What was his name? My mind was completely blank, barely able to believe he was here as I pathetically grasped at straws.
“Oh. Hi. Good morning. Um…”
“Tom,” he said, chuckling and reaching around me to take the offered tea. “Come on. Let’s grab a place to sit by the window, since the sun is out this morning.”
I nodded like a stupid, agreeable asshole, and followed him to a booth with squishy red cushions and a sleek black tabletop. “Here you go. I’ll grab our breakfast and be right back.”
“Thanks,” I said, sliding into the booth and placing my elbows on the table.
My hands wrapped around the hot beverage, and I breathed in the scents of vanilla and spice, watching as Tom leaned against the far wall, with his thumbs flying across his cell phone screen. I didn’t know if I was relieved that he gave me a moment to gather my thoughts while he waited at the counter, or peeved that he assumed I’d want to join him.
I glanced at the chipped polish on my thumbnail, and then down to my faded black leggings and oversized sweatshirt that had fallen off my shoulder, wondering why I hadn’t bothered to do a little more with my appearance before I left the house. Tom had moved from the wall and was leaning against the counter while a barista passed over his coffee. I couldn’t help but notice that her cheeks were scarlet from his undivided attention.
Who could blame her, I guess? Dr. Tom looked like he belonged on a Primetime medical drama, where he saved lives no matter the obstacles, had a panty-melting nickname, and a revolving door of women who were helpless to resist his charm.
I supposed the unfamiliar sensation I had was flattery mixed with a healthy amount of confusion, but it was not enough to get rid of the anxious feeling that crept up my spine. An innate sense of dread followed in its wake, and as Tom sauntered back to the table, I knew the reason.
Maverick.
He’d invaded my thoughts like an insidious, tangling vine that suffocated everything in its path. Not that it was all bad, but until I knew without a doubt that our kiss meant nothing, I couldn’t entertain the thought of anyone else.
“This is quite the breakfast you have,” Tom said, chuckling as he sat across from me and placed the goodies in the center of the table. I shook my head and grinned, pulling the egg cake and scone closer. “I hope you intend to share.”
“And if this is all for me?” I swept my hand across the table, gesturing to the slices of bread as I raised a brow.
“I’d be highly impressed,” he said as he sprinkled pepper on his avocado toast before taking a large bite. “And would have an explanation for your father’s constant complaint about his new diet.”
“Ouch. It’s a little too early for the blame game, Dr. Tom.”
I broke off the corner of the orange scone and popped it in my mouth. My eyes widened, and I held back a moan at the burst of citrus, butter, and vanilla, choosing not to look at Tom and instead focus on the steady stream of people walking by the large, tinted window.
“No. No. I meant no offense, Summer.”
“Sure,” I said before taking a sip of my tea. “So, how have you been?”
“Oh, you know,” Dr. Tom answered, smirking before sprinkling more pepper to his toast. He shrugged his shoulders and grabbed three artificial sweetener packets, adding them to his latte. “Long hours in surgery but saving lives. Office hours and charting. Trying to find time for the gym. Running into pretty girls in coffee shops. The usual.”
“Ah, and here I was thinking my days filled with clinical trials, medication refills, and Pinterest recipes were boring.”
“There is nothing boring about you, Summer.”
“Says the man who’s uttered a total of four sentences to me.” His attention bothered me in an itch-I-couldn’t-scratch kind of way. There wasn’t a logical reason, but as he took another bite of toast and smirked, the feeling intensified, making me want to get up and run in the opposite direction.
“Well, let’s change that. How about we have dinner on Friday night?”
“Oh. Wow. Thank you for the offer,” I said, staring at the crumbs from my scone. “But now isn’t the best time.”
“Not the best time? Are you seeing someone else?” he prompted, reaching across the table like he was going to grab my hand. I watched the movement, then locked eyes with him as he second-guessed his decision and instead adjusted the egg cake sitting to the left of the leftover scone crumbs.
“No. I’m not dating anyone right now.” I chuckled and put my hands on my lap, wringing them together and using my thumb to pick a rogue cuticle. Just because that label hadn’t entered my mind didn’t mean my traitorous thoughts hadn’t come up with a hundred other scenarios that explained the unspoken tension between Maverick and me. Regardless of that ticking time bomb, I had to handle Dr. Can’t Take A Hint first.
“Ah. Since there’s no one else, what can I do to change your mind? Wait until next week?”
This time, his arm made its way across the table, but I leaned back and shook my head. “No. No. I’m sorry, Tom. It’s—”
“Hey, Summer. There’s no need for an explanation. We’ll go out when you’re ready.”
“Wait just a second Tom—”
