He smiled. “Good morning.” His voice was the same, low and even.
“Morning.”
“You’re late.”
I glanced at my watch. “Five minutes.”
“It feels like a lifetime.” His eyes twinkled. He took a sip from his mug. “Did you sleep?”
I hesitated. “Eventually.”
“I see.” His gaze held mine over his mug. “I hope I had something to do with that.”
Heat flushed through me, but I didn’t back down. “You might have.”
Stefan set his coffee down. “Good.”
That single word was enough to send a shiver tripping down my spine.
“I haven’t eaten yet,” he informed me. “I thought I’d let you arrive first.”
“That’s considerate of you. Not to mention patient.” His brow furrowed, and I grinned. “Seeing as you’ve been waiting here a lifetime.”
His lips twitched.
“Let me get breakfast.” I pulled out my phone. “After all, you bought the drinks and dinner last night.”
He didn’t argue. “They have a bagel with salmon and cream cheese. That would be perfect.”
“For me too.” I left him and headed to the counter where an older man was adding sandwiches and rolls to the glass-covered display. He glanced up as I approached, and gave me a warm smile. I ordered the bagels, plus a latte, and while he fiddled with the coffee machine, another younger man set two plates on a tray.
Hanging above the glass counter were large lightbulbs, their filaments glowing in rainbow colours. I smiled. “These are great.”
The older man pointed towards the window. “They sell them in that shop across the street.”
I paid with my phone, then carried the tray back to Stefan. By now, more customers had arrived. Two men sat next to oneof the large windows, conversing over coffee and croissants. Another man was on his phone, his dog at his feet. One man sat in another window, his attention focused on his laptop. Some men had braved the cool morning air to sit outside and smoke.
I pulled out the chair facing Stefan and sat. He leaned against the wall, studying me.
I touched my face. “Did I miss toothpaste or something?”
He cocked his head. “You’re different this morning.” When I remained silent, he arched his eyebrows. “And you’re not denying it.”
I didn’t look away. “No, I’m not.”
Stefan took a bite from his bagel, and I followed suit.
“You seemed to be doing a lot of thinking yesterday.”
“Yeah, I was.” If it had been that obvious, there seemed little point in denying it.
He’d have seen right through me anyway.
“And now?”
I locked gazes with him. “Now I’m trying not to.”
His smile reached his eyes. “Good.”