"I'll have you know that I have a date tonight with someone very special." I tilt my head up and glare at him. My nostrils are flaring, and I am giving him my bestyou wish you could have meface. He doesn't look very impressed, and that irritates me even more.
“Here’s your lemonade, Gina.” Ginny suddenly appears with my lemonade. “Oh, hello there, Hunter.” She offers him a wave, and I stare at him thoughtfully. I feel like a bit of a detective, with all the deductions I'm making. His name is Hunter, which Ginny knows, so that means he's been in here at least a couple of times. Which means this man is a reader. Because what man goes on vacation and goes to the bookstore multiple times, if he's not into books?
"Hi, Mrs. Smith." He nods his head. "I came to check out that book your husband recommended on the migration of AfricanAmericans from the South to the North. He said it was a good read, and he was getting some more copies."
"Oh, yes,The Warmth of Other Sunsby Isabel Wilkerson. He does love recommending that one." She hands me the glass and then spins around. "Otis is in the back. Let me go and get him.’
“Thank you,” he says, like all of a sudden, he's a sweetheart.
"Thank you for the lemonade, Nana Smith." I take a sip and immediately feel happy because who can stay in a bad mood when fresh peach lemonade is cascading down their throat? The sugar high makes me smile a little bit, and I look at Hunter with new eyes, trying to be nice because he is a guest in our small town. "I'm going to try and forgive you for stealing my cupcake, Hunter, but I would advise not doing something like that again."
"Well, Agent Gina, I would advise not going around pretending you're in the FBI. I would advise not pretending there's a mission going down in the neighborhood. I would also suggest buying a better pair of Bluetooth earbuds, not speaking on speakerphone in a public place, and not being an over-the-top drama queen." He runs his fingers through his dark, wavy hair, and I can see that his eyes are vibrant and full of life now that he’s lecturing me. “But I mean, that's just if we're giving each other life advice right now."
"You are so rude." I huff and sip the rest of my lemonade quickly. "And you don't have to worry about me or any other sane woman in the world stalking you or spying on you because frankly, you're just not that cute or interesting." I put the glass down on the countertop, pull out five dollars, place it next to the glass, and spin around. I walk past Hunter, who is now observing me with twitching lips, and stop him. "I can see you're checking me out." I stare into his eyes. "You will never have a woman like me," I say because I can see his eyes on my cleavage. I feel a little exposed wearing such a low-cut top and short skirt, but I know I look good.
“Frankly, my dear, I've seen better." He chuckles. "And I don't deal with compulsive and pathological liars."
"Excuse me, when did I lie?" I lick my lips and then mutter. "Today."
"You said I don't have to worry about you or any other sane woman stalking or spying on me." He pauses and shakes his head slowly. "But you, my darling, are very far from sane." He leans forward and whispers in my ear. "And while I will admit you do look very sexy in that dress, I don't mess around with crazies." As he pulls back from me, his nose nuzzles my neck, and a chill runs through me. He looks into my eyes and winks. "I very much value the peace and tranquility in my life."
He spins around, and I hurriedly exit the store without saying anything else. I walk as fast as I can and head toward the restaurant. I don't care that I'm early anymore. My body feels like it's on fire. I'm still trembling from his light touch, and I can still smell the fresh saltwater on his body. The man, while not charming, oozes masculinity, and my body reacted in a way that told me, if we'd met under different circumstances, I would be in his bed. If he had made a move. I've never once even felt close to that way with Patrick, which further cements to me that I'll have to turn down the engagement ring. It would be nice to tell Tina she isn't the only one who can find a husband, but I can't say yes just to spite her. That would be crazy, and I don't want to confirm what the handsome tourist just said.
I rub my hands together as I take a seat on one of the street benches. He called me sexy, and I smile at the thought. Even though I can't stand the man, I’m still happy that he thinks I was hot. I pull out my phone, and I'm about to call Emma and tell her what just happened, when I hear a familiar loud cackle. I freeze and look up. There, standing about five hundred yards away, outside of Olivetti's, is Taylor Lynch, a girl I knew from high school. She's wearing a skimpier dress than I am, andshe's with a man whose back is still to me. I stare at them in surprise because the last I heard, she was married to Jackson Scott, an attorney in town who was twenty years older than her...supposedly for his money. I'm really ready to call Emma now.
But then the man turns around, and my jaw drops to the ground in shock. I feel like the air is swept out of my lungs, and my hand flies to my mouth. But it's when they start kissing and he starts squeezing her ass, that something akin to a loud shriek and a gasp flies out of my mouth.
"You all right, pretty lady?" An older man walking down the street stops and stares at me. "You look a bit dazed."
"I, umm. I..." I can't believe my eyes. She's now squeezing his junk. Right there in front of everyone. And wait, is she unzipping him? All blood drains from my face. This cannot be happening.
"Lady, should I call the ambulance?"
"No." I shake my head and watch as Taylor and the man sneak down the side of the building into an alleyway. Finally, I look at the man properly and run my fingers through my hair. "I'm fine. I just saw my boyfriend with another woman." I am still in disbelief. "He has another girlfriend." I don't know whether to laugh or cry. "This is not happening." I shake my head and look at the man. "What do I do?"
"You just saw him?" he asks, his eyes almost popping out of his head. "Like right now?"
"He was just across the street, kissing another woman, but we have a date in thirty minutes."
"Go and confront him," he says emphatically. "Call him out."
"I guess. Yeah, you're right, thanks." I run until I'm in the alleyway and then make my way slowly. I can hear some loud moans and grunting, and my heart is racing. I cannot believe this shit. I finally see them, next to a trash can—so classy—and stop. I thought I'd see her giving him a blowjob, but she's got herlegs around him, and she's pushed up against the wall. Are they actually fucking? I can't believe it. "What is going on here?" I call out loudly because how is the man who was about to propose to me fucking another woman right before our date?
"Huh?"
Patrick's eyes go wide as he sees me, and then Taylor has the gall to cry out, "Don't stop, Paddy, I'm nearly there." Hoe!
"Patrick!" I scream. "How could you?" I stand there, waiting for him to do something, like drop Taylor to the ground, zip up his pants, and tell me he made a mistake.
"Ugh, sorry you had to find out this way, hon, but it's over." He grunts and then turns back to Taylor and continues fucking her, and I swear they are both getting off on me watching because he seems to be thrusting harder and faster than ever, and both are screaming and moaning like they're in a porno. I spin around and hurry back down the alleyway, stop, and scream back at them.
"You don't tell me it's over. I tell you, jackass!" I shout and then hurry into the street and immediately bump into someone. "Oof, I'm sorry," I say and then groan as I look up into the eyes of Hunter. "Not you again." I groan and immediately step back. "Ugh..."
"Guessing all that spying was for nothing, huh, Agent?” he says, his eyes taking in my face. Of course, he heard me yelling. Because why would the universe allow me to have one win today? “Doesn’t take a private investigator to hear and see that your relationship is over.”
“Oh, shut up," I say, glaring at him. "If I never see you again, it will be too soon." I push past him and run back down the street to my car. I'm over the day, the night, everything. And I'm still hungry. That's when I remember that Grandma and Grandpa are having family dinner tonight, and I know that what I need more than ever in that moment is a heaping serving ofmy grandma's lasagna with delicious, cheesy garlic breadsticks. It won't make everything better, but it will certainly put a dent in my sad feelings.
Tiramisu has never tasted so good as it does right now. I stuff my mouth with my grandpa's family's famous dessert and sit back on the chair, starting to feel just a teensy bit better about myself. Not a lot better, though, because who can feel a lot better when their life is falling apart around them?
