long game with the honey guy at the farmers’ market. Every week, I flirted a little more, slowly luring him to my hook. Not that I’d know what to do with him once I caught him, but the game was fun.
Today, I’d come away with a free pack of honey sticks, one of my favorite snacks. I supposed they weren’t exactly free since I’d jumped in to help Mick while he was in the weeds with a long line of customers. I wasn’t an expert like he was since he was the beekeeper, but after a summer of stopping by his booth and sampling all his goods, I could answer questions and bag up purchases.
Of course, my impromptu job meant I was running late for brunch with Elise, Weston, Elliot, and Luca.
I was finally going to meet him, and I was just a little bit giddy about it. Technically, he was my boss, but I was trying not to think about that. Having brunch with my boss was somewhat intimidating.
I made it to the brunch spot with a minute to spare, so I ducked into the restroom to wash my hands and make sure my hair didn’t look too crazy from my morning outdoors.
Pleasantly surprised to find my hair cooperating, draping over my shoulders in soft waves and my cheeks slightly pink from the sun, I passed inspection. I smoothed out my red-polka-dot wrap skirt and tugged down my cropped white T-shirt then pushed open the door, intent on finding my friends.
But I ran straight into a man. He caught me by the arms so I wouldn’t fall backward after bouncing off his solid chest.
“Excuse me, bella.”
My eyes jerked up, but not far, finding Luke was the delicious-smelling obstacle.
“What—?” So shocked to see him for the second time in less than twenty-four hours I couldn’t get my mouth or brain to function.
Luke had no such problems. He dropped my arms like he’d been scalded and practically leapt away from me.
“What the fuck is this?” he hissed. “I was joking about you stalking me, but Christ—”
“Wait a second. You think I’m stalking you?”
His heavy, dark brow furrowed into a furious line. “This isn’t a coincidence. It’s impossible. And since I’m sure as hell not stalking you, it’s pretty clear what’s going on here.”
Incensed at his ridiculous accusation, I folded my arms over my chest. “You’re nuts, aren’t you? How do I know you aren’t following me? That’s much more likely. Or…I don’t know. We both ended up at a popular brunch spot on a day when half of Denver goes out to brunch. Did that occur to you?”
“No.” He folded his arms over his chest. “You aren’t the first girl to chase me like this, but it ends now. If I see you again, I’ll be forced to take action.”
“Go for it, buddy. And see how stupid you feel when you’re proven pathologically paranoid.”
I stormed by him, making sure not to touch even a thread of his stupidly fitted T-shirt. What an egotistical bastard. The idea that I’d ever stalk a man. Pfft. It was outrageous.
When I found my friends, I yanked out my seat and flopped into it. Their conversation came to a standstill, all eyes on me.
“Bad day at the farmers’ market?” Elliot deadpanned.
Mentally, I was flipping him off, but I refrained since there were children present around us. The stink-eye I gave him conveyed my displeasure at his condescending question just fine.
“I just ran into the biggest a-hole in Denver, that’s all.”
Elise had been thoughtful enough to order me a mimosa, which I slammed back. Of course, champagne and orange juice weren’t meant to be chugged, so I choked on my own fucking drink. Weston patted me on the back, and Elise took the glass from me, placing it gently on the table.
When I stopped coughing, I wiped my mouth on my napkin and waved them off. “I’m fine. Sorry to make such a dramatic entrance.” I glanced around the table. “Where’s Luca? Is he not coming?”
“He’s making a call.” Elise glanced over her shoulder. “Oh, there he is now.”
Time stood still when I spotted the man in question. Tall and lean, wearing a fitted black T-shirt and dark-gray pants, Luca Rossi strode to our table. But Luca wasn’t Luca. He was Luke.
Or…Luke was Luca?
Oh shit.
He spotted me at the same time, and his expression was thunderous. Did he think I’d stalked him all the way to this table? Was he not putting the pieces together like I had?
Dummy.
Elise hopped out of her seat and grabbed Luca’s arm, steering him directly in front of me. I slowly rose, leveling him with a gaze filled with more confidence than I felt.
“Luca, I’d like to finally introduce you to my best girl, Saoirse Kelly. Sersh, meet Luca.”
I held out my hand. “Hi, Luca. It’s nice to meet you after all this time.”
After a beat of hesitation, his hand enclosed mine, and he squeezed slightly too hard. “Saoirse. Do people often mispronounce your name and call you Sasha?”
“All the time.” I blinked at him. “Do you ever go by Luke?”
“Sometimes.”
I tried to pull away, but he held on, searching for something in my gaze…or my expression. With a huff that sounded like frustration, he dropped his hold and turned away from me, placing a swift kiss on Elise’s cheek, then took the empty chair across the table from me.
