Wednesday (Timeless Series #3) (12 page)

Drifting

Francesca

I focused on the shop and the annual Manhattan cake-decorating contest. I won twice in the past two years, and I was eager to compete again. A design came to my mind when I was asleep one night, so I worked on perfecting it when I had downtime at work.

I never thought I would be so grateful for the insanely loud noise of the bakery. The sound of people ordering a dozen cookies for a party, the blenders going on and off, and the constant beep of the cash register was soothing. It distracted me from unwanted thoughts.

I got back into shape and started running again, jogging through Central Park after I got off work. I’d never run in a marathon before but I signed up for my first. It was approaching next month, and I was making great progress.

Staying busy kept the sadness away, and whenever Hawke entered my mind, I wouldn’t allow the thought to linger. I quickly changed the subject and thought about something else, usually the shop or my new fitness goals.

Not once did I run into Hawke anywhere. I suspected he would come into the bakery after a few weeks of silence. Eventually, he would wake up and realized the grave mistake he made.

But he never did.

In my heart, I wanted that moment to happen. I wanted him to beg me to take him back just so I could tell him off. But I suspected I wouldn’t be strong enough to do that.

It was fun to fantasize about it anyway.

Business was always good, but it reached a new level after The New York Times ran an article about it. Since things were going so well, I decided to get a bigger apartment in a nicer area. I moved to the east side and got a nice view of the bay. It was a farther walk to work, but that didn’t matter to me.

Axel and Marie constantly checked on me, making sure I didn’t have a slip-up. They both made excuses to come by my apartment and spend time with me even though I knew they’d rather be having dinner alone together. On the weekends, they always asked me to tag along with them, not that I needed their pity. I started going out with friends of my own.

But I never started dating.

As much as I wanted to be ready for that, I wasn’t. I promised myself to hold my head high and refused to let Hawke’s absence weigh me down, but I couldn’t force something that wasn’t ready to happen. It wouldn’t be fair to any of the guys I dated, to be with someone who was hung up on someone else.

But I knew Hawke was sleeping around.

I didn’t need to see him to know it was true. He would go back to what he did before, and as ashamed as I was to admit it, it broke my heart. The idea of him being with anyone but me was excruciating. Those thoughts hurt me the most and I did everything I could not to think about them.

It was hard to believe I was so happy just a few months ago. Hawke gave me a beautiful locket and told me we were forever. We made love by the fire and promised ourselves to one another.

And then it was gone.

Did it really happen?

Was that just a dream?

Was I experiencing nostalgia? Did I believe the past was better than it really was? Were we really in love? Were we really soul mates? If we were, how could he do that to me? Was I just a stupid, hopeless romantic?

Now I questioned everything.

Maybe none of it happened.

None of it was real.

It meant nothing.

Time Heals All Wounds

Francesca

Six months had come and gone, and for the first time in forever, I was happy.

I didn’t have to force myself not to think about Hawke. No longer did I stare at my phone and hope for a text message. Now, I didn’t bother watching the store window in the hope he might pass by.

I let it go.

It was unclear if what we had was real. It was impossible to know if it ever meant anything to either one of us. Since it didn’t matter. I stopped thinking about it.

I held my head high the entire time, and every day, it got easier. Now I didn’t have to remind myself to be strong. I just did it on my own, naturally.

After I got off work, I headed to the bar where I was meeting Marie for a drink. I quickly changed into a sundress with a jean jacket so I wouldn’t look like the Pillsbury Doughboy when I walked inside.

She had a table in the corner, and when she waved me over, her wedding ring glittered in the light.

“Hey.” I gave her a quick hug before I took the seat across from her. “Dude, the cute bartender better bring me a drink ASAP.”

“Actually, the bartender is a chick.”

“Oh.” I glanced at the bar and spotted the brunette. She had an enormous rack. “Well, she is cute.”

Marie laughed then pushed her cosmo toward me. “You can start on mine. I’ll order another.”

“Sounds like a sweet deal—because you’re still paying for this one.”

She rolled her eyes then got the bartender’s attention. She ordered another cosmo for herself then stared at me, a big smile on her lips.

“What?” I asked. “Had a good day?”

