Luke smiles at me as he tucks the cards back into the box. “You could totally do this, you know.”
“Do what?”
“Open a board game cafe.”
I cast my gaze over the games and coffee counter again. A cheer goes up from one of theCatanguys and I smile.
Could I do this?
A tingle zips up my spine at the thought of owning this place, coming here every day, spending my time surrounded by coffee and books and games. It would be a nerd’s haven; they’d come by the dozens, and—
I deflate as reality hits. I mean, what nerds? Only a handful of like-minded people live in my town at best, and somehow I don’t think that’s enough to sustain an entire business.
I set my coffee down with a sigh. “I don’t think so.”
“Why not? We already talked about the business stuff. You can learn that.”
“I know,” I say, tracing my finger around the rim of my cup. “And you’re probably right. But there’s a lot more to it than that. It wouldn’t work in my town. There aren’t enough nerds.” I watch a group at another table as a heated debate breaks out over the game’s rules.
Luke follows my gaze and chuckles. “Yeah, you need the nerds. Have you ever thought about doing it somewhere else?”
I shrug. While I’d spent a lot of time choosing paint colors and imagining the floor plan, I’d never mapped out the practical details of starting this business, because I’d always dismissed it as unrealistic. But now that I’m sitting in this blissful place, I almost can’t imaginenotdoing it.
“You could do it in New York.”
I choke on a laugh. “You’re kidding.”
“Why not?”
I study his face. He’s serious; he actually thinks I could just move to New York, like,no big deal. As if starting a business wasn’t daunting enough, I couldalsomove to the other side of the planet—to a city that terrifies me—to pursue this crazy idea of starting my own cafe.
Except, it’s notthatcrazy, is it? This cafe was once the dream of its owner. People start businesses all the time. And this place is busy; four more tables have filled up since the vibrator fiasco. If they can do it, why can’t I?
And as for New York… I feel a nervous sort of exhilaration when I stop to think about it, because I’m not nearly as scared as I was when I first arrived. I might not have conquered the subway yet, but I’m comfortable in the West Village and getting cabs to Luke’s place in Chelsea. I’m getting there.
I glance again at Luke, wondering how he’s managed to do this—to take something that I assumed was a fantasy and make me consider it as a possibility. Despite the din around us, all of his attention is focused on me, on my dream of running a cafe like this.
“Maybe.” Because maybeIcouldn’t do this, but… could Harriet 2.0?
I shift uneasily as realization washes over me. I was so mad at Luke for not telling me he was married on the plane, but I lied too. No wonder he believes I could move here and open a cafe. He thinks I’m my fearless alter ego.
But I’m not, am I? She’s a fantasy self I tried on to impress a sexy stranger on a plane because I thought I’d never see him again.
Oh God. I’m a complete hypocrite.
And just like that, all my anger towards him seems unjustified. Especially when I consider how sweet he’s been.
“Luke…” I rub my forehead and exhale. “I’m sorry if I’ve been kind of a bitch to you.”
“When?”
“Just, you know, when I found out you were married and all that.”
He chuckles. “It’s okay. I can understand why you were angry that I didn’t tell you.”
“Yeah, but you’re right—we both thought we’d never see each other again.”
His eyes track over my face. “I’m glad we did though,” he says, and my pulse surges. We stare at each other for one, two, three beats, the air between us crackling. His gaze ignites with something both foreign and familiar, and my mouth goes dry.
