Page 12 of Timeless Valentine

"I'll suggest it the next time we go."

Knowing that this night out was a rare treat for her, I try to think of other ways I could spend more time with Grace.

"Hey," I say as I pull up in front of her building. "You said that Sunday mornings you work at the library, and afternoons were for groceries or something, right?"

She blew out an exasperated breath. "Yeah. Laundry takes almost two hours, because I can't leave my clothes unguarded. Groceries take about an hour, and I clean my apartment. Then I do some food prep to make everything easier for the rest of the week when I'm in a rush."

Grace gives me a sheepish smile. "Then I file my nails down for maximum typing speed while watching a movie. Exciting, right?"

My gut reaction is to simply call in someone to do all of her work for her. But I know that Grace would never go for that.

"I don't want to mess with your system," I say slowly. "I understand all of these things have to get done. But what if we tried tweaking things?"

She purses her lips, looking suspicious but amused. "What kind of tweaking?"

"Well, what if I brought my laptop to the laundromat, and you could train me on that software a bit more?"

Her eyes light up. "Feeding two birds with one seed! — sorry, that’s what I say instead of that awful killing with one stone thing — yes, that could work."

"Then," I add cautiously, "when the laundry is almost finished, as a thank you gift for the training, you could order groceries from my delivery service. They'd arrive just as we were returning with your stuff, and I'd help you do the meal prep for the week. It would take half as long, and we'd get to hang out."

Her lips press together for a moment. "That's really nice of you, Leo, but I can't have you paying for my food. It's not right."

"Because you helped me with that software the other day, I didn't have to call in a temp. I was able to muddle through on my own, and I have interviews lined up for a replacement next week. Your help saved me several hundred dollars. Let me pay that forward with your groceries. Please?" Batting my eyelashes, I give her my best puppy dog look, sending her into a fit of giggles.

"Okay, fine. Thank you." She takes my hand, caressing my fingers gently. "You're a very kind man, Leo. I appreciate it."

I lean in to give her a slow, sultry kiss. "I appreciate you making time for me, beautiful."

Grace had been starting to look tired earlier, but now she seemed a little perkier. "I just wish I had more time to give."

"I understand." Glancing out the window, I see a middle-aged man walking a large dog. "This is, I think, a rough neighborhood late at night. May I walk you to the door?"

She leans in for another kiss. This one is different, with less heat behind it and more emotion. Grace definitely has feelings for me, feelings that are growing stronger with every minute we spend together. I can tell.

"If you do that you might as well come in for a few minutes."

I race around to open her door, thrilled by her answer. Time isn't exactly on my side, but I am going to make it work, no matter what.

7

GRACE

I’m not sure what Leo will think of my tiny, kitschy apartment, with almost everything in it thrifted.

Although we certainly haven't discussed it, Leo is obviously quite wealthy. From his car to his clothing to the way he doesn't even blink at spending money, he clearly has a lot of it.

As we kick off our shoes and head to my couch, I watch as he takes in every detail of the living room. It's strange having someone look at the photos on the wall, the books on the shelf, the little flowered china vases that once belonged to my mother.

"I just realized…I've never had company here before."

Leo's head snaps around to look at me curiously. "You don't have friends over for coffee?"

I shake my head as I sit on the couch, happy when he sits very close beside me. I want more of his warmth, his comfort. Maybe it's selfish, a reaction to being so exhausted, but I don't think he'll mind.

"No. I don't have the time. I'm friendly with people at the flower shop and the library, though. Sometimes we'll take breaks together, and hang out."

Lea frowns, shaking my hand back and forth. "I'm not sure if it's my place to worry about you, Grace, but I do."

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