Page 30 of Blind Attraction

A quick, firm kiss landed on her lips, startling her. “I’ve told you before; I say stupid shit around you because you make me lose focus. I didn’t mean it to sound that way.” His mouth caressed hers again. This time softer, sweeter. “I’m sorry. Once this is over, I think everyone will be coming back to the hotel for a few drinks. Hopefully by then, I’ll be able to relax a little and my foot won’t be in my mouth as much.”

Alana tilted her face to steal another kiss. “OK.” She wasn’t convinced, but she wouldn’t be a drama queen and call him a liar either. At the moment, she had time up her sleeve and spending a little more with Mitchell wouldn’t be a chore. She just hoped for her heart’s sake he was telling the truth.

“You ready to grab a coffee?” Tony’s voice came from beside her, and Mitchell’s heat left her body. A momentary wash of apprehension nudged her senses at the thought of being led around by another unfamiliar man, but she suppressed the judgments her mother had tried to instill in her. Mitchell, Blake, and even the optometrist’s son had shown her only kindness. She would do her best to trust Tony too.

“Definitely.” Coffee would be her savior. A great big bucket full.

A hand grabbed hers and laid it to rest at the crook of a large arm. “Don’t worry. I’ll make sure you get settled.” Tony led her forward, taking slow steps so she could keep up.

“I’ll see you later, sweetheart.” Mitchell’s voice drifted away along with the sound of his footsteps.

Tony walked her to the coffee shop in silence, only pausing for a moment to open the door. Inside the noise spiked her anxiety. Voices melded together, some in hushed tones, others loud and obnoxious. The coffee machine hissed, cutlery clattered, footsteps sounded, and bells rang. She had to close her eyes and trust his guidance while she tried to calm herself with steadying breaths.

He patted her hand in reassurance. “Here, sugar, I’ve got a seat for you.” He grabbed her fingers and draped them over the back of a chair.

“Thank you.” She felt for the table, then the seat to gain her bearings before she sat down.

“You’re right up against a wall, only a few rows back from the cashier.”

She nodded. At least if she had any trouble, she knew where to turn for help. She would be fine though. Once she had a coffee in hand, she could relax and simply sit and think. Maybe even relive some of the seductive memories from this morning.

“What would you like me to order for you?”

“A cappuccino with two sugars, please.” She reached for the money in her pocket and pulled out a note.

“Are you sure that’s all you want?” he asked, his voice gruff, but deeply caring. “Don’t women usually want the skim, soy, caramel, mocha, double decaf crappa latte stuff?”

Alana chuckled. Tony was clearly not the chatty type. She appreciated his attempt to make her comfortable. “No. I’m not a crappa latte kind of girl.”

He gave a huff of laughter and patted her hand resting on the table. “OK. A standard cappuccino it is. I’ll go order it now, but I won’t be able to wait around. I need to check the exit point and make sure my boys are all right.”

“Not a problem.” She raised the note in her hand.

“Don’t worry, sugar, Mitch already gave me a big enough bonus to take care of it. I’m starting to think he might actually like you.”

Her heart clenched and she had no clue why. Maybe it had something to do with other people noticing his interest when she physically couldn’t see it, or that she feared he would lose interest in her within any given heartbeat. Either way, her chest did funny things at the mere thought of Mitchell.

“I’ll get them to bring the coffee to your table and ask them to keep an eye on you.”

“Thank you.”

He left without another word.

She drummed her fingers on the table, played with the salt shakers, fiddled with her hair. Time dragged. Keen vision had always been her strong suit. Not only for clarity, she had the ability to behold things differently than other people. She found beauty in the blandest of settings. Her mother claimed it was the reason Alana’s photos sold so well.

Losing her vision cut her to the core. She wanted to see the buildings, the skyline, the hills. She itched to capture moments in time with her camera and perfect them with special effects on her computer.

Instead of allowing the melancholy to take hold, she focused on her other senses. Freshly ground coffee clogged the air and her lungs craved every breath. At home, she lived on the store bought stuff. It was drinkable, but never held the delicious scent that currently filled the room.

The noise no longer unsettled her. An elderly couple chatted in whispers to her left, their voices holding the fragility of age. Eager women near the front of the store laughed, not minding that their conversation was easily overheard.

“A cappuccino with two sugars?” A female voice came from beside her.

“Yes, thank you.” She heard the clatter of the saucer, the tinkle of the teaspoon, and then the footsteps as the woman retreated.

Alana felt for her cup and palmed the warm crockery in her hands. As she raised the mug to her lips, a shiver ran down her spine. Were people staring at her? Talking about her? She ignored the paranoia and took a sip of coffee. The hot liquid burned her tongue and scorched the back of her throat, and yet, she savored every second of it. The taste was rich and creamy with a dash of sweet perfection. She didn’t need double, caramel, mocha, decaf or whatever Tony called it. Plain and simple was divine.

Time dripped by. At the end of her drink, she reached for the cell phone in her pocket, then thought better of it. No point going in search of a clock if she couldn’t see. With a sigh she started to fiddle. Mitchell couldn’t be too much longer.

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