by A. V. Asher
Still, she’d need to be careful. Jason had eyes everywhere.
Chapter Five
Mercedes’s nerves were on edge all morning. The clock had slowed to a turtle’s pace. She knocked over the container filled with used espresso grounds, making a slippery mess all over the floor.
Her coworker, Corie, frowned at her. “You alright there, Sade?”
“Damn it,” Mercedes grumped, reaching for the broom. “Yeah, I’m fine. Bit of a mess today. I’ll get this out of the way, so we don’t kill ourselves.”
Corie shot her a grin. “I might do for a little slip and fall today. I’ve a chemistry test I’d love to get out of.”
“Ha. Fat chance.” Mercedes laughed, pushing the sandy grounds into a corner. “I thought you studied.”
“I did. I mean, I meant to,” Corie said with a coy smile. “I got a tad bit distracted when Lindsay came over.” She wagged her brows.
“Well, if it was for a good reason.”
Mercedes reached for a mug to make the next drink order and promptly knocked a bottle of hazelnut syrup off the counter. She gave a magnificent effort to recover it, batting it back into the air two or three times before it crashed to the floor with a crack. Thick syrup added to the sludge of wet coffee grounds.
Mercedes gritted her teeth and uttered a guttural noise.
What the hell?
She had to get it together. The customers at the counter were staring at her.
“You sure everything’s okay?” Corie furrowed her brow. “You’re a bloody wreck.”
“Yeah, I’m good. It’s . . . Well, I’m meeting someone after work, sort of an acquaintance.” At Corie’s look of interest, she continued, “I’m hoping he’ll help me find a job. I haven’t seen him in a few years.”
“Oh. So, he’s just a business acquaintance?” Corie’s frown made it clear she wasn’t buying it.
“Yeah, sort of. I mean no, not really. He’s an old . . . friend? I guess? His cousin is married to my sister. I haven’t seen him since the wedding in Scotland three years ago.”
“So, you’re all aflutter for your sister’s husband’s cousin, who’s just a business acquaintance?”
“Yeah.” Mercedes shrugged.
“Uh-huh.”
Her face reddened. If she was this much of a disaster now, how would it be when he got there?
If he even shows.
Mercedes took a deep breath. “Hand me a towel, would you?”
Just before Alec was due to arrive, Mercedes took a quick bathroom break, looking herself over in the mirror. Like most days, she had her long hair tied in a bun. Today she had taken a little extra time to make it look intentionally messy, rather than her usual “just out of bed” bun. They were very different.
She fussed with the shadow and mascara around her eyes and finished with a touch of color to her lips. Standing back to take account, she was thankful the cream scarf she had on over a simple black tank top had survived the coffee-ground incident.
The shop was empty when she returned, so she joined Corie in prepping the evening’s charcuterie boards. As usual, Corie talked non-stop while Mercedes made little sounds of agreement. Her eyes kept darting to the clock on the wall.
Suddenly, Corie stopped and inhaled sharply. “Please tell me that is your uncle’s, cousin’s, friend’s, nephew or whatever?” she murmured.
Mercedes’s gaze shot to the door, her heart bottoming out. He hadn’t changed much. Tall and broad-shouldered, his wavy dark hair, slightly longer than she remembered, framed his fair, sculptured face. Jesus, he was amazing.
“Yeah, that’s him,” she choked.
“Well, damn,” Corie said in a low voice. “No wonder you were dropping shit all day.”
“Yeah,” she agreed—no point in denying it.
Mercedes took a controlled breath and walked around the counter to greet the man she’d once wanted to change her entire life for.
“Alec.” She had to fight to keep her voice steady. “It’s so good to see you.”
“Hey, you.” Alec smiled and held his arms out to her. Without thinking, she moved into them. Alec held her tight, encompassing her in his warmth. She bit back a sigh. He’d always given the best hugs. He felt as good as he looked. Breathing in his woodsy scent, she savored the feel of him against her.
