He held her gaze a beat longer than was socially acceptable, but Olly didn’t care. There was no guarantee he’d ever see this woman again. And if this was his last time staring into those spellbinding eyes, he wanted to make it last.
Minutes later, as he was walking out of the hotel’s entrance with the folder and all its contents in hand. And as he made his way across the parking lot to his new-to-him car, Olly had to admit, he was looking forward to seeing her again, too.
4
Scarlett double-checkedthe address she’d received by text before opening the door and walking inside. The scent of freshly brewed coffee enveloped her as she entered the quaint little coffee shop, the tiny bell above the door chiming its announcement of her arrival.
“Welcome to The Roast and Toast!” A pretty brunette who looked to be around Scarlett’s age hollered out from the other side of the counter. “I’ll be with you in just a moment.”
“No rush.” Scarlett’s lips lifted in a polite grin.
She looked around but didn’t see anyone matching the description of the woman she’d come here to meet. A quick glance at her watch proved she was a few minutes early, and since she had nothing else to do but wait…
Her focus rose to the menu mounted high on the wall behind the busy barista. For a small, privately owned place, the selection of drinks and food items was impressive.
Repositioning her purse’s thin strap to a more comfortable spot on her shoulder, Scarlett took her time perusing the many options. Nerves had her bottom lip slipping between her teeth as she tried to narrow down her choices.
After her short meeting with Olly, she’d gone back up to her room to call Rose’s only other friend. Though the call had gone unanswered, Scarlett had left a voicemail practically begging the woman named Brooke to call her back. Much to her relief, Brooke returned her call just a few minutes later.
The bell above the door chimed again, her focus immediately swinging back toward the door. Though she’d never met Brooke, Scarlett immediately knew the woman who’d just entered wasn’t her.
I have to go straight from there to work, so I’ll be wearing scrubs.
That’s what Rose’s friend had told her, and the woman now standing in line behind Scarlett was dressed in black dress slacks and a red sweater. Not scrubs.
She turned back to continue trying to make her selection and realized it was her turn to order.
“Hi.” The pretty barista smiled wide. “What can I get you?”
“Um…I’m not sure, actually.” Scarlett’s mind worked overtime to decide. “Which do you suggest…the frozen white mocha or the caramel crunch?”
“Caramel crunch, all the way. But only if you get it with whipped cream and extra caramel drizzle.”
“Okay, then. Let’s do that.” She nodded while bringing her gaze back to the other woman’s. “Oh, and can I also have one of your egg white and bacon bagels?”
“Sure thing.” The order was tapped into the touchscreen attached to the register. “Will there be anything else?”
“That’s it, for now.”
“Great. What name can I put on the order?”
“Scarlett.”
“Oh, that’s pretty!” The woman whose nametag read Gina scribbled Scarlett’s name onto the clear plastic cup with a black permanent marker.
After being told the amount owed, Scarlett dug her wallet from her purse. She handed Gina a credit card, which was immediately inserted into the system’s electronic chip reader. Seconds later, Scarlett was sliding the card back into its rightful place and dropping her wallet back into her purse.
“We’ll have that out to you shortly.”
“Thanks.” She smiled back before turning and searching for a place to sit.
Spotting a small table for two positioned in one of the corners near the shop’s front windows, she began walking that way. Scarlett’s brown, laced-up boots were nearly silent against the tiled floor. She reached the table, choosing to sit in the chair closest to the wall.
With an unobstructed view of the front door, she relaxed against the chair’s smooth, wooden slats and waited. Minutes later, a pretty blonde wearing a set of black scrubs strolled in. Assuming this was the woman she’d planned to meet, Scarlett sent up a silent prayer and called out for her.
“Brooke!” She rose back up to her feet.
The blonde stopped and turned her way. “Scarlett?”