Page 24 of Vas

Anna stilled while in the process of shutting the storeroom door, excited being the last adjective she would use to describe how she was feeling at the moment. “Vas is here?”

Her eyes grew wide. “Is that his name?”

Anna kicked herself for letting that slip. Tiffany had never asked and Anna had never volunteered that particular bit of information. She kind of liked being the only one who knew it.

Tiffany kept rambling. “That has got to be the coolest, most badass name I’ve ever heard. And pretty fitting as he looks like one badass dude.”

Anna glared. “Stop talking.”

Tiffany harrumphed. “Is that any way to talk to the godmother of your future children?”

Her lips twitched with the force of holding back a smile. Shaking her head, she gave Tiffany a light shove. “Go put those napkins away.”

All her humor fled as she approached Vas’s table, though. He looked good—well rested, fresh haircut, still had his sexy muscles—which was disappointing considering all the bad juju she’d been throwing his way the past few days. She’d hoped some of it might’ve stuck. At least enough to give him a bad hair day or a big zit on the tip of his nose.

Shockingly, his gaze was locked on hers as she approached instead of focused out the window as per his norm. Then it traveled lower, over her features, stopping on her mouth.

She pursed her lips.

His eyes shot back to hers, looking a bit tentative—making him a little smarter than Anna had thought—before he asked, “How’ve you been?”

She pulled her pad from her apron pocket and then her pen, giving it an aggressive click to activate it. “What can I get you?”

His gaze sharpened, studying her. “You’re angry.”

His comment was more statement than question, not that it mattered because she didn’t plan to respond to that either. “I have other customers waiting. Do you know what you want or do you need more time?”

She watched his chest rise then fall with a sigh. “Listen—”

“No,” she interrupted before he could give her any lame excuse that would just piss her off more. “You had two weeks where I was willing to listen. Anything you have to say now, I don’t want to hear.”

They stared at each other for a couple of beats, his jaw flexing and his lips thinning. Then he proved himself even smarter by not pressing the issue. “I’ll have the apple pie and coffee.”

“Anything else?” She raised a brow, daring him to foolishly try to make herlistenagain.

Vas obviously read her expression correctly because he said, “No. That’ll be all.”

Tucking her pad and pen back in her pocket, she gave him a small nod. “Your order will be up shortly.” She turned on her heel and made her way back behind the counter, refusing to glance in his direction once she got there.

Tiffany appeared at her side, unobtrusivelymumbling, “That didn’t seem like a happy reunion.”

Anna responded in kind, talking through closed lips. “That’s because it wasn’t.”

“What did he say?”

Anna shrugged. “Not much.”

“So, he didn’t ask you out or anything?”

“No,” Anna hissed. “I told you it’s not like that.” And now maybe Tiffany would believe her.

“Well, I’m still not giving up hope. He’s here isn’t he?”

“Yes, for pie.” She picked up his plate and the coffee she’d poured. “That I’m off to deliver.” Which she hoped would put an end to the conversation.

Placing the pie and coffee down in front of Vas, she said, “Can I get you anything else?”

“No.” He stared out the window, not bothering to look at her that time.

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