Alec pulled away and gave her a kiss on the cheek. A thrill of electricity shot up her spine.
“It’s been way too long.” She guided him to a table near the window, which was the farthest from Corie’s watchful eye. “Can I get you something to drink? I’m buying.”
“Oh well, if you’re buying . . .” Alec grinned, eyeing the menu boards.
“Take it easy there, McKinley. Kinda on a budget here,” she shot back with a laugh.
He gave an exaggerated sigh. “Aye, very well. Triple espresso, just a wee bit of cream?”
“You got it.”
Alec’s deep blue eyes caught hers and held them. She tried to disguise the flush growing across her cheeks by grinning at him and headed behind the counter to make their drinks.
Damn. He hasn’t even been here two minutes, and I’m drooling all over him.
Corie shot her a covert glance. “Seriously, you never mentioned your brother’s, boyfriend’s, neighbor’s cousin was straight up lush,” Corie whispered. “I thought we were mates?”
“Well yeah, he’s . . . lush, I guess. And he’d like a triple with cream. Can you get it for me while I make mine?”
Corie opened her mouth, looking as though she might make a dirty quip about triple cream.
“Please?” Mercedes’s nerves were already at their end.
Corie’s mouth snapped shut, and she sighed. “I know what you like. I’ll bring them out to you. Go.”
Mercedes nodded her thanks and headed back to the table. She couldn’t help but brush her hand on his shoulder as she sat across from him. “I’m so glad you were free to come by today. I hope it wasn’t too much trouble.”
Alec shook his head. “Not at all. I’m happy you called.”
“How’s your family?”
“Oh, the same. Numerous and loud.”
Mercedes chuckled at the fitting description of the McKinley brood. Corie delivered the drinks to their table and stayed long enough to be quickly introduced to Alec before retreating to the counter.
Once she was gone, Alec turned to her. “So, a move to London? Bold choice.”
“I know, right? Things got a little out of hand, so I needed to make a change.”
“Well, moving a continent away will certainly do it.”
Mercedes laughed. “It’s been a culture shock, for sure, but it was better than sticking around the Bay.”
Alec tilted his head. “You all right then?”
“Oh yeah, I’ll be fine.”
His brow furrowed, but he didn’t respond.
Mercedes inhaled deeply, trying to think of what she should say. “I had a few rough months. If I’m being honest, it was probably the worst time of my life.” His eyebrows went up. He knew her history. “I’m doing my best to bounce back if that counts for anything.”
“It counts.” Alec’s gaze never wavered from hers.
He cleared his throat and pulled a neatly folded piece of paper from his inside jacket pocket. “It’s not much, but I started a list of possibilities for you. Some of them do international business and might be looking to bring on a lawyer from the States.”
He opened the paper and laid it on the table in front of them, revealing six different contacts written in his scratchy hand.
“The first one there.” He pointed to the list. “He’s probably my best lead. The company manufactures textiles in the Scottish Highlands. They’ve recently expanded into the American market, hoping to sell to some luxury brands there. He might need a corporate attorney who knows the law there, especially in California.”
Mercedes read through the list. She hadn’t applied to any of these yet.
“I hope
you don’t mind, but I’ve already taken the liberty of calling George this morning. He’s a good friend. I left a message giving you a glowing review.”
She let out a breath. “I can’t tell you how much I appreciate this, Alec. Thank you.”
He shrugged as if he hadn’t just thrown her a huge lifeline. How could he know how much she needed this?
“What piece are you playing?” He broke into her thoughts. His cobalt eyes moved from the table to meet hers. It was like the oxygen had been sucked from the room.
Alec had been watching her hand as it tapped across the smooth edge of the saucer. She flushed, pulling her hand to her lap.
His eyes twinkled with amusement. “You’d be rubbish at poker.”
“Only with you.” She laughed.
Alec raised his brow, clearly not letting it go.
Mercedes bit her lip and glanced up at him. “It was the . . . Downton Abbey theme song,” she admitted with a grimace.
His face lit up as he laughed. “Brilliant.”
