One More Time

Michael was easy to talk to. Much easier than I would have anticipated. When he sat down, I immediately felt my nerves kick into overdrive, but once we started talking, the banter flowed easily.

“What are you up to?” Michael asked, nodding toward the computer.

I sighed. “Looking for a job.”

“No luck?” Michael asked.

I shrugged. “Not yet. I’ll find something. It’s just a matter of finding the right something.”

Michael looked at the computer closer and squinted. When he looked back up at me, I felt my stomach tighten.

“Journalism?” he asked simply.

I nodded. “I’m hoping to find an online position,” I said. “Maybe a weekly column or something.”

“You know,” he said. “Dallas isn’t that far. You could always commute up there. Find a job at a reputable paper.”

“I did that,” I said with a smile. “I actually just left Dallas.”

“Oh yeah?” Michael asked. His interest was flattering, but I wasn’t sure I wanted to get into the details of my life with a complete stranger. After all, we’d only known each other for ten minutes.

“I needed a change.” I shrugged. “This place seemed perfect. The only problem with Ennis is its lack of publications.”

“Yeah,” Michael said. “You won’t find a need for reporters around here. It’s a pretty quiet town.”

I nodded. “So, I’ve realized.”

Michael and I spent the rest of the morning talking. I asked what he did for a living, something about oil rigs or tools, and he asked more questions about my job search, what kind of column I wanted to write, where I went to school, my journalistic background.

With each minute that passed, it became easier and easier to talk to him. Michael didn’t feel like a stranger. There was something oddly familiar about him, something that put me at ease and made me feel like Ennis was really meant to be my new home. When he finally stood up to leave, a sense of disappointment settled in my chest, but I pushed it away and fixed him with my best smile.

“It was really nice to meet you,” I said.

“This doesn’t have to be goodbye,” Michael said. “I’m fairly confident I’ll see you around again, but just in case…”

He pulled a pen out of his pocket and grabbed a napkin off the table. Handing both to me, he raised his eyebrows suggestively.

I laughed and took the pen from him. Scribbling my number on the napkin, I felt his eyes on the back of my neck. Just his attention was enough to make my cheeks blush.

“Thank you,” he said as I handed him the napkin with my number written on it.

“I’ll see you around,” I said.

“You definitely will.”

Michael grinned at me one last time before waving goodbye to Sarah and stepping outside. I watched him until he disappeared around the corner, my cheeks still slightly warm.

CHAPTER 4

Michael

Julie’s face floated through my mind for the rest of the day. I was extremely late to work that morning, but I didn’t care. By the time I ambled into the office, Marcy had ten messages for me and was on her way out to lunch. My mind was barely focused on work, even as I threw myself into returning phone calls and emails.

All I could think about were those pale blue eyes and her light brown hair that fell just to her shoulders. Whenever she shifted her head, it caught the sunlight just right and made my stomach tighten. She was tall, but not too tall. Her curves were just enough to draw my eyes. She was gorgeous in a way I’d never expected. I could have stayed in that café all day if it meant I could talk to her.

As I sat back in my chair, I tried not to think about her. I tried to listen to the client who was talking a mile a minute in my ear. I tried to focus on the emails pouring in. I tried to ignore the nagging voice in the back of my head, telling me to drop everything and call Julie. Nothing worked. No matter how much I tried to stay focused on work, I just couldn’t get her smile out of my mind.

Julie looked to be in her mid-twenties, although I didn’t know her exact age. When she spoke about her job as a journalist, she slipped into an easy professionalism that most people her age didn’t have. I was impressed by her the second she opened her mouth. She was intelligent and witty. Talking to her was effortless. I couldn’t remember the last time I could joke with someone the way I joked with her.