Marc set out plates full of spaghetti on his dining table after all of their clothes were back in their rightful places. Sophie took a seat and crossed her legs. Her day officially could not get any better. A hunky man who couldn’t get enough of her, a thoughtful lunch, and time to write more songs. Yup, life was where she wanted it to be – in her pocket.
“I had to heat it up a bit.”
His goofy half-smile made her chuckle. I’ll eat cold food all day long if we’re doing naughty things against the wall.
“The delay was worth it.” She winked. “Smells wonderful.”
He’s amazing. The man sitting across from her had only been in her life for a couple of days, but already she wanted him there for years to come. The longevity of a relationship had always seemed like an impossible feat, but after seeing Candace fall head over heels in love, even though it was new love and anything could happen… maybe Sophie needed to reevaluate the concept. If it were possible for someone as headstrong as Candace to let herself get swept away, there was certainly a chance for her.
“It’s not fair really,” she continued. “The food I usually make isn’t near as delicious. You’re spoiling me.”
“We’re getting busier at the restaurant.” He smiled. “You might have to stock up on cereal.” He focused on his plate and wrangled a meatball.
What does that mean? And what was with the smile? Hadn’t he been the one asking her over for meals all the time?
“I’m always stocked up on cereal.” She wrapped noodles covered in tomato sauce on her fork, but suddenly the bite wasn’t very appetizing.
“Are you having a productive morning?” he asked.
She studied him. His body language hadn’t changed, and he watched her with a pleasant expression. Maybe he’d just wanted sex, and maybe she did, too. Their affair could be meant for a couple of hot encounters only. She could accept their chemistry for what it was: hot, instant, available, and temporary. A nagging feeling started in her chest and rose; she’d never been good at accepting what she didn’t like.
“Yeah. Got my list checked off. I need to work on some Orange Heart business.”
“So are you the finance person for the band?”
“I’m the main contact, keep the books in order, and, sometimes, the tiebreaker for the set list order.” She couldn’t make eye contact with him. “In the beginning, we had a lot of scheduling conflicts because we were all taking gigs.”
“Too many cooks in the kitchen. I understand.”
“Did your delivery truck arrive?” It was either make conversation or get up and walk out. The latter might cause too much of a ruckus and require her to explain her actions.
“They called when I was coming here. Just got there.”
Marc was talking to her, but he seemed distracted. Work was clearly needing his attention, but in the back of her mind, she couldn’t help feeling that she was an intrusion in his life.
She wasn’t sure what she wanted. They lived next door to each other, but real estate did not a future make.
After a quick lunch, he followed her into the hall and waited until she unlocked her door. The sensation of his hand on the small of her back made her melt into him a little, even though she was mad. He leaned in and kissed her forehead.
“Have a good afternoon,” he said.
Their eyes didn’t meet, and she didn’t say anything back. They’d reached a pivotal moment and had gone separate ways. She wasn’t the casual type – she wanted to date a special someone – and he… hell, she had no idea. In situations such as these, there was only one thing to do: buy a real damned candle.
Marc walked away from Sophie. Not his ideal option – he’d would have liked to be with her the rest of the day. He stopped. He’d forgotten to make plans with her. He wasn’t sure a power outage would hold up as a way to hang out with her three nights in a row.
I don’t even know her cell number.
He turned back. “Sophie, what are you doing tonight? I was thinking Thai for a late dinner.”
“Ya know, I don’t think so. I have a thing with some friends.”
His chest tightened. “Oh, okay, another night then.”
Marc had no idea what went wrong. One minute they were making love, the next they were eating, and then she’d been quiet – which, in woman terms, equaled unhappiness. Had he said something inappropriate? Is that why she didn’t want to have dinner?
Ah, hell, she had plans with friends. He was thinking too much about Sophie. He needed to get back to his restaurant and make sure dinner prep had been started. Still, a feeling nagged at him. He couldn’t change his path now. He had a plan for his life, and Sophie wasn’t part of it.