“Shut up,” she giggled.
Their laughter died, and she moved the conversation back to the business at hand. “So, I have a few copies of my CV if you wouldn’t mind taking them? I don’t know if you’ll need it, but maybe if someone wants to look.”
“Certainly. I’d be happy to pass them on.”
“I’ll go grab them. Can I get you something else while I’m up? Water? A bite to eat? We have a cheese plate that’s good.”
He declined the food but accepted the offered water, and she got up and headed around the counter.
Corie gave her a smirk.
“It’s not like that, Corie.”
Corie rolled her eyes. “Well, it should be. Clearly, he fancies you back.”
“You’re such an ass. Here.” She pushed two waters at her. “Would you take this over to him, please? I have to get something from upstairs.”
Mercedes ran up the steps, her heart feeling lighter than it had in months. It was amazing to hope again.
Alec watched her walk to the bar. Jesus, she was as engaging as ever. From the moment he walked in, he was surrounded by her warmth.
Mercedes was doing her best to hide how nervous she was. He’d never needed to call on his training to read her tells. They screamed at him. Her delicate fingers tapping out a song when she was worried or deep in thought were among his favorite things about her.
Damn, if she wasn’t as beautiful as ever. Her hazel-green eyes sparked with amber that danced when she teased. She had high cheekbones and a delicate jawline. The only change was a wariness on her face he hadn’t seen before.
Corie interrupted his thoughts by placing two glasses of water on the table. She smiled. “Have you ever been into the shop before?”
“No, actually,” he said. “Although I have an office up the street.”
“Well, stop back by, maybe for a glass of wine. We have a nice happy hour selection.”
“I might have to try that.”
Corie grabbed a wet cloth and wiped down a neighboring chair.
“Have you known Sadie long?” he asked.
“A little over four months.” She ran the rag over the back of the seat. “She’s a treasure.”
“That she is.” He couldn’t agree more.
“You ever met the boyfriend?”
“No, not yet anyway.” And not likely to, if he had anything to say about it. “You?”
Corie shrugged. “Yeah, a few times. I don’t think he likes me, though. I made the mistake of hitting on Sadie when I first met her. I mean, she’s, you know . . . bloody gorgeous. Who wouldn’t take a fancy to her?”
Alec smiled. Another statement he could get on board with.
“Anyway, he didn’t like that too much. He comes every few nights, especially when we’ve had live music. Mostly sticks to himself when he’s here.”
“So, he comes to hear Sadie play?” Alec hoped to move the conversation away from talking about Mercedes’s boyfriend.
“Play what?”
Alec frowned. “Anything really. She’s an incredible musician.”
“Really? Huh,” Corie said. “No idea.”
Mercedes came back through the shop with a manila envelope. “Here you go.” She set the packet on the table in front of him.
“So, funny thing. Corie tells me she was unaware of your music?”
Mercedes flushed. “Oh. Uh, yeah, I play lots of different instruments. It’s how I put myself through school.” She sank into her chair.
Corie’s brows went up. “What? That’s crazy. You need to play for us on open mic night.”
“Mm-hmm,” Mercedes said. The bell at the door chimed. Corie turned her attention to the customer who had entered.
Mercedes was avoiding Alec’s eyes, suddenly interested in her water glass.
“Sadie, are you not playing at all anymore?”
“No, not really. I . . . I sort of gave it up.” She waved her hand.
Alec said nothing, only leaning toward her.
She gave a sigh. “Obviously, I couldn’t bring my piano with me, so I left it with Charlie and Luke when they took over my house.” Mercedes toyed with a napkin, crushing it into a ball. “Then I sold the guitars. I never played them much, anyway.”
Alec frowned. That hadn’t been true three years ago.
There was a lengthy pause. She took in a deep breath, staring at her glass. “And since I was selling those, I sold the violins too.”
He tilted his head. “All of them?”
“Yeah,” she murmured. “One less thing to bring, right?”
