his order simple. Black
coffee and a plain bagel. His stomach wouldn’t handle anything more. Pete, on
the other hand, ordered half the deli selections.
After paying, Trav walked by the couch and stopped.
“Mackenzie?”
She looked up from her book, eyes round in shock. “Donovan?
What are you doing here?” The book slipped from her hands and fell to the rug
below with a plop and she scrambled to grab it.
Pete flopped down on the sofa on the other side of Mary
Ellen. “Hey-ya, cutie.”
Mary Ellen gave him a smile back. “Hey.”
Trav couldn’t stop looking at Ariel. “We were in the
neighborhood and this looked like a good place to stop for food.” He pointed to
her textbook. “So is this what I was battling against for your attentions last
night?”
She held up the book with a laugh. “Yup. I’m getting close
to being done with my Master’s and I don’t want to risk it.”
“She’s turned into a nerd, is what she means,” Mary Ellen
put in. She grunted when Ariel elbowed her in the ribs.
“I’m just making sure I graduate on time,” Ariel corrected.
She flashed him a smile. “So have you guys already eaten?”
“Donovan!”
She laughed, that deep, rich sound he remembered from last
night. “Guess that answers the question. Go get your food and sit with us,” she
added, pointing to the couch across from them.
He picked up his food and Pete’s, which was next up, and
brought the trays back over. Mary Ellen and Pete had shifted to the empty
couch, which left Ariel alone. Perfect. He sat down, giving her space so she
didn’t feel crowded.
“So what are you studying for?” he asked as he unwrapped his
bagel.
Ariel put her highlighter in the book to keep her page and
shut it, displaying the front cover. “Social work, getting my masters. At least
I’m trying to.”
He liked that. Nobody went into social work for the money, that
was for sure. She seemed dedicated to it though. He tapped the side of her cup
and asked, “Ariel?”
She blushed. “Yeah. Um, my name.” A sheepish smile crept
onto her face. “Sorry. We usually use different names when we first meet guys.
Just a habit we’ve picked up. That and staying in pairs.”
He nodded. Dedicated and smart. “Not a bad idea. Can’t fault
you for it. So is Mackenzie some secret alternative identity you’ve created?”
he asked with a grin.
She laughed at that and his stomach tightened at the arousing
sound. “Nope. Sorry to be boring, but it’s just my middle name. So how long are
you two in town for?”
A quick glance showed Pete and Mary Ellen in the middle of a
conversation. “About a week. We’re on post-deployment leave so it’s a time
crunch.”
“And what brings you to our fair city?” she asked with a
smile, scooting closer. Their legs were an inch apart. He wanted to grab her
and pull her onto his lap.
“Visiting family.” Hopefully. “So, this is a quite a
coincidence, bumping into you guys like this.”
“It’s our favorite coffee place,” she said and took a sip.
“We needed a break so we headed here. Plus, it’s nice to mix up where I study.”
She shifted to put her cup back on the coffee table and her leg brushed his.
“I hate to break this up,” Mary Ellen said, “but we need to
head back soon.”
“Do you want to go to dinner tomorrow tonight?” The words
flew out before he could stop them. But the thought of her leaving and not
being able to find her again was terrifying.
Her eyes widened then crinkled as she smiled. “Yeah. I’d
like that.”
“Dinner shift tomorrow,” Mary Ellen said in a singsong
voice.
“Shit,” Ariel mumbled. “Well, we could do a late dinner?”
Dinner shift? He let the question pass. There’d be time that
night for talking. “Yeah. Good. Sounds good. Do you have a suggestion of where
to go?”
She named a place and a time.
“All right. Do you want us to pick you up or—”
“We’ll meet you there,” Mary Ellen put in as she stuffed a
stack of
coffee and a plain bagel. His stomach wouldn’t handle anything more. Pete, on
the other hand, ordered half the deli selections.
After paying, Trav walked by the couch and stopped.
“Mackenzie?”
She looked up from her book, eyes round in shock. “Donovan?
What are you doing here?” The book slipped from her hands and fell to the rug
below with a plop and she scrambled to grab it.
Pete flopped down on the sofa on the other side of Mary
Ellen. “Hey-ya, cutie.”
Mary Ellen gave him a smile back. “Hey.”
Trav couldn’t stop looking at Ariel. “We were in the
neighborhood and this looked like a good place to stop for food.” He pointed to
her textbook. “So is this what I was battling against for your attentions last
night?”
She held up the book with a laugh. “Yup. I’m getting close
to being done with my Master’s and I don’t want to risk it.”
“She’s turned into a nerd, is what she means,” Mary Ellen
put in. She grunted when Ariel elbowed her in the ribs.
“I’m just making sure I graduate on time,” Ariel corrected.
She flashed him a smile. “So have you guys already eaten?”
“Donovan!”
She laughed, that deep, rich sound he remembered from last
night. “Guess that answers the question. Go get your food and sit with us,” she
added, pointing to the couch across from them.
He picked up his food and Pete’s, which was next up, and
brought the trays back over. Mary Ellen and Pete had shifted to the empty
couch, which left Ariel alone. Perfect. He sat down, giving her space so she
didn’t feel crowded.
“So what are you studying for?” he asked as he unwrapped his
bagel.
Ariel put her highlighter in the book to keep her page and
shut it, displaying the front cover. “Social work, getting my masters. At least
I’m trying to.”
He liked that. Nobody went into social work for the money, that
was for sure. She seemed dedicated to it though. He tapped the side of her cup
and asked, “Ariel?”
She blushed. “Yeah. Um, my name.” A sheepish smile crept
onto her face. “Sorry. We usually use different names when we first meet guys.
Just a habit we’ve picked up. That and staying in pairs.”
He nodded. Dedicated and smart. “Not a bad idea. Can’t fault
you for it. So is Mackenzie some secret alternative identity you’ve created?”
he asked with a grin.
She laughed at that and his stomach tightened at the arousing
sound. “Nope. Sorry to be boring, but it’s just my middle name. So how long are
you two in town for?”
A quick glance showed Pete and Mary Ellen in the middle of a
conversation. “About a week. We’re on post-deployment leave so it’s a time
crunch.”
“And what brings you to our fair city?” she asked with a
smile, scooting closer. Their legs were an inch apart. He wanted to grab her
and pull her onto his lap.
“Visiting family.” Hopefully. “So, this is a quite a
coincidence, bumping into you guys like this.”
“It’s our favorite coffee place,” she said and took a sip.
“We needed a break so we headed here. Plus, it’s nice to mix up where I study.”
She shifted to put her cup back on the coffee table and her leg brushed his.
“I hate to break this up,” Mary Ellen said, “but we need to
head back soon.”
“Do you want to go to dinner tomorrow tonight?” The words
flew out before he could stop them. But the thought of her leaving and not
being able to find her again was terrifying.
Her eyes widened then crinkled as she smiled. “Yeah. I’d
like that.”
“Dinner shift tomorrow,” Mary Ellen said in a singsong
voice.
“Shit,” Ariel mumbled. “Well, we could do a late dinner?”
Dinner shift? He let the question pass. There’d be time that
night for talking. “Yeah. Good. Sounds good. Do you have a suggestion of where
to go?”
She named a place and a time.
“All right. Do you want us to pick you up or—”
“We’ll meet you there,” Mary Ellen put in as she stuffed a
stack of
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