited for an opportunity to talk to you again.”
“Great line.” I nodded and smiled at him. “Almost worth giving you my number.”
“Oh, what would do it then?”
“Your name.”
“Zach George.”
“Two first names? That’s unfortunate.”
He grinned and moved closer. “So, Ryann, can I have your number? I’ve seen you here a few times, and you have the best smile.”
“Okay, that was a much better line. Yes, you can.” I wrote it on a business card and passed it to him. “Nice to meet you, Zach George.”
His dimpled grin was the perfect distraction, and I didn’t think of Jonah the entire time. This was good. Better than good.
I helped three more customers before Hannah strolled in looking flushed and upset. “Han, I can stay if you want me to.”
“No, no, I should be here. My ex wants to introduce his newgirlfriendto Preston, and the divorce papers aren’t even done yet. It makes me so angry I could just… just…punch his stupid face!”
My heart broke, and I frowned. “I’ll punch him. You can’t do anything where the court can get involved. Text me a location and I’ll do it.”
She snort-laughed like I wanted her to before groaning. “The worst part of it is that he’ll be in my life forever. I won’t keep Preston from his father, but there isn’t a light at the end of the tunnel. I’ll always have to talk to him or share things with him no matter what. Maybe when Preston is older, but then if he gets married or has kids....”
“Sure, but it’ll get easier. I’m sorry, Hannah.” I meant it too and waited to see what she needed. She got an apron on and shooed me with a flick of her wrist. “You sure you want me to go?” I asked.
“Yes. I’d rather you be here on days I have P so I can enjoy time with him.”
I nodded and eyed her another second. One reason I admired her so much was that she threw herself into her job and took pride in making a profit. She never let her personal life affect her customer service skills, and even now, a minute after she had frustration written on her face, she smiled with a customer like she was having a great day.
Knowing she trusted me warmed my chest. Like,maybewe were friends. I swept the main area to help her and then clocked out, grabbing my phone and headphones to make the short walk back home.
My pace quickened as I hustled back to the house, and nerves took over. Michael wanted toensurethe stairs were okay, but I knew it was more to check out the living situation. Maybe this was a good thing—having my brother at the place where I almost kissed Jonah was the dose of reality I needed. I refused to hurt my brother, and kissing Jonah in secret would do just that.
Content with my new resolve, I climbed the stairs and unlocked the door. The familiar scent of lemon cleaner hit me, and I smiled at the trio of guys staring at me. “Honey, I’m home!”
No one smiled except Patrick. He liked it a lot.
“Okay, it was a joke. God, what did I walk in on? Were you comparing stats or something?”
“I thought it was funny, Ry.”
