I reached for it, and she let her touch linger. Her fingertips were grazing the back of my hand. I glanced at her.
“Call me…” she doubled down. “For business. Or if you want someone who’s really good with numbers after hours.”
I raised my eyebrows as she crossed her legs at the ankle and smoothed the wrinkles from her skirt.
“After hours, huh?”
She shrugged innocently, but her eyes didn’t match the act.
“Yes, after hours. You’d be surprised how flexible my schedule can get. Especially when it’s someone I already know.” She gave a small smirk as her eyes slowly raked my body, then came back up to my face.
“Cedes, you were never this bold.”
“No, Tim. I wasalwaysthis bold. But now my outer appearance just makes you pay attention to it,” she corrected me.
I didn’t respond to her right away. I wasn’t here to mix business with pleasure. I had to make a decision. The rates she provided for me would be sure to get us another good wave ofcustomers, but she was already trying cross a boundary. I wasn’t fucking with that.
Tucking the card into my pants. I stood to leave. “Cedes, I’m not sure how the branch manager would feel knowing you’re the reason this partnership didn’t go through,” I laughed as I passed her.
“Timothy, please. If you want a professional relationship, I can do that. But I didn’t expect the man who threw my love letter away fifteen years ago to walk into the office and look as good as the day I last saw him.”
She laughed at my confusion as she sucked her bottom lip.
“What are you talking about, Cedes?” I questioned.
“The day we moved, I wrote a letter to you. I told you I liked you, said goodbye, and gave you my cell phone number so we could keep in touch. I watched you in the cafeteria when Tatiana gave you the letter. You held it in your hand for about two minutes, never opened it, and threw it in the trash.” She smiled. But it never reached her eyes.
“I don’t remember that at all, but that was fucked up. My bad, I guess,” I apologized.
“It’s fine, Tim. It was definitely the beginning of my villain story, that’s for sure.” She laughed, making me laugh.
Although I don’t remember the day she mentioned, I didn’t doubt her story. I’d always had tunnel vision about Breeze. She was the only girl I saw, especially back then; she had my head fucked up.
She closed the space between us when I laughed, close enough that I could smell her perfume. It was something soft and warm that didn’t match the sharp glare of her eyes.
“I know you don’t remember,” she spoke quietly. “You never had to.”
I turned slightly toward her, meaning to keep things light, but she reached out before I could say anything. Her fingers closed around my wrist, gentle but firm, stopping me mid-step.
“Relax.” She scoffed, thumb brushing slowly over the inside of my wrist. “I’m not trying to ruin your marriage or your business.” Her hand slid just a little higher, resting briefly against my forearm. “I was just making my point that I was still as bold, just invisible back then.”
I swallowed but didn’t speak. Then I looked down at where she was touching me. She followed my gaze, then met my eyes again without pulling away.
“You see me now, though. Don’t you?” she asked.
She wasn’t aggressive, just sure. Like she had found her confidence and used it to her advantage. This version of Cedes, I’m sure, got what she wanted when she wanted. After a beat, I pulled away from her; her fingers trailed my arm and brushed my abs.
“Go. Think about the rates. Think about the partnership with the bank. And think about the fact that some people don’t forget you… even when you forget them.” She stepped backward, trying to snap her professionalism back in place.
“Appreciate it, Cedes.” I nodded. Unsure of what else to say, I went toward the door and reached for the handle.
Behind me, she added softly, “Tim, it’s still there. The next time that you come in here, don’t act like you don’t feel it.”
I didn’t turn around.
I walked through the lobby with the contracts, waving to the tellers and bankers as I left. My mind raced with thoughts about Breeze; she and I had already agreed we might have solo encounters. Until now, though, I planned to let her take the lead if it ever happened. I always felt that if she found someone, I would too, but I didn’t want to act before she was ready. With Mercedes, who was bad and familiar, I could avoid the pressureof explaining my intentions to someone new. Cedes already understood my loyalty to Breeze.
I jumped into my truck and headed back to the dealership, my mind racing. Once I pulled into the parking lot, I drove toward my designated spot, and the one next to it was empty, which meant that Breeze still wasn’t here. She hadn’t been here before I left, either.
