He didn’t have that kind of time.“So you’re saying I need to be persistent.”
“If you’re hoping something will come between you, yes.”She pursed her lips and looked at him with pity in her eyes.
“Any ideas on how to persuade her more quickly?”The sooner, the better.
“Just try talking to her every time you see her.Be friendly but not overly.Try not to ask too many questions.”
“Anything else?”He felt like he was limited on options, but he wasn’t willing to give up.Defeat wasn’t in his vocabulary.
“She loves coffee.Every time I see her, she has a cup with her.”
It wasn’t much, but he could work with that.“You wouldn’t happen to know her favorite flavor, would you?”
“Carmel mach—something.I don’t know.She told me, but I forgot.You know, in my day, we didn’t have all this flavoring.It was black coffee, and you could add cream or sugar.”
“Ah, the simple days.”He grinned.It was how he liked his coffee too.
“They were.Anyway, besides coffee, I don’t know anything else.Like I said, she’s very quiet about her life.”
“This helps a lot, Maya.Thank you.”Not entirely, but it was something he could try and build on.
“You’re welcome.So what is it?”
“What?”
“What you wanted my opinion on.”
“Oh yeah…” The ruse for him getting intel on Andrea.“I was thinking about having a get-together.Invite all the neighbors so I can get to know everyone.”
“What a splendid idea.I know several of the ladies here are eager to meet you.”
Ladies, so no gentlemen in the neighborhood.He could work with that.Ladies loved him, especially the older set.Maybe seeing him be nice to the neighbors would help lower Andrea’s guard.“Wonderful, I wasn’t sure if that was something still done or not.”
“It is, though like I said, we don’t get new neighbors too often.The ladies will love an excuse to break from the norm.Just tell me the date, and I’ll invite the ladies, though you should invite Andrea yourself.The party will give you an excuse to talk to her.”Maya winked at him.
Jack grinned, he really did love Maya.She was a matchmaker and mischievous at heart.She reminded him a lot of himself, minus the matchmaking part.“Thank you again, Maya.”
“Of course, dear.Oh, this is going to be so much fun.”She clapped her hands excitedly.He was sure they didn’t get a lot of excitement here, so he was happy to provide.
“Well, I should get going.I have a party to plan now and an invitation to extend.”
“Good luck, and don’t forget the coffee,” she added with a wink.
Chapter 9
Andrea groaned when an hour after she’d slammed the door in Michael’s face, there was another knock.Why were so many people bugging her all of a sudden?In the seven years she’d lived here, she could count on one hand how many people had knocked on her door.Even the solicitors stopped after her scathing reaction to them showing up throughout the day.
The worst was when one showed up around nine in the morning after she’d gotten off the night shift at two in the morning.Let’s just say, no one came to her house for a long time after that, and when they did, it was well into the afternoon.
“Seriously?”Andrea didn’t know why she should seem surprised.The man was harder to get rid of than a cockroach.At least there was spray and killer for that.Nothing seemed to deter this man.She didn’t know if she should be flattered or frustrated by that fact.
“Well, that’s a hell of a greeting.”
“What do you want now?Borrow my edge trimmer or some other tool?”
“No,” he chuckled.“I came to bring you this.”He held up a cup like an offering.
“What is it?”Andrea looked at the cup as if it were poison.