Once we were all seated and had ordered, conversation picked up between the five of us. While I was still trying to wrap my head around the fact that I’d hooked up with Luca Rossi, my technical boss and Elise’s friend, I attempted to play it cool.
“By the way, I have a present for everyone.” I picked up my canvas bag from where I’d stashed it beneath my chair and reached in, grabbing the first item. “These are for West.”
I handed him the six-pack of hand-embroidered cloth napkins. His brow crinkled as he studied them, and I laughed at his befuddled expression.
“They’re cloth napkins. I know how important the environment is, so I thought you might like these instead of using paper. I bought some for Elise and myself too.”
“Thank you.” Weston smiled gently at me. “That was really thoughtful.”
“Changing the world one napkin at a time,” Elliot intoned.
“That’s right.” I was used to him, so I never let his teasing get to me. And that’s what I’d decided it was. Despite how closed off and uptight he was, he wouldn’t be mean to me simply because I was Elise’s friend. “Don’t worry, I got something for you too.”
I handed him the beet I’d chosen just for him. He immediately dropped it on the table to stare at it. “What is this?”
“A heart-shaped beet, Elliot. I saw it, and it reminded me of you.”
Luca’s low snicker drew my eyes to him. I grinned at him, and his humor fell away. He straightened in his seat, composing himself.
“Oooh, El, I’ll send you a recipe for beet salad.” Elise scrolled through her phone. “I haven’t made it myself since…you know, cooking and I don’t mix, but you’re much better in the kitchen than I am. You can handle it.”
“Thank you, El. I can’t wait,” he remarked with the enthusiasm of a corpse.
I sputtered a laugh. Elliot Levy was the best.
“Don’t tell me you left Luca out,” Weston prodded. “He’s looking rather sad over there.”
Luca held up his hands. “I’m just fine.”
“What kind of person would I be if I didn’t bring Luca a gift?” I reached in my bag and withdrew the grand prize, handing it to Elise. “Pass this to Luca for me.”
He took the cutting board from Elise, staring at it in the same befuddled manner Elliot had with his beet. I’d been excited to give this to him before we’d met, but now I was a mess of trepidation.
My love language was gifting, and though Luca and I hadn’t met—or so I thought when choosing his present—I’d wanted to give him something that showed him how excited I was to get to know him.
Now it just seemed over the top, especially after our bitter exchange outside the bathroom.
“It’s a play on words,” I explained. “It’s a cheese board with a crown on it because you’re now king of the boardroom.”
On top of the cheese board, I’d given him honey, jam, and a few different cheeses I’d selected just for him.
“Oh my god, that’s so cute,” Elise cooed.
“Very thoughtful,” Weston added.
Even Elliot had something kind to say. “Good going, Kelly.”
“Thanks, Levy,” I croaked before taking a long sip of my water.
All of us waited for Luca’s reaction. Before he could say a single word, a horde of waiters brought our food, and Luca set the board down on the ground.
On. The. Ground.
He tossed a perfunctory “thank you” my way, then dug into his omelet like a starving man. Fortunately, Elise steered the conversation away from his nonreaction to a safer topic: Mick, the honey guy.
“He’s the reason I was a little late. I helped him run his stand.”
Elliot frowned. “You just…jumped behind the counter?”
“I asked before I did so, but essentially, yes.”
He shook his head, and I grinned.
“Did he pay you?” Weston asked.
“In honey sticks.”
“I can’t believe you.” Elise shook her head much the same way her brother had. “Poor Mick is probably planning how he’s going to propose.”
“Why poor Mick? He’s playing the same game I am. We’re having fun, babe. It doesn’t have to mean anything.”
“What does that mean?” Luca barked. “What game?”
“They have been flirting and bantering all summer,” Elise supplied. “Saoirse’s been slowly reeling him in.”
A deep crevice formed between Luca’s eyes. “What happens once you reel men in?”
I lifted a shoulder. “It depends on the man.”
“Cut them loose?” he pressed.
“Again, depends on the man.” I tried to keep my answers light, but Luca wasn’t even attempting to disguise his disdain.
Elise shoved Luca’s arm. “Relax. Mick is a grown man, and he’s been flirting right back. Plus, he got free labor today. As far as I’m concerned, he’s a few points ahead in this little game of theirs.”
After a tense beat, Luca blew out a heavy breath. “I’m sorry. I haven’t gotten enough sleep this week and my head hurts. I’m being an asshole.”
