Monday (Timeless Teaser)(3)

“Don’t dude me.” She raised her finger. “Are you all talk?”

“No,” I said defensively. “But I don’t even know him.”

“Who cares?” She put her hands on her hips. “Is there much talking involved with sex?”

I rolled my eyes and walked away. “Now you’re getting carried away.”

She grabbed a muffin and chucked it at my back. “If he comes in here again, I’m going to bug you worse than a fly that just won’t quit.”

“And I’m sure you’ll keep your word.”

***

A week went by and I didn’t see Mr. Handsome. For days afterward, I thought about those expressive blue eyes. His face was indecipherable, but if you looked into his eyes, you could find everything you were looking for.

He carried himself with confidence, but he spoke politely. Instead of treating me like a mule, the way most customers did, he actually looked into my eyes as he spoke. Maybe he was in sales. He was undoubtedly good at selling anything, even broken radios.

When the week had come and gone, I started to forget about him. He was one of the most attractive men I’d ever seen, but maybe I just exaggerated his features once he was gone. Could a guy really be that hot? Sometimes the memory of something was better than the actual thing.

Fortunately, Marie didn’t bring it up again. She probably forgot too. We had too much on our minds with school. I had a few exams that week and a lab report. I loved going out and dating, but I didn’t have a lot of time to do it.

It was a Tuesday afternoon when the bell rang overhead. Whenever I heard that sound, I turned to the door in the hope of seeing Mr. Handsome. But it was never him. Today, I didn’t even bother looking because I finally stopped thinking about him.

“Now you’re the one who looks tired.”

I looked up and saw the eyes I hadn’t forgotten about. His presence caught me off guard but I acted like I knew he was there the entire time. “I guess we’ve switched places.”

He stood at the counter wearing his typical office clothes. I wondered what he did for a living but I didn’t ask. “I guess I should have brought you a cup of coffee.” That amused expression was in his eyes. He had a smooth tongue like he did this often.

“I have too much caffeine as it is.” I positioned myself at the register. “What can I get you today?”

“For starters, I want another one of those muffins.”

The ones I made? “You liked it?”

His lips stretched into a true smile. “I ate it in ten seconds. Does that answer your question?”

I tried not to blush. I tended to do that when someone flattered me. “I’m glad you liked it. Baking is a hobby of mine.”

“Maybe you should make it into a career and put this place out of business.”

Opening my own bakery was my dream. The only reason I was in college was to prepare myself for opening a shop…and also for the event that I didn’t succeed and needed to find another job. “I’ll think about it.”

He stared at me without speaking. His look wasn’t invasive or uncomfortable. Only someone like him could pull that off. If someone else did it, it would just be creepy.

“Another espresso?”

“Black coffee, please. I’m not that tired today.”

“Got a good night’s sleep?”

“Something like that.” The corners of his lips stretched into a smile.

I wasn’t sure what his comment meant. Was he implying he got laid last night? Or were my own thoughts running wild? The idea of seeing him naked and being the girl in his bed made my hair stand on end. I shook the thought away because it was too perverse. “Anything else?”

“Have any of those muffins back there?”

“No, unfortunately.”

He shrugged. “Maybe next time.”

“Yeah…” His confident vibe made me feel warm and cold at the same time. Sometimes, when he was close enough, I smelled his cologne. It was light and not overbearing. I thought I could detect his natural smell, like body soap. “Your total is $2.15.”

He opened his wallet and handed me a five.

I took it and grazed his fingers, feeling the electricity again. My attraction was obvious. I just hoped it wasn’t as obvious to him. “Here’s your change.” I handed the cash back along with the receipt. Then I stared at him as I felt my heart hammer in my chest. He was making me nervous, which was unusual. No one ever made me nervous.

He shoved the cash into his wallet. “What’s your name?”

My heart moved into my throat with anticipation. In the back of my mind, I hoped he was going to ask me out. The thought of sitting across from him at a restaurant and talking about music made my stomach do a few somersaults. I didn’t know anything about him but I wanted to. And I wouldn’t mind a goodnight kiss either. “Francesca. But everyone calls me Frankie.”

“Frankie.” He grinned wide this time. “I like that.”

“What’s yours?”

“Hawke.”

Hawke? I’d never heard of a name like that before. But it seemed to suit him…in an unusual way.

He caught on to my confusion. “It’s my middle name, but that’s what everyone calls me.”