“Not particularly.” All her teeth were still showing.

“Then…are you high?” I didn’t realize Marie was into that.

“No.” She tapped my wrist playfully. “It’s just nice to see you happy.”

My heart skipped a beat at her words, and my previous joy deflated from my body. “I’ve been happy for a long time now.” There was no need to bring up the past. It seemed like a lifetime ago.

“I know. It just makes me happy.” She took the drink from the bartender and took a drink. “I’m sorry I brought it up.”

I changed the subject. “How’s the magazine?”

“Good. These really hot guys modeled for us the other day. I’m not even in the fashion department but I watched anyway.”

“Axel must have been jealous.”

“Like I’d ever tell him. He’s the most jealous guy I’ve ever been with.”

“He’s just in love with you,” I reminded her. “Before you came along, he didn’t care about stuff like that.”

“I know. He’s still a girl about it though.”

I clanked my glass against hers. “You said it, sister.”

We both took a deep drink then slammed our glasses on the table.

“How’s the shop?” she asked.

“Great. I’ve been thinking about it for a while and…I think I might open a second one. Maybe in Brooklyn.”

“Oh my god.” She slammed both hands on the table. “That’s so great, Frankie.”

“I know.”

“Watch out. You’re going to be in Forbes soon.”

I rolled my eyes. “Yeah, Elton John, Morgan Freeman, Taylor Swift…and then me.”

“Hey, it could happen.”

“It’s fun to dream about.”

Marie took another drink and her eyes moved past my shoulder. Instead of looking back at me, her stare was frozen in place. “You’ll never guess who’s here.”

Hawke. It had to be him. I’d managed not to run into him for this long but my luck was bound to run out. “Please tell me it’s a pony.” Those were so damn cute. “A white, fluffy one.”

“Actually, it’s Kyle.”

“Oh…” I hadn’t seen him in forever. We stopped talking after we ran into each other in a bar about a year ago. “Cool.”

“He’s coming this way.” She set her drink down and started to fidget. “Act cool.”

“I am cool. You’re the one acting like a weirdo.”

Kyle reached our table, looking almost the same as before. His brown hair was a little shorter than it used to be, and his body was a little thicker. It seemed like he hit the weights a little harder this past year. He wore a gray t-shirt that showed his nice arms, and black ink marked one of them.

He didn’t have that before.

“Long time, no see.” He gave me a genuine smile, like seeing my face brought him nothing but joy. His entire face lit up like the Christmas day parade. “Wow, your hair is crazy long.”

I felt it in my fingertips. “I know. I’ve been too busy to get it cut.”

He turned to Marie. “You look beautiful as ever. Still with Axel?”

“Yes.” She smiled and touched her ring.

He snapped his fingers in disappointment. “Darn.” He turned back to me, the same glow in his eyes. “It’s just as well. I’ve got a pretty amazing girlfriend. She runs a yoga studio in Brooklyn.”

He had a girlfriend? I knew I shouldn’t be surprised. Kyle was a good-looking guy and would find someone eventually. I was happy for him. He deserved to be with someone who appreciated him. “That’s awesome. Good for you.”

“Thanks,” he said. “I’m guessing you and Hawke are married by now?” He chuckled and glanced at my left ring finger.

Marie tensed at his assumption.

I took the lead on this one. “Actually, we broke up. It happened a long time ago.”

“Oh…” Kyle clearly didn’t know how to take that information. “Uh, I’m sorry.”

“It’s okay. Like I said, it happened a long time ago. I guess it wasn’t meant to be.” I couldn’t believe how effortlessly I talked about Hawke. It made me happy but also sad at the same time.

Kyle rubbed the back of his neck.

Marie watched him then looked at me, her eyebrow raised.

Kyle drummed his fingers on the table.

What did I say?

“So…you’re single?” he asked. “Like, totally available and ready to jump back into the dating world?”

I shrugged. “I guess.” Why did he care if he had a girlfriend? He seemed happy with her.

“Well, I have a confession to make,” he said. “I don’t have a girlfriend. I made that up.”

Marie beamed like the morning sun.

“Why would you make that up?” Kyle was always a little quirky but he never made stuff up.

