He caught on to my confusion. “It’s my middle name, but that’s what everyone calls me.”
“Oh…it’s nice.” I wanted to ask what his first name was, but he would have told me if he wanted me to know.
He grabbed his coffee then stepped away. “I’ll see you around, Frankie.”
“Yeah, until next time.”
He didn’t look at me again as he sat down and got to work.
I released a deep sigh as disappointment washed through me. I wasn’t sure what I expected to happen. But I wished I had a napkin with his phone number written on it.
***
Marie was painting her nails on the couch when I walked inside. “How was work?”
“Good.” I tossed my bag on the counter then pulled my hair loose from the tie. “Mr. Handsome has a name.”
“Ooh…” She blew on her big toe then closed the bottle of nail polish. “What is it? I bet it’s something really sexy. Like…Dublin. No, Carter. Wait…” She kept brainstorming names.
“Are you done?” I asked sarcastically.
“Fine. What is it?”
“Hawke.”
Her eyes widened in obvious surprise. Then she nodded her head slowly. “What did I tell you? I knew it would be hot.”
“Apparently, it’s his middle name but that’s what he goes by.”
“What’s his first name?”
“I didn’t ask.”
“Did you ask for something else?” She leaned forward in anticipation. “Perhaps a date?” She grinned like an idiot.
“No. And he didn’t ask me out either.”
She smiled victoriously. “Not so easy, is it?”
“I’m just unsure if that’s what he’s interested in. A good-looking guy like that probably has a girlfriend—or a long list of admirers. I doubt he’s available.”
“You’ll never know until you ask, right?” She started painting her nails again.
“I suppose.” I had to eat my own words. Hawke and I kept flirting back and forth, at least it seemed like flirting. If it was going to go somewhere, I wanted to know. I wasn’t in a hurry, but I didn’t like waiting around either.
***
A week later, Hawke appeared again. Like always, he wore his slacks and collared shirt. His satchel was over his shoulder, and his hair was slightly messy from a long day of running his fingers through it. His aura emitted confidence and power. He didn’t even need to speak to achieve it.
“Hey, Frankie.” He walked up to the counter with his eyes glued on my face. His wide shoulders were formidable but sexy at the same time. I wanted to hold on to them as I rode him up and down.
Stay focused.
“Hey, Hawke.”
“How are you today?”
“Great.” Now that you walked through the door. I’d been waiting for that bell to ring all week. Every time I looked, it wasn’t him. But now he was finally there. “How are you?”
“Parched.” He opened his wallet and set the cash on the counter. “I’ll take the usual, please.”
“Black coffee?”
He nodded.
“You never mix it up?”
He shrugged. “I’m predictable.”
I poured his coffee then set it on the counter. This time, I didn’t tell him the total. I just got his change and handed it back to him. “Do you work nearby?”
“A few miles away. I like coming here because it’s usually dead—and quiet.”
“With the exception of the blender.”
He smiled slightly as he put the cash in his wallet.
Was he ever going to ask me out? Was he interested in me? Or did he flirt with everybody?
He shoved his wallet back into his pocket then grabbed his coffee.
He wasn’t going to. I’d never been nervous to ask out a guy before but now I was. “You want to go out for a drink sometime?” After I said it, I realized it wasn’t so hard. He would either accept my offer and I would be thrilled, or he would say no and I would move on.
A slight reaction happened in his eyes, like he was surprised by what I just asked. He set his cup on the counter again like he intended to stay. “I would love to.”
My heart did a backflip.
“I assumed you had a boyfriend. Pretty girls like you aren’t usually available.”
I tried to stop my cheeks from tinting but I knew I was failing. “You’re in luck.”
“I am.” He pulled out his phone and asked for my number. “Are you busy on Friday?”
“With you.”
His eyes lightened slightly. “I’ll pick you up at seven.”
“Sounds good.”
“I look forward to it, Frankie.” He gave me one final look before he grabbed his coffee and walked to the table.
I grabbed a towel and started wiping down the counters and appliances. My hands were shaking because I was so excited. My heart was pounding and my feet wouldn’t stay still.
I had a date with Mr. Handsome.
CHAPTER TWO
Francesca
“Let me check your hair one more time.” Marie grabbed the curling iron and made a few more spirals in the back of my hair. Then she sprayed it with hairspray. “Okay. Now it’s perfect.”
She was making this into a much bigger deal than she needed to. “It’s just a date.”
“But this guy is hot.”
“All my dates are hot.”