Page 48 of The Problem with Dating

Sammy smirked and looked down at the tray. “They look delicious.” He went to pinch a piece off.

“Don’t!” I ordered in a slight growl. “Get back to work!”

He shot his hand away from the tray and hurried away.

After he left, I decided to say screw it and try to catch Yara before she left her shop for the evening. Sure, I swore I’d never step foot in her store again, but that was when I was a mourning, rude jerk. I could pull myself together enough to admit defeat.

Yet before I could step foot out of the restaurant, it shocked me to walk into the dining area and see her sitting at the table closest to the display window.

Yara was in my restaurant.

She sat at one of my tables.

She wore a tight black dress with black high heels.

Her hair was pulled back into a slick, high ponytail.

Her lips were painted crimson.

She looked remarkable. The type of beautiful I hadn’t even known existed.

But what was she doing in my restaurant? Sitting at my table? Looking as nervous as ever.

My curiosity was strong enough for me to walk over to her table. This worked out well for me because it gave me a chance to apologize to her for the past few weeks of utter douchebag vibes I’d given her.

I knew I was grouchy, but I wasn’t that massive of a jerk.

As I moved toward her, my nerves were rocked upside down. Why did I feel like a little boy as I approached her table? Why did my palms feel sweaty and my chest feel tight? What in the world was this woman doing to me?

When I reached her, she studied her phone with such intensity that I almost felt bad for interrupting. I tried to think of some clever way to get her attention. I tried to figure out the best way to interject myself into her realm. Yet I only thought to say, “I guess you’re Bozo.”

CHAPTER15

Yara

Irapidly placed my phone down as I heard Alex’s voice from behind me.

“Bozo?” I asked, looking up at him, biting back the tears in my eyes.

He gave me a tiny smile and shrugged. “The clown. You said only clowns would—”

“I know what I said,” I snapped, feeling shame over me. I rubbed my moistened hands against the fabric of my dress and tried to shake off my discomfort. “Listen, I’m not in the mood tonight for our opposite of fun banter.”

His eyes flashed with a softness I hadn’t seen from him before. He cleared his throat. “Sorry. I was just trying to make a joke about—”

“Since when do we have a joking relationship, Alex?” I cut in.

Maybe if he had joked with me prior to that moment. Maybe if he had shown any signs of lightness in the past, I wouldn’t have been so shut off. But at that very moment, I felt he were almost mocking me. As if he knew what happened to me, and he walked over to my table to dig the knife in a little deeper.

With how gossip spread in Honey Creek, I wouldn’t be shocked if he knew what happened before I’d even found out.

First, Josh told me to meet him at Isla Iberia. Then he told me to go inside, and he’d be there soon enough. Then he texted me that he ran into Cole. That he didn’t know I was still entangled with my ex. That he was uncomfortable with taking me out on a date. That he was standing me up.

I’d been stood up.

Stood up in the one space where I claimed I would never step foot inside, with the man who I loved to argue with hovering over me.

I was humiliated.

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