Page 16 of Coffee Shop Cupid
I smiled and nodded. “I think he needs some sweetness in his life.”
“I meant how you fumbled your way into it. Was dessert really the first thing you could think of?”
“It seemed the safest. Nobody hates dessert.”
“Strange way to recover that conversation,” she teased. “But I guess it worked.”
I looked over to where Tristan seemed intent on his work again. “I hope so.”
“Guess we’ll find out on Thursday.”
I nodded, hoping that he would really come. “Guess so.”
Chapter 7 - Tristan
Panic and happiness were at war inside me, and over the same thing: Chase, the handsome alpha who’d promised lemon cupcakes on my next visit to the coffee shop.
I’d been on the verge of tears again, thinking about how I’d given up teaching to become an online matchmaker, when he’d blurted out something about dessert.
It was adorable, and awkward. Like he’d seen that I was about to break down and was desperate to do anything to prevent it.
It was more kindness than I’d known in some time. Or maybe it seemed that way because just being near him made butterflies flit in my stomach.
I hadn’t felt that way since the early days with Vince, before he’d mated me and kicked off years of fertility treatments.
I shook my head. “Don’t think about the asshole. Think about lemon cake.”
I smiled. Chase hadn’t been able to hide the fact that he was flirting, though he’d kept it fairly low-key. It made me feel good—desired.
The panic edged in again. Would he still be interested once he realized that I’d had a severed bond mark; that I could never give him children?
Everything alphas wanted from omegas was impossible for me.
Why had I promised to go back? I’d been so stupid. The smart thing would be to stay far away from the handsome alpha and the coffee shop.
∞∞∞
I stared at the door to the coffee shop, wondering what madness had made me return. I tried to argue that a promise was a promise. I told myself that it was a crime to pass up a good lemon cake.
But the truth was that I wanted to see Chase again. His easy smile soothed me in ways that I couldn’t explain. I felt safe around him.
I blew out a long breath and stepped inside, laptop at my side so that I could work.
“Good to see ya again,” said the woman at the counter. “What are ya having today?”
“I’ll take another of those iced coffees,” I replied. “They were good. And… “I looked at the board. “A cranberry walnut salad.”
“You got it!” She turned the terminal so that I could see my total and pay while she got my coffee.
“I’m Natalie, by the way,” she said as she set the cup on the counter.
“Tristan.”
She grinned and slid over a number. “Nice to meet ya. I’m assuming ya know the drill by now?”
I nodded.
“Great. And I’ll let Chase know you’re here to collect on that cupcake.”