“I just wanted to save face, you know?” He put his hands in his pockets. “I assumed you were happy with Hawke and I guess…I didn’t want you to know I still hadn’t found someone.”

Marie couldn’t stop smiling. “I just remembered I have a hair appointment…” She grabbed her purse and slid out of the booth.

“No, you don’t.” I was calling her out on her shit this time.

“Man, I’m late.” Marie kicked it into gear and practically ran out of the bar.

I tried not to be embarrassed that Marie practically pushed me into Kyle’s lap.

Kyle eyed the empty seat across from me. “May I join you?”

“Please do. Otherwise, I’m just drinking alone.”

He sat down and faced me, his blue eyes beautiful like always. “So, what’s been going on with you for the past year?”

“Nothing much.” Now that I was face-to-face with him, I was oddly nervous. “I ran my first marathon a few months ago.”

“Congratulations. That’s awesome.”

“And I’m thinking about opening another bakery.”

“That’s even more awesome. Are you going to call it The Donut Guy?”

I raised an eyebrow. “Why would I call it that?”

“Well, I’m a guy. And I like donuts.”

I laughed at the stupid look on his face.

“Hey, I think it’s a great idea. It’ll attract a whole new demographic.”

“Yeah,” I said. “Cops.”

“And boom. You have yourself a successful business.”

I laughed before I took another drink. “Thanks for the suggestion.”

“No problem.”

I finished my glass and set it on the table.

He eyed it for a few seconds before he looked at me. “Francesca, can I buy you another?”

I held my breath for a moment as I considered the offer, unsure if I wanted to go down this road again. But when I looked into those inviting eyes and warm smile, I knew what my answer was. “Please.”

***

“Where do you live now?” Kyle walked beside me down the sidewalk.

“Just a few blocks from the park.”

“Ooh…someone upgraded.”

I smiled. “I really like it. It’s much bigger than my old place. I even have an office now.”

“Swanky.”

“How’s your practice?”

“Same,” he answered. “There’s nothing too interesting about it.”

“I think it’s interesting.”

“Yeah?” he asked. “Because of all the power, huh?”

“No. I think law is interesting. If I didn’t become a baker, I might have considered becoming a lawyer.”

He nodded in approval. “I can totally see that. You would be a sexy lawyer—all work and no bullshit.”

“Well, thanks.”

We entered my building then took the elevator to the top floor.

“Your other place didn’t have an elevator,” he noted.

“I know. It’s so nice.” We walked out the open doors then approached my door.

“I can already tell it’s nice just by looking at the front door.” He stared at the panel surrounding the entrance and the doorbell that glowed in the wall. He leaned against the wall and stared at me, not intending to leave anytime soon.

“Well, thanks for walking me home.” I dug my keys out of my purse.

“Sure thing.”

I got the door unlocked before I stowed my keys again.

“So…can I ask you out sometime?”

I suspected this was coming. Even though I had all night to think of my answer, I didn’t know what to say. “You want to go out with me?”

“Definitely.” He stared at me with confidence, his eyes on the prize.

“Even after what I did to you?”

“You didn’t do anything, Frankie. You told me what we were from the beginning. I was the one who took it too far.”

“Even so…”

“How about this?” He took a step closer to me. “No thinking. Just doing. Have dinner with me tomorrow night. We’ll get Italian then some ice cream. It’ll be super romantic.”

“Super romantic?” I couldn’t help but smile at his choice of words.

“Oh yeah.” He wiggled his eyebrows just the way he used to, and the memory made my body relax. “We’ll have a great time. Maybe we’ll have some really good sex afterward.” He winked.

“You’re being a bit presumptuous, don’t you think?” It was hard to say it seriously when I kept smiling.

“I said maybe. You’ll have to control yourself if you want to remain PG.”

I smacked him playfully on the arm. “You’re still full of yourself, huh?”

“Some things never change.” His arm hooked around my waist naturally, just as it did a million times before. “So?”

I already liked the way he touched me. And I liked the way we flowed together like water. Our conversation took off naturally, and he already made me laugh a few times. “I would love to have dinner and ice cream.”

He smiled.

“And I would love some hot sex too.”