But as I parked my car and grabbed my portfolio, the lingering memory of last week at the school gate came rushing back. Will. And her.
I tried to shake it off. There was no room for distraction, not today. Lori would expect me to come prepared and polished, and I refused to let her—or myself—down.
The space was still a construction zone, dust swirling in the late morning sunlight. Workers buzzed around with clipboards and blueprints, and the faint sound of hammering echoed from the unfinished walls.
“Morning, Natalie!” Lori’s sharp, energetic voice cut through the chaos. She strode toward me, a phone in one hand and a coffee cup in the other, effortlessly commanding attention.
“Morning,” I replied, forcing a smile as I fell into step beside her.
“We’ll be meeting with the leasing agent and a couple of restaurant owners today,” she said, barely glancing up from her phone. “Oh, and the agent is bringing his team, so you’ll want to have your initial design ideas ready to discuss.”
Her words registered slowly, a sinking feeling settling in my stomach. Leasing agent. His team.
And then I heard his voice.
I turned, and there he was, standing near the entrance with a clipboard in hand, and laughing at something one of his colleagues said.
Will Parker.
He looked different—polished, confident, and entirely in his element. His blond hair was neatly combed, and he wore a tailored navy blazer that made him look every bit the successful professional.
For a moment, I froze. I guess I knew it was a possibility that he’d be involved in a project like this one, but I’d hoped to be saved from that torture.
“Natalie, are you coming?” Lori asked, already halfway across the room.
“Uh, yeah,” I stammered, quickly falling into step behind her.
Will noticed me then. His eyes locked on mine, just for a second, and the air seemed to shift between us. But instead of the acknowledgment I’d expected—or feared—he turned back to his team, his expression unreadable.
Lori led me to the center of the space, gesturing between us.
“I’ll leave youtwoto get started,” she said casually, a knowing look flickering across her face. “You’ve worked together before, so I’m sure you’ll pick this up quickly.”
Will stepped forward, his expression neutral, though I caught the faintest flicker of something in his eyes.
“Natalie,” he said, extending his hand. His tone was polite, professional. Too professional.
I took his hand, maintaining the same careful distance. “Will.”
His handshake lingered for a second longer than it should have, and I couldn’t help but notice the way his jaw tightened.
“It’s good to see you again,” he said evenly.
“Likewise,” I replied, pretending I didn’t already know the exact way his hand felt on my body or how his lips tasted.
The meeting went as smoothly as I could have hoped, though I could feel Will’s presence like a gravitational pull, no matter how hard I tried to ignore it. He asked questions about the design plan, nodding thoughtfully at my responses.
When the meeting wrapped, Lori turned to me. “Natalie, can you email me the finishes we’re considering for the restaurant?”
“You got it,” I said, jotting a quick note in my notebook.
As the rest of the group dispersed, Lori included, Will lingered.
“Looks like we’ll be working together,” he said finally, his voice low enough that only I could hear.
“It seems that way,” I replied, keeping my tone neutral, though my heart was pounding.
He hesitated, his gaze searching mine. “You okay with that?”