Now that I was really looking at him, compared to the man I’d met last week, he seemed beaten down. He was impeccably dressed and groomed, but his shoulders were slightly slumped, and there were purple smudges beneath his heavy-lidded eyes.
“That’s okay.” I tossed him a saucy smirk. “I know I probably give off the impression of being a femme fatale, but I assure you, it’s an illusion. I have never once broken a man’s heart, nor do I want to.”
“Can you say the same, Luca?” Elise asked.
He gave her a slow, crooked smile. “I’ve never broken a man’s heart, bella. I can promise you that.”
She snorted a laugh. “Shut up and eat your food. You’re ridiculous.”
Brunch went on with slightly less animosity after that. Elliot told us about the property his development company was considering investing in, and the guys debated the economics of it. Though I listened, I didn’t have a lot to add. It wasn’t that I didn’t have a mind for business, but I was more of an idea person. Numbers were like Sanskrit to me.
Elise leaned closer to me, zoning out of their conversation. “What are you doing tomorrow?”
“I have coffee scheduled with Maritza, but I’m free after that. It’ll be a laundry and veg day.”
“Who is Maritza again?”
“I met her at a hostel in Croatia, remember? She’s from Berlin, but she’s moving to Boulder and starting a boutique gardening business, which is why we’re having coffee.”
“You’re helping her with her plans?”
I nodded. “She wants me to look over what she has.”
Elise’s mouth flattened. “And knowing you, you’ll probably end up spending hours and hours reworking everything.”
“That’s an exaggeration, but yes, I have a tendency to get carried away with ideas.”
“You shouldn’t be giving your time and effort away for free. I don’t know why I have to keep telling you that.”
“It’s just fun for me.”
I had a propensity for picking up friends and acquaintances wherever I went. Elise called me the Pied Piper of needy people, which was an overstatement of facts, to be sure. Besides, I enjoyed helping people out. Lately, my friends and acquaintances had been coming to me to go over their business plans, and I’d been helping them refine them.
Like I’d said, it was fun. A brain exercise for me.
But in the back of my mind, I’d been toying with the idea of turning this into a true business. It was only the beginning of a daydream, though. I wasn’t even sure I had it in me to run my own business. If it came to fruition, it would be way down the line.
“If you say so.” Elise sighed. “I just don’t like you being taken advantage of.”
“I’ll stick with temping for now.”
“Speaking of…” Elise tapped Luca’s forearm. “Were you aware Saoirse is Rossi Motor’s latest employee?”
He went still, his gaze flicking to mine. “I wasn’t aware of that. When did you start?”
“I’ve been at Rossi for a week. It’s only temporary,” I explained.
“In which department?”
“Marketing.”
He regarded me carefully. “Are you enjoying working for my company?”
“I like my coworkers, and the job is interesting. Plus, there’re biscotti in the break room, which ups the cool factor tremendously. Oh, and Gina brings in donuts and éclairs every Friday.”
His brow winged. “Gina?”
“Mmhmm. Gina’s the department manager, and she has the hookup. Her uncle runs a bakery.”
“So, what you’re saying is, you enjoy working for me based solely on the snacks?” The corners of his mouth tipped slightly in amusement.
“I did mention the work was interesting, but it could be dull as toast and I’d still look forward to coming in every day simply for the biscotti. No doubt I’ll gain ten pounds before I leave Rossi, but it’ll be worth it.”
Luca’s gaze slid to Elliot’s. “Is she for real?”
Elliot folded his hands on the table and inclined his chin. “Welcome to the wild and wonderful world of Saoirse Kelly.”
I gasped. “You think I’m wonderful, Levy? I’m so flattered.”
Elliot made a grunting sound and returned his attention to his mostly empty plate.
“Don’t tease my brother,” Elise admonished. “He doesn’t know how to handle it. He might implode.”
“But it’s so fun,” I whispered. “And yes, Luca, I’m real. Snacks are important in a workplace. I read over your employee surveys. I bet you the marketing department is the most satisfied, and it’s all due to Gina and her magical baked goods.”
“I’ll be sure to look into that,” he replied without a hint of sincerity.
“You honestly should. Employee satisfaction is vital to any business.”
His nostrils flared. “I wasn’t aware you’ve run a company.”
I refused to be spoken down to. “If you think someone has to run a company to have common sense, you’re more out of touch than I realized.”
He straightened, leaning forward. “I’m not out of touch.”
I shrugged. “Okay. If you say so.”
Our friends carried on around us while Luca continued giving me a dark stare. As soon as the bill was paid, he shot out of his chair, mumbling excuses and saying goodbye to everyone but me. In the flurry of his sudden departure, no one else seemed to notice the slight, but I had.
And I hated how much it stung.
