Page 17 of Love or Tequila in Unexpected Places

“Absolutely,” Angelo replied, holding the door open for her.

Her insides melted. Nobody had ever shown her such chivalry. She half-expected him to bend at the waist with a flourish and a dramatic “Milady”.

Allison straightened invisible wrinkles on her clothes, a testament to her nerves as she walked inside the café.

She hadn’t been here in almost two years, but the place still felt familiar. Cozy booths, upholstered in a soft pink fabric, lined thewalls, and the scent of vanilla and cinnamon wafted through the air. The walls were adorned with whimsical artwork and shelves filled with books and knick-knacks, giving the café a charming, lived-in feel.

“You have very good taste,” Angelo said and her mind filled with questions. “Your car. It’s gorgeous,” he added, almost like an afterthought and her confusion cleared.

Allison blushed slightly and cleared her throat. Pride overcame her as she spoke. “Thank you. It was my first big purchase when I started making my own money.”

Their eyes met, and for a moment, the rest of the world seemed to fade away, as a thought crossed Allison’s mind.

Something tells me this will be interesting.

Five

ANGELO

The place Allison had picked was a cute, cozy, pink coffee shop and it made 100% sense that this would be where she’d take him. For some reason, he could picture her sitting in a corner booth, drinking a latte and reading a book.

He barely kept his hands to himself as they went inside the little café. She flipped her hair over her shoulder and her scent filled his nostrils. It hugged him, filling his pores and calming his soul.

Honey and lavender.The best scent I’ve ever smelled.

Angelo focused on his surroundings. Pink was everywhere. On the booths, the chairs, the walls, even the little napkins on the counter. He felt very out of place, dressed in a custom made, all-black suit, his hair styled to perfection, ready for a business meeting. But he would never be ashamed of stepping in a cute café.

Not with this woman by my side.

He just felt a tiny bit…overdressed.

Allison strutted to the counter—honest to God strutted—before greeting the girl behind the counter by name. She placed her order and Angelo chuckled.

“Is something funny, Mr. Taylor?” she questioned him, raising a perfect eyebrow with an almost teasing gleam in her eyes.

“I just had a feeling,” he replied, fully interested in seeing more of this side of her.

“A feeling?”

“That you would be a latte woman.”

A second eyebrow joined the first, leaping up like surprised acrobats. She was about to retort when the woman behind the counter cleared her throat with the finesse of someone accustomed to caffeine-fueled drama.

Angelo placed his order, his eyes never leaving Allison’s. When she started snickering, it was his turn to raise an eyebrow.

“Something amusing, Ms. Lockwood?” He smirked at her, purposefully mimicking her, though his eyebrow-raising game was not quite as sharp.

“Oh, just a hunch,” she replied, fighting back a laugh. “I had a feeling you’d be a double espresso kind of guy.”

“Touché,” he said with a grin. “And here I thought I was being all mysterious.”

“Oh, you are,” she teased, leaning in conspiratorially. “About as mysterious as a romance novel with a shirtless guy on the cover.”

“Hey, those novels are classics,” he protested with mock seriousness, finally giving in to laughter.

“Sure they are,” she agreed, rolling her eyes playfully. She was still snickering, the slightest snorting sound being heard whenever she breathed in.

Oh my fucking God, she keeps getting cuter.

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