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“Then why are you taking mine?” She makes another grab for it, but slips in the water—“Oh no,” she cries–and tumbles into my chest.

“Hope you didn’t have eggs in your bag,” I say, a little dazed by the thigh to tit contact. She’s an armful. Full tits, curvy hips, small waist. Too bad we’re standing in the middle of a public parking lot and people frown on public nudity. With a reluctant sigh, I push her to her feet and take a step back–not because I don’t want her, but because I want her too much. All it took was one arrow from her deadly eyes to make me tumble in love with her. It happens that way for the Bowman men. I don’t know why but it’s always been the case.

“I don’t,” she says, dusting herself off and grabbing her bags. “Anyway, thanks for the help. Don’t follow me.”

I dip my chin and turn the other way. I don’t need to know her car. I have her phone number.

Chapter Two

Birdie

I grab my bags from the stranger and head toward my apartment building. I steal a few peeks over my shoulder. He stands there watching me go. He thought I was heading for a car but I walked to the store. It isn’t far from home. He hasn’t moved so I don’t think he’s going to follow me. Is it weird that I might kind of want the guy to follow me? I shake the creepy thought from my head because now I am being the creeper.

I’ve already had a long day and that little episode has added to it. I was so frazzled in the store and it was partly his fault. I’d seen him in the store cruising the aisles looking a little lost. He looked out of place in his fancy suit holding the bright yellow grocery basket.

I’m not sure if it was a random act of kindness or the handsome stranger had an ulterior motive. My boss, Mr. Higgins, is always warning me about men and their ways. He says that there isn’t a decent one out there and that I shouldn’t even bother dating because no man will ever be good enough for me. I always laugh when he tells me that. I’m glad that he thinks I’m so perfect that all men are beneath me. I always nod in agreement, knowing I’ll never win a fight with him. He is like a dad to me at this point and I don’t want to argue with him. It is easier to nod in agreement.

The truth of the matter is that I’ve never had much luck in the dating world. I’ve never found anyone that I’m really interested enough in to make an effort to pursue a relationship. My eyes flick back again to see if the handsome stranger is still watching me as I go. My heart gives a funny flutter, the same as it did when his fingers grazed mine. A zap of something hit me so hard it knocked the air right out of my lungs. I turn my head in time to barely catch myself from running into a light pole.

“Holy cow,” I gasp, dodging it just in time. I would have landed on my ass this time. No handsome stranger to stop me from hitting the hard wet ground. My body had melted into his. Hitting him was like hitting a wall but one that smelled good. I didn’t know hitting a wall could feel good but it had. Too good. I shake my head, knowing that chance encounter was only a fluke and the way my body reacted to his when I lost my balance was only a sign of being tired and nothing else.

I need my bed and maybe one of those Red Bull cans he had. Either way, in hindsight, it’s funny. I am being a nut. Mr. Higgins has made me wary of all men. Plus that one date I went on with that guy I’d found on a dating app… I stop my train of thought. I’m not even going there. That man still freaks me out. Thank God he doesn’t know where I live or my phone number. He keeps finding out my email addresses. I delete them and within a week of getting a new one he’ll have tracked me down again. It’s scary and a big reason why I don’t do the whole social media thing.

I round the corner to the laundromat, heading in the front door toward the back. It’s dead in here tonight. I peek into Mr. Higgins’ office to see if he’s there. He can be hit or miss. He doesn’t lock the door but I don’t see him. I place his favorite candy bar on his desk before heading upstairs to my small apartment.