Page 16 of Flirting with the Stranger

Her arm wraps around my waist and she holds me tight. Slowly, I rub small circles up and down her back. I’ve held her in my arms before but this time she feels so small. “My mom always told me, ‘Don’t cry because it’s over, smile because it happened.’ I know if she was here right now, she’d tell us not to cry because she’s gone, but smile because we knew her.”

She exhales a small laugh. “That sounds exactly like something she would say.”

I rest my chin on the top of her head, my grip on Hollyn never wavering. “She always looked toward the future and not back at the past. I know she wouldn’t want us to be sad.”

“Yeah.” She pulls out of my grasp and my arms tumble to my sides. With both hands, she swipes the moisture from her cheeks. “Sorry, I think I got your shirt wet.” She brushes at the wet spot as if she’s trying to erase it.

I glance down at the darkened cotton from her tears. “Don’t worry about it.” I rise to my feet and hold out my hand for her. A jolt of electricity courses through me when she places her much smaller hand in mine. I tug her to her feet and reluctantly drop her hand. This isn’t the time or place to act on my thoughts, instead I step away, needing some space. “All this feels so…surreal.”

“Tell me about it.” She releases a nervous laugh as she crosses her arms over her chest. “What’s the plan with the bakery?”

“I’m not sure. Put it up for sale?” Her face falls at my words. “I know nothing about running a bakery. Plus, I don’t live here. I don’t know how that would work.”

“I get it. I contacted our other two part-time employees and told them what happened, and they won’t be needed for the time being.” There’s a brief pause. “All I ask is that you let me finish these last two orders. I’d hate to disappoint the customers.” She holds still, waiting for my response.

I nod. “I can do that. Thanks for reaching out to the others.”

“It was the least I could do. Since I won’t have any extra hands, maybe you can help me?” Her hands fall to her sides and she inches closer to me.

I laugh. “I don’t have the slightest idea how to bake.”

“You can do the easy stuff…like stirring.” She beams up at me.

“First day here and you’re already putting me to work.” I quirk an eyebrow. It’s been a month since the last time I saw her, and she left me alone in a hotel bed and yet I can’t fight the magnetic pull drawing us together. All I want to do is be near her. Never in my wildest dreams did I expect to see her again. Maybe dreams do come true.

“Let me clean up and we can meet back here tomorrow morning? Are you staying at a hotel?” She pulls out a washcloth, runs it under hot water, and cleans up the chocolate.

“I’ll help you.” Her lips tip up into a small smile at my offer. I pull out another washcloth from the same place she got hers. “Actually, I’m staying at my mom’s apartment.”

Her washcloth falls to the floor and she stares at me. “Is that…hard? Being around all her things.”

“A little, but mostly it’s comforting. With all her things around me, it’s like a part of her is with me. I do sleep on the couch though. Sleeping in her bed would be weird.”

She softly laughs. “I can see that.”

We spend the next twenty minutes cleaning the kitchen. Mostly, it’s Hollyn bossing me around, but nonetheless, we work seamlessly together. And I enjoy being with her. Something about her drives me wild. And the longer we’re together, bumping against each other, innocent grazes as we move about the kitchen, the more I want to clasp her cheeks and kiss the hell out of her. I’ve spent the last thirty days reminiscing about our night together. But it would be a dick move if I tried to kiss her right now, even though I want to. Bad.

NINE

THE COUGAR LIFE

Hollyn

As soon as I left the bakery, I called the girls for an emergency meeting. I needed drinks and to vent. Because everything that’s happened in the last two hours is like a lucid dream. Like at any moment, I’m going to wake up in my bed, blankets wrapped around me, and all of this will be a figment of my imagination. I pinch my forearm.Ouch.Isn’t this when people wake up? I pinch myself again, a little harder this time. Shit. This isn’t a dream. Now, I’ll have two bruises as my souvenir.

I tip back the martini glass, the vodka burning down my throat, but that’s the last thing on my mind. “I can’t believe the fake stripper, I mean Van, is Della’s son. She mentioned her son, Vance, but I never put two and two together.” I swallow another big gulp, emptying my glass. “Sure, Della had pictures of her son in her office, but twelve-year-old Van looksnothinglike twenty-four-year-old Van. Thank God for that, but how could I have ever known? And in what universe would I end up shoving dollar bills down his boxers and then sleeping with him, only for him to show up a month later as my new boss.”

I glance around our table and spot Olivia's full drink. Without asking, I grab her martini and swallow down the contents. I think I need this more than her right now.

“Girl, slow down. We have all night.” Olivia plucks her glass from my hands. “You gotta breathe.”

I rest my elbows on the table and narrow my eyes at her. “Didyourone-night stand show up out of nowhere as your new boss?”

“Good point.” She pauses. “Hold on, I’ll get you another drink.” Olivia stands and makes her way to the bar at Porter’s.

“Do you know what he’s going to do with the bakery?” Charlie asks.

“I don’t know. I was too preoccupied picking my jaw up off the floor to think about it. In fact, I’m still trying to wrap my head around everything.”

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