Page 12 of Stay With Me

Clearing my throat, I start walking. “Sorry, I was just thinking how nice it is to spend my evening relaxing.”

It’s not completely a lie, but there’s no effing way I’m about to tell him I was thinking about how attractive he is.

He falls in stride beside me on the outside of the sidewalk. Somehow I never noticed until now that he always does this…and Jake never did.

“Did you set up the help wanted ad?”

“I did. I posted it for only a week. We’ll see what my inbox looks like when I go in tomorrow. I did test out chocolate cannolis. There are some in the garage fridge for you.” We loop around the neighborhood, waving at neighbors working in their yards as we walk.

“Seriously?! You tell me this now? We’re going home for dessert.” He starts walking faster, his six-foot-one frame creating distance as I try to keep up.

At only five-foot-five, it’s hard to manage. “Hey! I’ve got shorter legs than you. Your fast walk is a jog for me.”

He slows down. “Okay, okay.”

“Anyway, I haven’t interviewed anyone before, so this will be a new experience.” We round the final corner, his house in sight.

“You will do great. I’m proud of you.” He bounds up the steps, Kimchi following on his heels, and opens the door. “Now you go get those cannolis and I’ll boil water for some tea.”

I quickly grab the box and join him at the table, opening the lid and setting it before him.

His eyes widen. “You’ve never made these before?”

Shaking my head, I grab one and take a bite. “No, but I think it will be nice to add some new things to the menu and remove some others that just aren’t as popular as they used to be.”

“Good idea. The big chains cycle through a few things, offering only specific items at certain times during the year. Have you considered doing this? It might help create buzz for those items,” he says as he takes another one. “This is delicious.”

We stay up, polishing off the box before I realize how late it is.

He follows me up the stairs. “I don’t know how you wake up that early every day. I’m wiped.”

We pause outside our doors. “You get used to it. I will try to be quieter in the morning.”

Saying goodnight, I cross the hall to give him a hug. “You’ve made this transition easy. Thank you, Oppa.”

He smiles at the Korean term. “Goodnight, Roomie.”

Chapter Five

Elise

Thedayisquiet,so quiet, I’m positive I could close early and it wouldn’t matter. Aside from a few morning regulars, I’ve only had a handful of customers all day. It’s rare that I get through all the next day’s prep before closing.

Sighing, I walk around the dining area, adjusting tables and making sure all the surfaces are clean.

When the bell rings, I turn with a wide grin. My smile falls a bit before I catch myself when I see who’s there.

Jake stands in the doorway holding a bouquet of flowers. Daisies, one of my least favorite flowers.

Keeping my voice pleasant, I say, “Hi, Jake. Can I get you something?”

“These are for you.” He comes closer, pausing when I go behind the counter, but he pastes the smile back on his face and comes as close as he can. “You haven’t been replying to my texts.”

Planting my hands on the wooden surface, I frown. “There’s nothing to say. I’m not moving back in because I know eventually things will go back to how they were.”

“You never even gave me a chance.” The whiny pitch of his voice grates on my nerves.

Laughing, my brows practically shoot into my hairline. “And that is why I know there is no second chance for us. I spent the better part of three years trying to talk to you about things that needed repair, and nothing changed. The fact that you can’t recognize it shows you weren’t listening.”

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