Tuesday (Timeless Series #2) (5 page)

“We’re closed.” I pointed to the sign hanging in the window.

He stepped back slightly so his face was visible. “It’s me.” Hawke smiled as his headphones hung around his neck. The wire moved into his pocket where his phone lay.

“Oh.” I didn’t realize it was him. I unlocked the door and opened it. “Sorry, it’s dark out there.”

“It’s okay.” He walked inside. “I know I’m tall, dark, and dangerous.” A teasing smile was on his lips.

I missed that smile
. “And terrifying. If I saw you down a dark alley, I’d run.”

“You should run toward me,” he said. “Because I can protect you from truly terrifying things.” His eyes honed in on my face before he turned and examined the bakery. “It’s quiet.”

“It’s nice, isn’t it?” I crossed my arms over my chest and stared at the empty chairs in the lobby. “But don’t get used to it. In half an hour, it’ll sound like the most popular club in town.”

He chuckled. “Most businesses would kill to have your popularity.”

“And I’m not complaining,” I said quickly. “My ears are.”

He examined the lobby and the different pictures on the wall. There was a collage of photos of me and my parents, Yaya, Axel, and one of Hawke. He and I were sitting in my kitchen, and we had cupcake batter all over our faces. Marie took the picture when we least expected it, so it was candid.

Hawke stared at it for nearly two minutes.

It was an awkward situation. I could have thrown away every memory I had with Hawke and started over, but I didn’t want to forget what we had. To me, he wasn’t just another boyfriend.

He was the one.

“I can take it down if it bothers you…”

He slowly turned to me, a distant look in his eyes. “It doesn’t bother me at all.”

“I mean…you named this place. You’re important in its history.”

He nodded slightly. “And that’s a huge honor…The Muffin Girl.”

I was glad he wasn’t mad. “Well…” I trailed off because I couldn’t think of anything else to say.

He stepped away from the pictures and examined the rest of the bakery. “It has an unusual architecture…but it gives it character.”

“I wanted it to be unique.”

“You accomplished that.” He approached the counter and looked through the glass. “Can I get a tour?”

“Sure. It’s nothing fancy.”

“I’ll be the judge of that.”

I showed him the bread and pastry kitchen, where employees were already preparing for the day. Coffee was brewing and the aroma filled the kitchen. I showed him the walk-in freezer then led him to the cake kitchen.

“This is where you work?”

“Yep. I do all the wedding cakes.” I stopped in front of the wall where I pinned all my pictures of previous cakes.

He stood beside me and looked at them. “Wow…you’ve done amazing work.”

“Thanks…” I received compliments all the time, but it meant a lot coming from him.

“I like this one.” He pointed to the image of a motorcycle club theme. There were toy motorcycles with a man and a woman. Leather vests with fringe covered their bodies.

I chuckled. “They fell in love in a bike gang.”

“Now that’s romantic…” His voice was full of sarcasm but he was smiling. “And badass.”

“They’re really sweet people,” I said. “The nicest people I’ve ever met.”

“Is this one for a wedding?” He pointed to the mermaid theme cake.

“No, it was for a birthday party.”

“A three-tier cake for a birthday party?” he asked incredulously.

“You know how it goes…they’re stupid rich.”

I turned to him and finally realized I’d never asked why he was there. “So…what brings you here?” I didn’t want to sound rude but I was curious.

“I was jogging by and thought I’d pay a visit.”

“You jog this early in the morning?”

“When else am I going to do it?” he asked. “I box after work so I don’t have time for cardio.”

He boxed
? “That makes sense.”

“I live nearby—right on Park Avenue.”

“I know,” I blurted.

He turned to me with a raised eyebrow. “You know?”

“Because of the invitations,” I said quickly. I didn’t want him to think I was some kind of stalker.

He nodded in understanding. “I see.”

“I’m happy that you’re doing so well.”

That old look came into his eyes, one that was full of affection and something else. “Thank you. I’m happy for you too. Every time I walk by this bakery, it puts me in a good mood.”

“Because you want a muffin?” I teased.

“You caught me.”

I opened a container and grabbed a new creation. “It’s orange and cranberry.”

“Ooh…” He grabbed it from my hand and took a bite. He chewed it slowly and wiped the crumbs from his lips. “Damn, that’s good.”

“Thanks.” My cheeks reddened slightly.

“How are you not fat?” He finished it then sucked the stickiness from his fingers.

It reminded me of something I shouldn’t think about. “I learned self-control a long time ago.”

“Impressive.” He wiped his hands on his running shorts. “Now that you showed me around your place, you want to see mine?”

“Your office?” I hadn’t thought about it. I didn’t even know where it was.

“I meant my apartment. It’s just a few blocks over.”

“Oh…” Being alone with him in his apartment made my hair stand on end but I wasn’t sure why. It was clear he was over me and never wanted to be together again. The thought shouldn’t have crossed my mind at all. “Sure. I guess.”

“Unless you have another creation to make?”

I was just messing around in the kitchen. “No. I’m free.”

“Cool.” He pulled his headphones off and shoved them into his pocket. “It has a view of the park. It’s pretty cool during the daytime. But it’s really cool in the evenings.”

“I’m sure it is.”

***

We entered his building and approached the lobby. The sun was finally rising over the city and everyone was getting ready for work. Some people popped out of the elevator and speed-walked to their destination. Others filed down the stairs with a purpose.

“You have a nice building.”

“Thanks.” He got into the elevator then held the door open for me. Then he hit the button to the top floor.

