Forgot? I look like a hobo compared to him. He’s wearing designer jeans and a black tee that hugs his biceps. My outfit screamsI lost everything in a fire and am burned all the way down one arm.
“Did you order yet?” Levi whips out his card. “May I have an Americano with whatever she’s having?”
The barista stares at us, and I feel even more foolish. “I didn’t actually order anything. I don’t have my wallet anymore. Or maybe I do, but I don’t know where it is. And Raeann’s at work.” I open my purse and show him how empty it is. “I just grabbed it. I didn’t think.”
He drops his arm around me. “I am buying this brave woman whatever she wants,” he announces, his southern accent dripping honey all over the already generous sentiment.
“I’m not?—”
“Order something, Tabitha.”
The way he says it perks me right up. “Can I get that caramel latte?”
“And she wants a muffin, too,” Levi says.
“I’m okay,” I insist.
“Order a muffin, or I’ll order the worst one on the menu.”
“Chocolate chip?” I ask the barista.
She nods, and Levi says, “Make that two. Oh, and I’ll take a couple of those cookies and one of those brownies. Maybe a few more of those muffins.”
“Anything else?” the barista asks, a sly smile on her face.
He shakes his head and taps his card. The machine beeps, and Levi keeps his arm around me while we maneuver toward a table. “No one told me you were up and around. I’ve been begging Micah for info, but he’s always so cagey, the big lug.”
Part of that could be my fault. They knew I had a crush on him before, and they think… Well, I’m not sure what they think now. That my mindset isn’t right to handle normal conversation with someone the likes of Levi? Which is honestly stupid because it’s obvious he doesn’t see me like that. During the few times we met, I was giving off major interested vibes, and he never took the bait.
To Levi Soucy, I’m just his teammate’s girlfriend’s friend. Except now, I’m his teammate’s girlfriend’sdamagedfriend. Someone to pity.
Ugh, maybe I shouldn’t have gone outside.
Levi keeps looking at me expectantly so I change the topic to something safer. “I hear you’re on a TV show.”
His face sours, and I immediately regret bringing it up. Maybe that isn’t such a safe topic after all.
“Sorry.”
He shrugs as he leads me to one side of the booth, and I sit. “No, it’s okay. It’s a shitshow, that’s all.”
“You don’t want a bunch of women clamoring for your attention?” I ask, and I admit, it comes out with some poorly timed attitude.
“It turns out it’s not as much fun as you would think.”
I chuckle to myself. “I didn’t actually think it would be fun. It sounds horrible.”
He puts his card away, the corners of his mouth turning up. “I should have sought out your advice before I signed a contract.”
Before he can sit, one of the other baristas calls for Levi, and he goes to the counter to pick up our loot. He’s bought more things than I ever have at a coffee shop. There are four bags, plus the coffees.
Levi lays our meal out like it’s a feast. He places my coffee in front of me, the mug steaming, then napkins for each of us, then sets one of the chocolate chip muffins next to it and the cookies in the middle of the table between us.
“I’m so glad to see you out,” he says. “I’ve been thinking about you since… Well, since…”
“Since you were there when I was pulled out of a burning building?”
“Yeah,” he says, casting his gaze to the table. Just as I remembered. His eyes are striking, blue with hints of gray.
