She climbs out of her car and walks straight over to a small food truck.
I stand behind her and admire how carefree she is. She isn’t aware of her surroundings or paying any attention to the fact that if she just glanced in my direction, she might recognize me, considering that I've been following her for days now. And I am getting a little bolder each day, moving closer and closer as the desire to get in her space increases.
“Hi Tim Tim,” she grins up at the guy in the food truck. Steam rises from her lips as her hot breath meets the cold morning air. I watch her lips curl into a beautiful smile and wonder again what it would be like to feel them.
“Good morning, beautiful. The usual, coming right up. How was gym?” he replies with a grin.
Who the fuck is this guy? Why is he so familiar with her?My mind snarls in anger as I glare death at him.
“It was great. I got a new PR on the leg press today! So, I’m going to celebrate and add one of those little caramel tart cups to my order, too,” she giggles.
“Oh, definitely! And they’re freshly made this morning,” Tim says. He glances up at me and smiles, wide and friendly. “Good morning, I’ll be right with you. Great day for the beach,isn’t it?” he says, as chatty as the annoying cashier I encountered at the truck stop on the drive to Chicago when all I wanted was a fucking Coke, and she wouldn’t stop talking about her kid and how well he was doing in kindergarten.Like I give a fuck.I glare at Tim.
“How long is this going to take?” I growl.
The darkness in my voice has Izabel turning to steal a quick glance at me. I look away, pretending to scout the beach area, which is mostly empty apart from a few brave or very stupid people who are facing the cold and strolling along the sand. She turns back to Tim, rolling her eyes at my rudeness.
“It won’t even take five minutes,” Tim says with a smile, unfazed by my impatience.
That was close, Anton. Stop taking stupid risks. You aren’t even supposed to be this up close and personal with her. The whole reason you came to Chicago yourself was to avoid any fuck-ups, and now you’re standing behind her in line at a food truck.
Patience, man. Patience and sticking to the plan. The right time and the right place.
My eyes graze over her back, down her toned legs.
She has her hoodie back on. It’s one of those old, well-worn, very loved hoodies. There are worn-down holes that she’s either put there or developed over the years for her to push her thumbs through to keep her sleeves pulled down and her hands warm.
She’s also let her hair down at some point on the drive, and it’s hanging loose over her back and shoulders beneath a fluffy white beanie.
Tim hands her a coffee and two small takeaway bags. I smell something meaty. It smells great, actually, and my stomach growls.
“Thanks, Tim. See you tomorrow,” she chimes, turning away from me.
“Don’t get too cold!” Tim calls out.
“You know I like the cold, Tim Tim,” she laughs back without turning around.
I’m torn between immediately following her or placing an order.
I don’t want to lose sight of her, but I don’t want to draw even more attention to myself by telling Tim I’ve changed my mind and don’t want anything.
“What can I get for you?” he asks expectantly. His brows are raised as he looks down at me from the truck.
“The same,” I answer without thinking, still watching Izabel.
Lucky for me, Izabel doesn’t go far. She finds a seat on a bench looking towards the beach and the ocean. Sitting there, she pulls her legs up and crosses them beneath her. It’s freezing outside, but there she is, breathing billows of steam and snacking down on a hashbrown breakfast burger. Her ass must be so cold on that bench, and probably damp. Why would she sit there?
For some reason, her not giving a damn about the cold or the wet has me even more intrigued by her. She’s so spirited and carefree that nothing seems to hold her back from doing whatever the hell she wants.
Oh, darling, I am going to enjoy breaking you in.
Chapter 2 - Izabel
My favorite thing to do after gym is grab a breakfast burger. It doesn’t matter that the snow fell for most of last night or that I can’t feel my butt cheeks as I sit on this practically frozen bench watching the ocean. In fact, it adds to all the little things that make me feel alive. The bite of the cold. The groan of my hard-worked muscles. The flavor of the food.
I found Tim Tim’s Takeaway by accident when I was driving past one morning, and I was so damn hungry I had to stop. He’s so friendly and the food is so good that it instantly became part of my little routine.
Whenever I finish a gym session, I turn into a bit of a demon with hunger. There have been mornings when I’ve gone back and had Tim make two more of these for me. All he does is laugh and ask me where the hell I hide all the food, being as small as I am.
