Page 21 of When I Found You

Shit. Oh, no. I broke the cardinal rule of time travel. No spoilers. “Nothing. Never mind.”

“Is your memory coming back?” he asks as the doors slowly open on the ground floor. “You mentioned your coat belonging to your father this morning and now Starbucks. I can only assume these are familiar things to you.”

“Snippets and flashes. I’m not sure how they all fit together yet,” I lie.

“Well, I’ll take that as a good sign.” He opens the door for me, and we step out into the city shrouded in darkness and noise.

Cyril is waiting for us. He smiles when I rush toward the car. “Hello, Miss Kate. How was work?”

“Lovely, Cyril, thank you. I trust you had an uneventful day?”

“Always.” He focuses on Arthur and sobers instantly. “Where to, boss?”

“Take us to the Red Maple, Jeeves.”

Cyril glares at Arthur. The two men face off and I forget how to breathe. Are they going to fight?

“Yes, sir.” Cyril opens the car door and helps me in.

Once the car weaves into traffic, Arthur relaxes beside me. I want to ask him why we’re going there, but I sit quietly beside him and stare out the window. Everything looks so different and yet it’s almost like nothing changed. The colorful characters who occupy the streets of New York are a bit more vibrant thanks to the preference for neon shades. But the hustle and bustle roars through the streets the same as it always has and always will.

The car rolls to a stop in front of a chrome and glass diner with a flashing red and white neon sign hanging over the door. The Red Maple. I remember Mom telling me about it, but I’d never been there. She once said they made the best pies in all five boroughs.

Arthur steps from the car and offers his hand. I take it feeling more like a spoiled princess than a temporary employee and uninvited houseguest. The warmth of his touch sends shivers of electricity coursing through my arm and directly into my chest. As soon as my feet are steady on the sidewalk, he releases me. Did he feel it too?

He escorts me inside where we take a booth in the corner next to a window giving us a view of the pedestrian traffic outside. Arthur sits with his back to the wall, his observant gaze flickering across the other patrons in the diner.

“How do you feel about pie?”

“I love pie.” I settle back against the booth.

“What kind are you in the mood for?” He gestures to the glass case where a variety of choices await.

“Surprise me.” Damn, this is reckless. I’m supposed to have amnesia and keeping track of my lies is becoming exponentially harder.

As I debate telling him the truth, a pretty waitress rocking Madonna’s early signature look combined with her uniform sidles up to the table and lays two menus down.

“What can I getcha to drink?” She pops her gum and glances between us.

“Two coffees.” Arthur slides the menus back toward her. “And two orders of apple pie a la mode.”

The waitress scribbles down the order and retreats behind the counter.

Arthur leans back casually draping his arm across the seat. “How was your first day?”

“Great.” I shift under the intensity of his gaze. “The work was pretty straight forward once I figured out the filing system.”

“No problems otherwise?” He nods to the waitress who appears next to the table bearing two coffee mugs, creamer, and a steaming pot of coffee. After she fills both mugs, she leaves.

“No problems at all.” I pull the mug closer and focus on adding some cream and sugar even though I normally only take a dash of milk.

“Do you have any questions?” He lifts his mug and sips the unadorned black coffee.

I stir my concoction and cringe when I taste how sweet it is. Shit. “About the job itself, no. I can’t think of anything.”

“My colleague, Mr. Cohen, will return to the office on Monday. You’ll have a chance to meet him then.”

My heart leaps at the thought and I smile at the prospect of seeing my father again. “I’m excited to meet him.” I sip the coffee and choke it down. “Have you worked with your partners long?”

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