The steel doors closed, and our reflections were visible in the pristine walls. The elevator rose slowly, and light music played overhead. Being alone with him in a confined space was a little uncomfortable. Seeing him in a t-shirt and shorts reminded me how nice his body was. I missed the way his chest felt against mine. When it was covered in sweat and warm, it chased the cold away.

The door opened, and we headed down the hallway. “It’s nice being able to leave work whenever you want, huh?”

“It’s definitely better than The Grind.”

He chuckled. “I can imagine.”

We rounded the corner and saw a woman leaning against the wall. She wore a black dress and heels. Her hair was a little messy and her make up was smeared. She looked exhausted like she had a long night.

Hawke suddenly slowed down his pace like her presence caught him off guard. His shoulders noticeably stiffened like he was uncomfortable.

Within a split second, I put the pieces together.

And I felt sick.

“There you are.” The girl approached his door with a flustered look. “I’ve been calling you all morning.” She crossed her arms over her chest then shot me a glare.

“What do you want?” Hawke asked coldly.

“I left my wallet.”

Oh my god, kill me now
.

Hawke didn’t look at me. “Oh…I’ll get it for you.”

“It’s on the night stand.”

My heart shattered into a million pieces. I wanted to run away and hide. I didn’t want to be there.

“Right…” Hawke got the door unlocked and stepped inside.

The woman stared at me like I was a piece of gum on the bottom of her shoe.

I kept my arms across my chest and hid the devastation on my face. Two years had come and gone, but seeing him with another woman hurt me as much as it would have the day he walked out. I knew he was with other people but to see it right in front of my face was…heartbreaking.

Hawke appeared with the wallet. “Here.” He shoved it into her arms. It was clear he was just as uncomfortable as I was.

“Call me later.” She turned on her heel and walked away.

Hawke didn’t make eye contact with me. He remained rigid like he didn’t know what to do. Silence stretched between us, and neither one of us knew what to say. He finally stepped into his apartment. “This is it…”

I entered behind him and immediately walked to the center of the room with my back turned to him so he wouldn’t see my face. I tried to seem indifferent but I knew I was failing. No matter how much time had passed, seeing him with someone else was agonizing. “It’s nice.” I kept my voice steady.

His apartment contained floor-to-ceiling windows and had a breathtaking view of the park. Leather sofas were in the living room along with a fancy rug. A large TV took up the wall, and his kitchen was designed with granite countertops and stainless steel. “I’m jealous.”

Hawke placed his headphones on the counter then walked further into the room. “I got a good deal on it. I knew the seller.”

And I had a feeling I knew how.

“You want to see my office?”

I didn’t mind seeing anything except his bedroom. All I would think about was all the girls who hit his sheets. There must have been hundreds by this point in time. I wanted to keep hiding my face but I was running out of time. “Sure.”

He showed me the large room with an expansive desk. He had white bookshelves with textbooks as his primary décor. A large window was behind the desk and had another view of the park. “The view is distracting so I don’t get much work done.”

“I can imagine.”

He showed me his bathroom next and the spare bedroom. But he never took me in his bedroom.

Thank god.

The sheets were probably still in disarray from the woman who spent the night with him. Strands of her hair were probably on the pillow. And it probably smelled of sex. “Well, I should get back to work.” I headed back to the door and tried not to run.

“Yeah, I need to shower.”

Had he not showered since that woman? Gross
. “Well, I’ll see you around.” I didn’t turn around and look at him. I wanted to haul ass and get the hell away from him as quickly as possible. That woman shouldn’t bother me but she did. I needed to save face but I couldn’t do that if he was looking at me.

“Francesca.” His voice took a different tone, apologetic.

I didn’t know what I was thinking, but I turned around. “Hmm?” I made eye contact with him but just for a brief second. His face looked torn, like he didn’t want to say whatever he was about to say.

“I…” He struggled to find the words.

I knew he was trying to make an excuse for that girl. Her presence wasn’t malicious, and he had no idea she was going to be there. He wanted to apologize for something he shouldn’t apologize for. “It’s okay, Hawke.” I turned away because I was going to get teary-eyed if I stayed any longer.

He lowered his gaze and looked at the ground. “I’m sorry…”

I kept walking. My heart ached and my feet carried me as quickly as possible. Old wounds were ripped apart. I had done the same thing to him the other night when I said I wasn’t going home. He looked just as upset as I did now. But he didn’t have to see Kyle in the flesh. “There’s nothing to be sorry about.”

***

When I walked into the weight room at the gym, Kyle was sitting on the bench. His dumbbells rested on his thighs and he stared at himself in the mirror.

“Yo.” I walked up behind him wearing my work out gear.

He grinned when he saw me. “Look who it is.” He whistled as he stared at me in my spandex. “You look like catwoman when you wear those.” He wiggled his eyebrows in a sleazy way.

I ignored his cheesy line. “You wanna go on a date with me?”

He stilled like he wasn’t sure if he heard me right. “You’re asking me out?”

“Don’t make a big deal out of it. My best friend wants to go on a double date. You down or what?” I leaned against the bench and put one hand on my hip.

“You’re one smooth talker.” His voice was full of sarcasm. “But since you’re cute, I’ll go out with you.”

“Thanks. Saturday is good?”

“Any day is good.” He winked at me.

“Would you stop doing that?”

“What?” he asked innocently.

“All the winking and eye-wiggling. You’re hot without the bullshit.”

“I think it turns you on but you don’t want to admit it.” He gave me a dramatic wink.

“I can call off the date, you know?”

“I’ll pick you up anyway.” He picked up one dumbbell and started doing curls. He stared at me the entire time he did it. “In the mood?”