“Here you go,” I announce, placing his drinks and the bag of muffins on the counter.
He flashes me that killer smile again, and my cheeks warm. “Thanks, Juliette. I’ll see you back at home later.”
“I’ll be there,” I promise.
Before exiting the café, Greyston turns back to me. “Oh, and don’t worry about picking anything up for dinner. I’ll figure something out.”
The minute he leaves, Katie grabs my arm and whips me around to face her. “Oh. My. God! He’s delicious!”
The rest of our shift flies, and by five, Paul has shown up. Before we go, we tidy up and restock all of the supplies so Paul doesn’t have to, then Katie and I walk out to our vehicles together and say our goodbyes before taking off.
It’s another scorcher out, so before leaving the lot, I roll down both windows. The fact that I have to practically lay across the seat and manually crank the lever to get the passenger side down is kind of annoying. I absolutely adore my little car, but I’ll admit that the luxury of power windows and door locks definitely sounds appealing.
I twist my hair up, securing it with a pen from my purse, and start my car. The sweltering heat makes me happy to be living in a house with a pool, and I begin to imagine weekends relaxing on a lounge chair and swimming to beat the extreme summer heat. Not to mention, studying by the pool with the beautiful desert view would be so peaceful.
On my way home—it’s still pretty amazing to be able to say that—I start to wonder if Greyston would be opposed to my having my parents over. I’d like to show them the house, maybe further setting my father’s mind at ease. If he’s okay with it, I think I’ll plan something for next weekend, once I’m all unpacked and settled.
After parking my car in my brand new driveway, I grab my purse and head inside. Before going in search of Greyston, I head upstairs to my room to shower quickly and change into something that doesn’t smell like the café.
Stepping into my private bathroom, I turn on the shower and brush my hair out before undressing and stepping under the delightfully cool spray of water. The water streaming down over my body is so relaxing, off-setting the sizzling heat of the late-afternoon sun, that I find myself not wanting to get out.
Opening the glass door, I grab the dark blue towel from the hook and wrap it around my body. Instead of being cooler, the air is actually a bit warmer as I step out of the shower stall and head to my closet to look through my clothes I decide on a pair of cutoff jean shorts and a tank top.
I remove my towel, hanging it on my closet doorknob for a moment while I dress. My shorts are definitely that—short—but I’m roasting, so the fact that they barely cover my butt and show the lower bit of my front pockets doesn’t concern me too much. I’ll just have to refrain from bending over.
Even though my wet hair feels nice and cool against my warming back, I know I’ll need to tie it up before it becomes an issue. I grab an elastic off my dresser and fasten a messy top knot on the top of my head.
Feeling refreshed, I make my way out of my room and down the stairs. When I reach the landing, I can hear Greyston’s voice coming from the kitchen. I assume he’s on the phone again…until I hear a melodious female laugh.
While earlier I was mostly curious to meet Callie, I’m feeling kind of bummed out now. The closer I get to the kitchen, the more I hear of their conversation. They seem to have a really solid relationship, and I start to feel like I might be intruding if I go in there and interrupt them. My stomach rudely insists I keep moving forward, though.
“No! Are you serious?” the woman says with a giggle.
As I round the corner, I catch sight of her on one of the island stools, looking at Greyston as he stirs something on the stovetop. Even though I can only see a portion of her facial profile, I can tell I was exactly right about her being gorgeous. She’s got creamy white and flawless skin, and her auburn hair hangs loose down her back, grazing the waist of her jeans. Even though she’s seated, I can tell she’s got the perfect hourglass figure.
Greyston chuckles, not turning to look at her, and I continue to go unnoticed. “I swear on my life, Callie. It’s unlike anything I’ve ever experienced. I really can’t explain it; you’ll just have to take my word for it.”
She shakes her head, the ends of her soft-looking hair flowing from the movement. “Well, if that’s the case, then you should go for it. You know I only want what’s best for you.”
That’s when he turns to offer her a smile, but before he locks eyes with her, he finds me standing in the doorway. “Hey,” he says, sounding surprised. “I didn’t hear you come downstairs.”