Page 42 of Exposé

"I'm currently waiting for someone, so I'll drink this while I wait."

"Alrighty." He turned with the coffee in hand, the white paper hat staying in place.

"How's your mom?" I swallowed hard. "I heard she had a fall a couple of weeks back. I've been meaning to ask."

He twisted back towards me. "She's doing better. She misses her long walks with her pooch, but other than that, she's surviving." He gave me a half-lipped smile.

My fidgeting fingers picked at the rounded edge of the bound utensils. "That's good." I wrapped my other hand around the coffee cup, allowing the heat of the ceramic to warm my palm. "Sorry, I haven't been around much."

"You have your own life now. We get it."

"It's not—"

"You don't have to explain, Ava. We haven't been together for years."

"But—"

"Hey, sorry I'm late." Nate dipped into the seat across from me and shucked off a leather jacket, placing it beside him in the booth. "The traffic was wild."

He shot me a smile, and my shoulders slackened, the tension wasting away. "No problem, I just got here."

"Oh, hey." Nate glanced up at Darrel. "Can I get a coffee, please? I had a terrible night's sleep."

"Sure thing. Let me get a mug."

Darrel turned and left, our conversation withering as though it had never occurred.

"So, bad night, huh?"

"The worst." His dimples deepened. "I kept thinking about this girl I met all night long. It had me tossing and turning. Yours?"

Heat coiled deep in my belly, spreading like embers in heavy winds. "Sounds like a problem."

Darrel stopped at the table and dropped two menus and a mug, then filled Nate's. "Let me know when you're ready to order." He gave Nate a once over, then left.

"Something going on between you two?" His brows pulled together as he followed Darrel's disappearing figure. "The tension is thick."

I huffed, waving him off. "We dated for a while, and the breakup wasn’t exactly mutual."

He pointed his thumb over his shoulder. "Why didn't you say something? We can go someplace else?"

I frowned and shook my head. "Nah. It'll be fine."

"Say the word." He sipped his coffee and flinched. "Wow. That is…hot."

I let out a sarcastic breath and grabbed the menu. "It's straight off the pot."

"Yeah, but I figured with how long he'd been holding it here talking to you, it might have cooled down a bit."

My gaze fell down the menu, searching for something light but filling as I laughed. "We weren't talking very long."

"You never answered my question."

His question?

Ohhh.

I peeked over my menu as he picked his up. "My night was full of work. I stayed up far too late, and I wouldn't even say my research was a success."

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