Ryan
An hour earlier…
“Have a good night.” Stacy waved at me as I walked by the customer service station. “Wait. Stop. Come back here.” She moved around to the front of the counter and stopped in front of me. “You okay?”
“Yeah.” I attempted to smile, but I wasn’t feeling it at the moment.
“What’s up?”
“Nothing.”
“Ryan.”
“Stacy.” I scowled. Why was she acting so strange?
“Ryan, you look… I can’t place it, but something feels off.” She turned her head to the side and stared at me. “Your shift okay? Any issues with the customers?”
“It’s a woman thing, leave the man alone.” Jules laughed and leaned her body against the counter. She had magically appeared behind me. “I promise, he’s okay. We talked earlier,” she winked at me.
“Right.” I nodded. “But…”
Both women straightened and stepped closer to me. Jules placed her hand on my bicep. “What is it?”
I sighed. “It’s dumb.” It was, too.
After Lola left, I couldn’t get her out of my mind. As I washed the beets and grabbed boxes of lettuce from the cooler, I was mentally counting down until I was done.
I couldn’t get her out of my head. Then, right before it was time to clock out, I randomly thought about buying a dessert for dinner tonight.
“I bet it’s not dumb.” Stacy smiled.
“It is.” I rolled my eyes.
“Well, tell us anyway.” Jules pushed her hand against my shoulder.
“I want to take a dessert, but I don’t know what to grab.” I shook my head, feeling embarrassed. “I’m still getting to know her, and…”
“What are the options?” Stacy looped her arm around mine. “Let’s go look together.” She glanced back at Jules. “You coming?”
“Yes. Keep your pants on.” Jules burst out laughing. “A customer asked me a question.”
“I was torn between tiramisu, salted caramel brownies, or cheesecake.” It was weird having this conversation with my bosses. “Or maybe I should get something other than those three options.”
“Did you see the opera cake that arrived yesterday?” Jules let out an excited sound and clapped her hands. “It is so beautiful with all the stunning layers.”
“Wait—” Stacy stopped walking in the middle of the store— “Does she like chocolate?”
“Yes, but I don’t know if it’s a favorite.” Which was true, because we had eaten some chocolate items together. When we were at the fair, we shared a chocolate-covered banana.
“So you need to find something that has a balance of chocolate with other flavors.” Stacy started walking again. “That’s workable.”
“Tiramisu would be fun.” Jules stopped in front of the glassed-in display case. “It’s less about chocolate and more about coffee.” She pointed at a dessert with perfect, thin layers. “Seriously, though, look at that opera cake. I may need to buy one.”
After standing and staring at the desserts for way too long, I finally decided to get some tiramisu. It felt like the right option, especially because I was still learning about Lola’s likes and dislikes, and also, because I couldn’t stop thinking about it.
“Can I get two slices of the tiramisu?” I asked the person behind the counter.
“Only two?” Stacy turned to face me. “You sure you don’t want more?”
“Very.” I laughed. “Thank you both for your help.”
The person on the other side of the counter handed me a box. “Here you go, Ryan.”
I nodded and turned to face Stacy and Jules. “Okay, now to find out if she likes Tiramisu.” I took in a deep breath and let it out slowly. “See you tomorrow.” I waved and headed out of the building.
I was still doubting my decision when I pulled into Lola’s driveway. It was too late now; I had committed to the decision.
Her car wasn’t in the driveway, so I parked and made my way over to the porch steps to sit down.
Ten minutes later, I heard a crackling sound like wheels rolling over gravel. Lola was home. I held the box with the tiramisu tightly with both hands.
She stepped out of the car, and my heart rate increased.
It’s weird, I thought I would be alone forever.
Every time Lola and I say our goodbyes and I’m alone again, I try to figure out what she sees in me. The woman is stunning. Me: I’m just your average guy.
“Did you wait long?” She stepped closer to me.
“No. Only about ten minutes.” I was gripping the box so tightly that I could feel the sides start to collapse from the pressure.
“What’s that?” She placed her index finger on the box. “It looks important.”
“Dessert.” I shrugged. “I don’t know if you’ll like it, though.”
“Not like dessert.” She leaned in and kissed my cheek and walked up the steps. “Not possible.”
I reached up and touched my cheek. “Then, I have a feeling it was the perfect choice.”
AUTHOR NOTE:
Picking out the perfect dessert is hard. I get it. Should we continue with Lola and Ryan for the next chapter or jump back over to Jules and Olly?
WANT MORE?
Curious about the books I’ve written? You’ll find a couple of closed-door romance books, but I mostly write steamy small-town romance, steamy romantic comedy, and steamy romantic suspense. Start reading here.