Hopeless Hero

I reached into my purse for my wallet but couldn’t find it. Confused, I wrenched the purse wide open and peered inside. I slapped my hand to my forehead, realizing I had left my wallet in my parents’ kitchen. I’d been in such a hurry to leave the house that I hadn’t grabbed it.

“Everything all right?”

“I’m so sorry, Angel,” I sputtered. “I must have left my wallet at home…”

“I got it,” a voice said from behind me. I spun around to see Zane stepping out of line and making his way toward me. “Add a small coffee to that, please Angel.”

She smiled. “You got it.”

Zane laid a ten-dollar bill on the counter and waved away his change. He then picked up his coffee and my scones, leading the way outside. By the time we stepped onto the sidewalk, I was blushing with embarrassment.

“Thank you,” I said as he handed over my bag of scones. Our hands accidentally brushed, making me blushed deeper.

“You helped me bypass the line, so technically, I owe you,” he said with a smile.

“If you say so,” I said, laughing lightly.

“You’re laughing,” he pointed out. “I guess that means you don’t hate me as much today.”

“I’m sorry about yesterday,” I said. “You just… You took me by surprise, that’s all. I didn’t think I would ever see you again. I wasn’t ready.”

“It’s okay. I probably deserved at least some hostility from you.”

I smirked. “Well yeah, just a smidge.”

Zane laughed and nervously glanced around. He shifted his feet from side to side and tucked his free hand into his pocket. When our eyes met again, I saw a glimpse of the man I once knew. His dark eyes were so deep with unspoken emotion, I couldn’t bring myself to look away.

“Listen,” he said, “Alicia, I…”

“Do you want to sit down somewhere?” I interrupted. “You know, to catch up a little bit?”

Zane smiled. “I would love that.” He gestured toward the benches across the street and I led the way, my scones gripped tightly in my shaking hands.

When we slid onto the bench, Zane took a sip of his coffee and I pulled out my lemon scone, taking a bite to avoid talking too quickly.

“So,” I said a few minutes later, “tell me everything.”

CHAPTER 13

Zane

I didn’t expect to see her again so soon, but there she was—standing at the counter with flushed cheeks. She was searching frantically in her purse for her wallet. When she mumbled something to Angel, I moved forward without thinking. The next thing I knew, she was apologizing for being rude the day before, and asking me to sit down to talk.

I couldn’t believe how quickly things changed between us when not even twenty-four hours beforehand, she couldn’t wait to get away from me.

“Tell me everything,” she’d said as we sat down together.

I sipped my coffee as she nervously nibbled her scone.

“Honestly,” I said, “I’d love to, but I really want to hear about you first. What’s your life like in New York?”

She hesitated for a fraction of a second, glancing nervously at me with a shy smile before launching into her story.

“It’s amazing,” she said. “When I passed the bar, I didn’t expect to be hired anytime soon. I thought I would have to wait months or even years before a decent firm picked me, but it wasn’t even a week. Calvin and Pullman called me in on a Monday for an interview. Then they offered me the position the next day. It felt like a dream, Zane. Sometimes I still can’t believe it actually happened. I sit in my office in awe that I actually ended up there. Who would have thought, you know? No matter how much I dreamt of it, I don’t think I ever believed I would make it out of Savage.”

“I always knew you would. You were made for something more. I’m proud of you, Alicia,” I said, meaning every word. “You’re doing exactly what you’ve always wanted to do. That’s amazing. Plus, I bet life in New York City is pretty exciting.”

She laughed. “Not exactly.”