Page 22 of Reclaiming Love

“Maybe you being here, stalking me anyway, and telling me this is to throw me off the trail. Someone like you would make for an exceptionally smart stalker.”

“An exceptionally smart stalker.” She considered the term, and then him, sitting so close to her, looking smart in his white shirt and business suit. She wanted to comment on the fact but quickly decided that giving him compliments might make him think she was coming onto him. And she wasn’t yet sure what her motivations were. Only that right now, in this moment, he took away the shame of what Matt had subjected her to yesterday.

Talking to Noah made her think that things could be another way. He made her see how it felt to be with someone who lifted her higher. Not someone who broke her soul.

She took her time peeling her muffin completely from its casing, doing it slowly so that she’d have something to do. Because each time she looked at him now, she felt the buzz of intensity when he stared right back.

Did he feel the same?

Her nerves got the better of her so much so that she no longer felt like eating, afraid that she’d let the crumbs fall all over her mouth, or that she’d choke on a piece, or do something embarrassing.

“How come you’re extra early today?” He’d eluded her question before and now that he knew her reasons, it was time to find out his.

“I thought I’d get in early to clear some of my workload. We’re hiring and I’m running with that so all of my usual workload piles up. It’s always busy at work.”

“You sound just like my boss,” she remarked.

“Yeah?” he gave her another one of his smiles—the kind that had her heart ticking like a kitchen timer.

“I couldn’t sleep, actually.”

“Me neither,” she confessed.

“Mine was indigestion.”

She cocked her head, and thought about what he’d said. Now would be a good time to ask him if his girlfriend’s cooking was that bad. But aside from being sexist, it wasn’t the right thing to ask. Surely there had to be better ways of finding out if he was single.

So she chose to remain silent instead.

“You didn’t sleep either?” he asked.

She shook her head but gave no explanation. He covered it up, her obvious avoidance to answer. “It’s a wonder we met at all, seeing that it wasn’t our normal time.”

“Our normal time?” Her lips curved into a smile. “I didn’t realize we had a normal time.”

“Sure we do, around eight o’clock, usually on Mondays and Wednesdays.” His response startled her. She did normally pick Mondays to go to the gym because it was the start of the week, and she had more enthusiasm then to get up extra early and work out. And Wednesdays simply because it was dead center in the week. She couldn’t bear the thought of turning Thursdays and Fridays into gym days. Though earlier in her and Matt’s relationship, when she’d been more inclined to listen to him, she’d given in to going on Tuesdays too.

“You’re observant,” she deduced.

“I like what I see.” His words didn’t follow on from her comment, and she considered it his most daring confession so far. She dared to hope. A hot chill sprinkled along her arms. She slanted him a look. “You like what you see?” She repeated his words back to him. “What do you see?”

He leaned in a little and pushed his cup out of the way. “You want me to tell you?”

She nodded her head enthusiastically, feeling a rush of adrenaline course through her, unable to decide if what she felt was a magnified feeling of boldness, or sheer adventure.

“I see someone who is…I think, a little shy. Someone…” He looked away as if searching for the right words. “Someone who is probably more outspoken than she lets on, someone soft, yet hard inside, true to herself, loyal, hardworking, a good employee. I bet your boss values you.” He looked at her, as if to check he was on the right path. She said nothing but continued to listen, tilting her head a little, agreeing with what he’d said, and wondering how easy she was to read.

“Am I right so far?” he asked.

“I don’t know, are you?” she asked, giving nothing away.

He continued with a smile, as if she’d just told him he was correct. “Someone who works out, but it’s not a big deal if she misses a couple of sessions here and there, because she doesn’t take it too seriously. Someone who’s more like a wallflower, but she could be off the wall, if she let herself. Someone—” And now he paused with his lips pursed together, as if unsure whether to continue.

“Go on,” she encouraged him, fascinated by his insight and scared to reveal any more of herself.

“Someone who seems sad to me lately. Sadder than I’ve seen her in a long time.”

Tears welled up when he touched her truth, and he stopped the moment he saw her watery eyes.

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