Page 2 of For the Love of Lily

“Here you go,” Zack placed the delicious-smelling mug in front of me as he sat down opposite with his own. “Hazelnut latte.”

“Thank you. I’m a complete coffee addict. What did you get?” I asked, gesturing to his own mug, wondering what I could read into his coffee choice.

“Mocha,” he replied. “I’m a coffee addict too but have such a sweet tooth. Mocha is a good balance.”

I smiled, wondering if it was a coincidence that I’d compared his hair to that colour.

“I keep thinking about how much I spend in these places and what else I could do with the time, but then, coffee made at home isn’t quite the same.”

“Exactly,” I agreed, taking a long sip, conscious of not spilling it and avoiding a milky, foam moustache.

“So, you work in law too, Lily?”

“Yeah, I do, but Cassie may have made it sound more glamorous than it is. It’s a small, family law firm. I’m one of the secretaries. I love working there.”

“It’s good to love where you work,” he smiled. “Sounds completely different to where I am. It’s a large firm, office isn’t too far from here. I’m in corporate law.”

“How about when you’re not working? What do you like to do?” I took another deep breath and tried to sink into the ebb and flow of the conversation.

“Obviously, come out for coffee,” he replied. “Love a sporty Sunday with friends, football or whatever, which always ends up in the pub. Just the normal, really. Cinema, nights out around here. My flatmate is a games designer, so I know I spend too many hours gaming with him. A few of us from work are wannabe food critics and try out all the posh places. All in the name of research for client events, obviously.”

“Corporate sounds more fun. We don’t do wining and dining.”

“Well, I’d love to wine and dine you,” he replied.

I cringed inside at the clichéd comment, and a look on my face must’ve given my thoughts away as Zack’s cheeks pinked up again.

“Sorry, that sounded like such a cheesy pickup line, didn’t it?” he frowned, and his eyes crinkled up. Worryingly, it only made him more attractive.

“It kind of did, yeah,” I laughed before taking a sip of my drink.

“What do you get up to outside of work then?”

“I love to bake. Our office is always full of goodies on a Monday. Hanging out with Cassie, my personal matchmaker,” I joked. “And her two little girls. Most Sundays, I go for a walk or hike with my other best friend, Luke, to work off the brownies. Movies and popcorn are always good with me too. Plus yoga and pilates, we go to quite a few classes.”

“Have you got a big family?” he asked.

I shook my head. “Only child. Not a spoiled brat, though, I promise. My parents live close, so I see a lot of them. You?”

“Four sisters. I’m the middle child,” he looked happy as he spoke of them. “I am well and truly outnumbered when I go home. Always end up escaping to the pub with my dad.”

“Wow, big family! Bet it was fun growing up.”

“It was,” he paused for a moment. “Can I ask you a question?”

I nodded. “Yes. Of course.”

“Cassie explained that you weren’t fully on board with her idea, and you’d been single for a while. She convinced you to meet someone - I’m glad it was me. She did vet me through a hundred questions, you know?” A quiet laugh escaped his lips. “Is she always that bossy?”

“Always. Was it a bit weird? It was her idea. She wouldn’t let it go. I did tell her people would find it odd, like she was trying to pimp me out.” I watched him closely, intrigued by what he made of the situation.

“It made sense, really, when she explained. At least she was honest. Most people would just go on those dating sites and lie. I was thinking about closing my account, but then there was you.” He smiled again as he finished speaking, and I couldn’t help but think how striking he looked. It was distracting.

“The only bit Cassie didn’t want to explain was why,” he said tentatively. “Why do you feel like you want to stay single?”

“My last relationship ended in a horrible way. It made me think I didn’t want to go through anything like that again. He cheated on me, a lot. Turned out some friends knew and hadn’t said. Now ex-friends for obvious reasons. Long story short it ended with a restraining order.” I shrugged and concentrated on my coffee for a second, giving him chance to run a mile if he wanted to, which seemed likely. Why would anyone want to work through my baggage with me?

“That’s awful. I’m so sorry he did that.” Zack reached out and stroked his thumb over my hand for a second. I held my breath. That didn’t freak me out like I thought it would. It was such a brief touch, but as he pulled away, I missed the sensation.

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