He winced. This made no sense. She’d never sell them, especially her oldest violin, the one she had gotten from a kind foster mom when she was a teenager. Music was one of the most important parts of her life. Just like that, she’d given it all away?
“A violin can be carried onto an airplane.”
“I know.”
“Then why?”
Now she looked directly at him, the flecks of amber in her hazel eyes brightened by unshed tears. Pain ran through his heart at the desolation in her eyes.
“I’ve had to make a lot of sacrifices over the last year, Alec. Some of them were harder than others.”
Christ. What the hell happened?
Guilt wracked him. He should have pushed Luke for answers, but it’d been easier to move on thinking she was happy and doing well.
On impulse, he took her hand. A familiar shot of electricity coursed through him. The connection they’d always had was still there. She drew in her breath, and he knew she felt it too. Her fingers tightened on his as if welcoming the touch.
Alec swallowed hard. “I’m sorry. Do you want to talk about it?”
Mercedes shook her head. “I don’t know if I’m up for it. It’s a long story. I’m doing what I can to start over. Which is why this is so helpful.” Her finger tapped the paper.
“I’m glad I could help. I only want to see you happy.”
“Thank you.” Those eyes held him again like she was trying to read him. His heart sped up a tick. Why was it like this with her?
She pulled her hand away and picked up the list. “Can you tell me a little about each company? I want to prepare for when I reach out.”
“Of course.”
Mercedes moved her chair around the table, so they were shoulder to shoulder and set to work on the list. They spent the next few minutes discussing the potential legal needs of Alec’s contacts. She pulled a pen out of her apron pocket and made notes about each as he ran through what he knew. He kept getting sidetracked by the scent of her hair and had to ask her to repeat her questions to keep up.
Finally, she sat back, a look of determination on her face. She glanced around the cafe. The clientele had changed, and the after-work crowd had trickled in.
“Damn,” she exclaimed. “I didn’t realize it was so late. I better go.”
Alec didn’t want to end their meeting, but he didn’t see how he could put it off any longer.
He had a few errands of his own to take care of before he left town.
He slid his jacket onto his shoulders and picked up the envelope. “I’ll walk you out.”
“Okay, let me grab my things.” Mercedes hurried off to the back room and came back with a black knee-length jacket and her purse. Waving to Corie, he held the door for her as they stepped into the brisk afternoon air. The late spring weather was unpredictable, and the temperature had dropped once the sun had moved behind the buildings.
“Brrr. I thought I’d eventually get used to the weather here. I can’t ever seem to get warm.”
I bet I could find a way to keep you warm. Shit, not a helpful thought. “You sound like a Londoner already, not two steps out the door, and you’re already on about the weather. You fit in quite well, lass.”
She scoffed. “Do I? Most of the time I feel like a fish out of water.”
“You’ll get the hang of it.”
They walked on, chatting about the weather until he noticed where they were going.
Shit. Alec stopped walking, feeling ridiculous. She halted beside him, looking at him in question.
“Um, I’m actually that way.” He pointed to the way they had come.
“Oh.” She looked down the pavement, probably trying to figure out what kind of arse walked three streets away in the wrong direction.
“Sorry. Bit distracted, I guess.” He ran his hand through his hair.
Mercedes bit her lip. “It’s alright. I liked the company.”
It was his turn to flush in pleasure. “Can I see you again sometime?”
She looked away, uncertainty in her eyes. “I don’t know, I . . .”
“It wouldn’t be like that. I know you’re with someone. But we can be friends, can’t we?”
Her face softened. “Yeah, we can be friends. I’d like that.”
Lord, she’s beautiful. “Great, can I call you next week? Maybe we can have a drink and talk about the job hunt?”
There it was again, the hesitation. Was she afraid of him?
“You could bring your bloke with you if you like.” Yeah, he’d put up with her wanker boyfriend if it meant he could see her again.
“Oh, I don’t think Jason would be up for that. But yeah, give me a call. You have to call the shop. If you leave a message, they’ll pass it on.”
