Page 7 of Beauty Of Her

"Thanks," I muttered as I tucked the paper into my pocket.

“Low and slow.” Brett licked his bottom lip.

“Excuse me?” I raised an eyebrow, my heart pounding in my ears.

“Keep saying that to yourself when you’re grilling. Low and slow. It’s the grilling motto, and it always works.” Brett crossed his bulging biceps across his broad chest. He was fucking delicious.

“Oh, right.” I ran my hand over the pocket housing his number. “Thanks, I’ll remember that.”

“I’ll be holding a test soon, so you better.” Brett winked.

I flashed a final smile to Brett, unsure if I’d see him again.

As I turned to leave, Brett called out to me.

"Hey Julia, don't forget your burgers.” He flicked the white bag sitting on the counter.

These goddamn burgers. "Oh, right. Thank you." Heat flooded my face as I placed my chilled hand against my burning cheek. I grabbed the bag and walked toward the exit, feeling Brett's eyes branding my back as I walked away.

Once outside the store, I leaned against the wall and inhaled. What was happening to me? I was a thirty-seven-year-old single mother with responsibilities and baggage. I couldn't just give in to these feelings for a younger man. It wasn't right.

But as I walked to my car, all thoughts of propriety went out the window when I started to convince myself that maybe I was worth the attention of someone out of my league. And maybe if it wasn’t with Brett, it would be with someone else. But at that moment, I was ready.

I packed up the eighth-morning truck, probably a record for this time, and pounded on the trunk, letting the driver know all the food and orders were ready. I hated this part: walking away from the truck and returning to the store. I grew restless. Yes, I loved being in the market, helping customers, and maintaining and reinventing the vision of our business. Still, I sometimes loathed being cooped up all the time. I wanted to be on the road. Go to different sites and visit new and existing vendors. I was made to interact with customers in the store and with people everywhere. And that was when the brilliant idea popped into my head, and I darted to the driver’s side.

“Hey! Wait!” I pounded on the door, waiting for Telly, one of our best drivers, to roll down his smudged window.

“What’s up, boss?” Telly flashed a half-silver-toothed grin.

“I’m going to tag along for this run, okay?” I heard the locks pop and darted around to the passenger’s side. As I climbed into the stale-scented compartment, I yanked the door open with groaning hinges greeting me. I twisted my face. “When was the last time we had an interior wash?”

“An interior wash?” Telly laughed. “Listen to you, spoiled boy. Sit back and buckle up. Let’s go to work.” He threw it into gear, and the power of Telly’s heavy foot against the accelerator launched me back into my seat.

“Hey, watch it. You have precious cargo here.” I gestured to my form.

“Yeah, I know. We have a lot of caviar back there,” Telly smirked.

I rolled my eyes, releasing a low chuckle. Telly had a way of easing my anxieties and throwing out positive energy. As we drove down the street, the sun rose, casting a golden hue over the city. I looked out the window and watched as people slowly began to emerge from their homes, heading off to work or school. During these moments, I couldn't help but feel a longing for something more in my life that would take me away from my routine and challenge me. And yet, this newfound yearning was so unlike me. So unlike my life for anyone who knew me. I was single, Brett. The forever bachelor. I never had a true heavy relationship, except for one, but it felt like a lifetime ago. And once I was done with her, I never looked back or wanted to be tied down again.

This bachelor-loving life changed a few days ago when I met Julia. I even gave her my number! It was like one of those stories I always heard about but believed it to be a crock of shit. Julia made me think differently. I never gave women my number. I usually took theirs and either never called, or if I did, it was for one thing only: sex. But, with Julia, I wanted to get to know her. She was the complete opposite of my type. If my math made sense, she was a single mom in her late thirties. But there was something about her that drew me in. I couldn't explain it, but I knew I was destined to see her again. From the moment we met, it was like an electric charge between us. The way she looked at me and listened to what I had to say about food, it was like we had known each other for years. And to garner that reaction from a woman I only spoke to for a few minutes had to mean something, right?

That moment I first saw her captured me in every way I thought unimaginable. Like I had fallen for a major part of her, needing to get to know the little pieces that made her whole. But how was I supposed to do that without her number, and she hadn’t called me?

“You’re quiet today.” Telly nodded in my direction and popped his gum.

I snapped out of my transitive thoughts. “Hm? No, I’m fine. Just thinking about some things.”

“Things. I gotcha, man.” Telly smirked, shaking his head.

“What’s that supposed to mean?” I clenched my jaw, staring out the window. I hated this. Having my mind continually wander to someone I’d probably never see again, leaving an ache in my gut. What the fuck was wrong with me? I tried everything to get Julia out of my mind, but everything in me fought the rejection. All we did was talk about what she could cook for her daughters. I was a twenty-seven-year-old warm-blooded man, and wondering whether Julia’s kids enjoyed her cooking should be the last thing on my mind. It should be a negative, actually, but it wasn’t. Not to mention Julia’s drop-dead gorgeous looks and a body to be worshiped didn’t help the cause. Her brown hair flowed past her shoulders, laying right where her plump chest began, and those dark brown eyes staring back at me when I described the dinner options had my mind reeling and arousal pulsing every night.

As we made our way through the city, the truck came to a standstill at a red light. A woman crossed the street before us, and my breath hitched. For a moment, I swore it was Julia. She had that same tall, graceful gait and brown hair, but as the woman got closer, I realized it wasn’t Julia. My heart sank, and I knew I needed to see Julia again.

“Okay, that’s it,” Telly interjected and slapped the steering wheel. “Who is she?”

“Would you stop?” I turned my body away, staring out the window.

“I saw your face just now when you saw that chick cross before us. You thought it was someone else. Spill it.”

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