Page 11 of You Had Me at Chocolate

“Hello there,” she greeted with an open friendly smile.

Jude returned it. Maggie, according to her nametag, appeared to be in her midfifties. Her very perfunctory smile changed to well, hello there as she peered at him a bit harder over the top of her glasses. “How can I help you today, sir?”

He was used to being recognized by women. But this wasn’t that. There wasn’t that zealous light in her eyes, which always made Jude a little wary. It was ogling but done in a way he could only describe as… librarian. Quiet, discreet appreciation. Like he was a brand-new book complete with pristine pages, uncracked spine, and that very particular ink and paper aroma.

“I hope so.” He smiled again because it was clear she knew he knew she was ogling and just didn’t care. “I’m looking for Clementine Jones. I’m not sure if she’s in today? She mentioned last night this was her last day?”

“Oh, yes,” she said thoughtfully, sliding the glasses off her face. “You’re the guy from the party? The one who proposed to her?”

It was ridiculous to be a grown man and still be capable of blushing, but it was the curse of a redhead. He’d thought he’d outgrown it but, apparently, not.

“Guilty as charged. You were there, huh?”

“Oh, yes.” She grinned. “Everyone was there.”

“Great,” he said deprecatingly.

“She popped out to grab some coffees from the Java Hut. I’m surprised you didn’t pass her in the street. She should be back shortly.”

“Okay, thanks… I’ll—” He looked around. Beyond the desks, there was an area with some comfy-looking couches, but did he want to have a conversation with Clementine in such a public place. He glanced back at Maggie who regarded him with keen interest. “I’ll wait outside for her, grab her as she comes back in.”

“But how on earth am I going to be able to eavesdrop on your conversation when you’re all the way out there?”

Jude chuckled at her unabashed admission. “It’s just an apology.”

“It better be good.” Maggie pushed the glasses back on her face. “She was still pretty steamed about it this morning.”

Oh crap. “Thanks for the heads-up.”

Jude departed, the door shutting silently behind him and he took the opportunity to rehearse what he was going to say as he paced back and forth along the middle step. By the time Clementine returned two minutes later, he’d practically worn a depression along the length of it. She eyed him warily as she stopped on the step beneath him, a tray of take-out cups in hand. But that wasn’t what held his attention. That honor went to what she was wearing.

Her snug black T-shirt sported a stylized circular logo in the middle which was clearly the library—the red outline of a building with tall windows and a flat roof, the green triangle behind obviously Copper Mountain. She’d teamed it with a pair of what he thought could be chinos but none of the plain, muted colors he normally associated with the style. These had vertical stripes every shade of the rainbow. They looked like a bar code and the LGBTIQ flag had succumbed to a wild night of drinking and had a love child.

Teamed with purple flats she looked very… colorful.

“Well… that is not what I pictured you wearing to work.” It was certainly different to Maggie’s demure blouse.

She rolled her eyes. “Let me guess… tight skirt, kitten heels, twinset, glasses, and hair in a bun that I can just pull out and have it all cascade down my back with one shake of my head.”

Jude started guiltily. He’d never thought of Clementine in that kind of way but, for some reason, the image of librarian in his head was straight out of porn central.

Deciding to let him off the hook she asked, “Why are you here, Jude?”

“Don’t worry, it’s not to propose again.”

She didn’t crack a smile as she climbed to his step then moved up another which put them at eye level. “I should hope not.”

It took a beat for him to answer, momentarily distracted by the bounce in her springy curls. “It’s an apology.”

“Accepted.”

Jude blinked. The last woman he’d dated for any length of time had sulked for days after they’d disagreed. “You haven’t heard it yet.”

She lifted the tray of drinks. “The coffee’s getting cold.”

Right, so, spit it out, man. Jude cleared his throat. “I realize I must have sounded like an egotistical dick last night. It was your birthday and I made it all about me. I apologize for embarrassing you in front of your friends.”

“I think you probably embarrassed yourself more.”

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