Page 78 of Meet Me in the Blue

That same wistful sensation coursed through me as I smiled back at him. I’d known him since I was a kid. This place, the smells, everything down to the sticky floor and too strong coffee had become a part of me.

He leaned in and lowered his voice as he spoke. “A little birdie told me you two moved in together.”

“By little birdie, do you mean Nora?” I asked.

“A good man never reveals his sources.” Charles grinned. “But I gotta say… I’m happy for you two. I always wondered, but you know I don’t like to stick my nose in other people’s business.”

“Of course not.” Rook chuckled. “But thanks, we’re happy too.”

Charles looked us over again, his smile stretching wide. “I’ll get your order in, shouldn’t be too long.”

When he walked away, Rook reached across the table and looped his pinky with mine. “What’s with the frown?”

“I’m not frowning.”

“It’s definitely not a smile.”

“I don’t know…” I couldn’t place this growing feeling of unease. It had to be anxiety about the job and moving and telling our families, but it was more than that. This narrowing of my ribs, it was hard to breathe. Maybe I was having a panic attack? I inhaled a slow, metered breath and met Rook’s gaze. “I think my nerves are finally getting to me. Maybe we should have talked to our parents before the interview? Are we being impulsive? We are, right? Totally impulsive.”

Rook pressed his foot against mine under the table and laced our fingers together. “Are you having second thoughts?”

“No… maybe? Shit… I don’t know. I don’t want to make the wrong choice.”

“The video call is at eleven. See what they have to say. If it feels right, you’ll know. I trust you, Luka. You’ll make the choice you need to make.”

I trust you.

God, why didn’t that make me feel any better?

Before I had a chance to respond, Rook’s phone rang. He looked at the screen and sighed as he answered. He nodded a few times, said something about membranes and leaking. He looked at me as he mouthed the words, “I’m sorry.”

“How far apart?” he asked the person on the other end of the line. “Two minutes? Yeah, I would head in. I’ll meet you there… It’s no problem. Better safe than sorry. I’ll see you soon.” He started to stand and slipped his phone into his pocket. “I have to head to the hospital, one of my patients is in labor.”

“Shit… okay. Um…”

He leaned down and gave me a quick kiss. “Luka… this is the dream, right? It’s going to be okay.”

“Right,” I said and gave him another kiss, trying like hell to believe him.

Luckily, Charles hadn’t started on our orders yet, and once Rook left, I was able to get my food to go. My office wasn’t more than a few blocks away, and I looked forward to the walk. The crisp morning air was exactly what I needed to clear my head. It had rained earlier, and the heavy scent of the forest and the bay hovered all around me. The briny, clean smell was something I’d known for most of my life and was almost as comforting as the smell of Rook’s body wash. Across the street, the gas lamps lining the walkway up to the Edge Water Inn flickered in the light breeze, catching my attention. The double-paned windows leaked a cozy buttery light, and I wondered why I’d never noticed how beautiful it was before. Everything was in Technicolor, like I was looking through the lens of my camera and seeing something I wanted to capture and keep forever. I cataloged all the shops and their quaint storefronts and smiled at the people I’d started to recognize again over the last few weeks as they walked by. Mrs. Gold and her yappy dog, and the guy with the suspenders whose name I could never remember. And the mom with her two kids bundled up in their stroller, offered me a wave.

“Nice day,” Mr. Beckett said as he waited alongside me at the crosswalk, looking up at the sky. “Maybe the rain will hold off long enough to go sailing?”

“Maybe,” I said, not sure if I was meant to answer.

We crossed the street, and I passed the bookstore and felt Rook’s lips on mine. I raised my fingers to my mouth and smiled, allowing the nostalgia to consume me. I turned to look down the side street where we’d ride our bikes when we were kids to this massive hill behind the Village Market, remembering all the summer storms and muddy tires, and how I’d thought for sure the days would stretch on forever. I was stuck in memories as I made my way down the sidewalk, and almost missed it when Dot called my name.

“Luka,” she hollered, practically chasing after me. Her cheeks were stained pink as she huffed and puffed, her hand on her hips. She was all flour and sugar in her flowing evergreen dress. “My goodness, son. Didn’t you hear me?”

“I’m sorry, I was—”

“It’s okay, you looked preoccupied. I wanted to tell you… I’ve been meaning to call your mother, but then you know how it is… And you know, ever since that lovely article you wrote about the bakery, I’ve had to hire some help. We’ve been so busy. People all the way from Seattle come around asking about my cupcakes.”

“That’s amazing.”

“Isn’t it?” She patted me on the shoulder, her smile waning with her furrowed brows. “But how’s everything? With your family…”

“We’re good, Dot. Thank you for asking.”

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