I’m betting she’s too stubborn to take me up on it. She put off that vibe loud and clear at the bar.
It’d be a weird situation since we hardly know one another, but what other choice does she have at this point? I can imagine asking that many people to move out of an apartment building in a town already hurting for housing created quite the pickle for many. Being a single mom on a budget lessens her options even more.
Like it has happened several times over the last few days any time I’ve thought of her, images of her sultry smirk and those incredible gray eyes assault me.
That long hair made for pulling.
Those jeans that were painted onto her curves.
Those—
“Yo, Brooks, we’re grabbing lunch. You in?”
“Huh?” I let my finger off the trigger of my welder and swing around to my co-worker, Jake, then push my face shield up and remove the respirator I always wear. “What’s up?”
Jake is probably one of my closest friends outside of Dean…which is kind of sad when I think about it because we’ve only hung out outside of work a handful of times in the five years I’ve worked with him.
“Man, you must have really been zoning out. We tried to get your attention twice.”
“Sorry, Jake. Just tired.” After getting an early start yesterday morning, I stayed up too late last night watching some true crime documentary I couldn’t shut off.
“Totally get it. We were wanting to know if you want to grab some lunch.”
“Where are you guys going?”
“Gonna hit up that diner around the corner.”
“The Gravy Train?”
He nods. “Yep. You in?”
Oftentimes I’m the guy who sits in the bed of his truck with a book and a sandwich, ignoring the rest of the world. But hearing the word gravy has my stomach rumbling for something better than two slices of bread and meat slapped together.
Jake chuckles. “I heard that shit from here, so I’ll take that as a yes.”
I pull my gloves off, tucking them into my pocket. “Meet you guys there?”
He nods. “Sounds good.”
I finish cleaning up my area, knowing better than to leave my equipment lying around even if the area is monitored by security.
I learned a long-ass time ago not to trust anyone, especially the ones you’re supposed to trust.
I toss my tools into the back seat of my truck, then strip off my heat-resistant jacket and exchange it for a dark blue flannel before climbing into the driver’s seat.
It’s a quick drive to the diner, and I’m pulling into the small public parking lot up the block no less than ten minutes later. I hop out and make my way along the street to the old train depot turned popular diner.
The Gravy Train is one of the best places in the whole city, and everyone knows it. Hell, even when I lived on the outskirts of town, I’d come here at least once a week to grab a slice of the pies they’re famous for.
With me living so close now, my trips are admittedly more frequent.
I pull open the door and something smacks right into my chest.
No. Not something.
Someone.
Followed closely by a freezing liquid soaking into my flannel.
“Oh crap!” comes a soft voice. “I’m so sorry. I wasn’t watching where I was going.” The woman juggles the tray of coffees, then dips her head, reaching into her purse. She produces a huge wad of napkins and starts pressing them to the mess. “I’m such a klutz. I—Nolan?”
Maya.
She steps back, tilting her head up to get a better look at me.
Fucking hell.
I’d hoped the next time I saw her, she wasn’t going to be as pretty as I remembered.
But fuck me if she isn’t even more gorgeous than before.
She’s peering up at me with her alarming gray eyes, and her dark lashes look even longer than they did the other night. If I’m not mistaken, there’s a mix of surprise and pleasure in her gaze.
“Wha… What are you doing here?” She peeks around like she’s searching for someone else. She wets her rosy pink bottom lip with her tongue. “Are you following me?”
I lift a brow as my lips curl into a smirk. “Uh, no. I’m not following you.”
She doesn’t appear to believe me.
“Lunch break.” I hitch my thumb over my shoulder. “My jobsite is a few miles up the road. The guys wanted to come here, and I’m not dumb enough to say no to hot food in this weather.”
She nods, shoving the napkins back into her purse. “It is really cold.”
I point at the tray in her hand. “So cold you’re drinking an iced coffee?”
She shrugs. “What? Sometimes you crave an iced coffee.”
“Can’t say I ever have.”
Another nod, and a quiet falls over us, both unsure what to say next. She adjusts the tipped cup on the tray, then stares at the ground.
I stare at her, committing her curves to memory like the asshole I am.
She’s wearing another pair of skintight jeans and booties, this time with a blue and white sweater that’s striped across her middle and her arms. Her brown hair is hanging in waves down her back, and there’s an adorable-as-fuck beanie with a puff sitting atop her head. Her cheeks are tinged pink, and I don’t know if it’s from the weather or her embarrassment.
“So, uh, you work around here?”
I drag my eyes back up to hers. If she caught me staring, she doesn’t say so.
“This week, yeah.”
“What do you do exactly? You know, besides knock down perfectly good apartment buildings.”
I tuck my lips together, fighting a smile, because I doubt she’d appreciate that right now. “I’m a welder.”
“Oh.”
She falls quiet again, her brows drawing together.
I’m not sure why she says it like she does, but I don’t bother asking.
I glance into the diner, noting the guys are all staring out at Maya like they’ve never seen a woman before.
A surge of protectiveness rumbles through my chest, and I glare at them.
“Well,” Maya says, pulling my attention back to her. “I, uh, better get back to the shop.” She lifts the coffees. “The girls are probably wondering where I am.”
“You work with River, right?”
“Yep. Making Waves is right up the street.” She inclines her head, indicating it’s behind me. “We’re right on the corner. We’re closed on Mondays, but we’re doing inventory today.”
I don’t tell her I know where it is.
Before River and Dean started dating, he used to pop in there for his mom and sister on their birthdays or for Christmas. He’d deny it, but it was his way of supporting River because he had a huge crush on her.
I’d usually run up to The Gravy Train for coffee while he did his shopping because there was nothing of interest to me in there.
Well, at least I didn’t think there was…until now.
“I…I’m sorry about the mess.” She winces, noticing the wet spot on my shirt.
I shrug. “No big deal. I get messier than this most days.”
“Right.” She clears her throat. “Well, goodbye, Nolan.”
I move out of her way as she steps around me.