Page 31 of Missed Communication
I’ll be a good boy and keep my hands to myself.
You couldn’t keep your hands to yourself in my office.
True. I couldn’t help myself. But you’re right and I’ll respect that boundary. There’s no harm in two coworkers having dinner though.
Only dinner?
Can I have you for dessert?
No! See, this is what I’m talking about. I’ll have dinner with you tonight, as colleagues, but it’s not a date.
You make the rules. See you at six.
I didn’t come all this way to give up that easily. While Aubrey may make the rules, it’s now my personal mission to have her break them too.
As I’m looking up restaurants within walking distance, I stumble upon one in my budget that serves a variety of dishes. I have no idea if she’s having any cravings or food aversions, and after sifting through the menu for a few minutes, it should be easy enough for Aubrey to find something to eat. I make an online reservation, then continue my walk through the park.
It’s almost too warm for my jacket. The last thing I need is to sweat before meeting with the Governor, so I shrug it off and roll my shirt sleeves up to my elbows. I glance down at the inside of my wrist where my newest ink brands me. It’s nearly healed, but I still keep it covered with a bandage when I wear a watch. Flipping my hand over, I check the time. With half an hour still to spare, and feeling a little jet-lagged, I should look into coffeenearby. There’s a little shop at the edge of the park and I make my way over.
The cafe isn’t a chain and has a bohemian feel. As I walk inside, I’m greeted by dozens of plants and flowers decorating the space. Even if the coffee isn’t good, I’ll have to come back, if nothing else to enjoy the ambiance. Perusing the menu, there are several sandwiches and baked goods, with the coffee options simple but curated. I decide to try an Americano to be safe, and once I’ve placed my order, I shift over to the hand-off area. Someone’s avocado toast on a plate is passed out first and my mouth is watering. It looks like it may be Greek-inspired with feta, cucumbers, tomatoes, and a balsamic glaze. As soon as my meeting is over with Olivia, I’ll need to come back for lunch.
It’s significantly cooler in here than outside, so I roll my sleeves back down and put on my jacket, leaving it unbuttoned. A few more drinks are called out for other customers, so to kill time, I check my email, and there’s a meeting request for this afternoon. Once I accept it, I switch to one of my social media apps, keeping an eye on the Governor’s page and tags since I haven’t been granted access to manage it yet. Tracy has done a great job with branding and her latest post includes a picture of Olivia and Aubrey in a meeting with half a dozen people I don’t recognize. Aubrey’s wearing a gray button-down, but today she’s wearing black, so the picture could be from yesterday or even last week.
As if I manifested her, Aubrey’s voice pierces through the cafe chatter. “Hi, good morning. May I please have a medium, half-caf honey lavender latte, please?” My eyes snap up to the cash register. “Oh and an avocado toast, but could I have it plain? Just avocado on sourdough with a little balsamic? Oh and flaky sea salt?”
“Of course.”
“Could you also have a coffee traveler delivered to the Governor’s office in two hours?”
“Sure.” The cashier types something onto the touchscreen register. “How many?”
“Two would be great. Thank you.” Aubrey pays, then checks her phone as she makes her way over to the hand-off area. It isn’t until she’s less than a foot from me that she looks up. “Fuck!”
“Here? I think you’re a little too loud for public sex.”
“Seriously?” she huffs. “What are you doing? Did you follow me?”
“If I’m not mistaken, I believe I was here first. I knew you couldn’t stay away for long.”
Her shoulders relax and she tries her best not to smile by briefly biting her lip, but it just makes me want to take it between my own teeth. “Sorry. You’re right, you were here first. This place is great, by the way. A lot of us come here for lunch.”
“Put me in your calendar for tomorrow after our meeting.”
My drink is called out, and I grab it before Aubrey can decline. After adding a sugar packet at the condiment bar, I step outside and wait for her. A few minutes later, she startles again as she pushes the door open. “Really?”
“You didn’t think I was going to let you walk by yourself, did you?”
“It isn’t like walking home alone at night—which I also do. What are you going to do exactly? Ensure a runner doesn’t sweat on me while I’m walking through the park.”
I bark out a laugh. “I suppose that would be the ultimate chivalry.”
When I don’t budge, she concedes, “Fine. You win,” then she begins walking, and I keep in stride beside her. As we approach a trash can, she tucks her coffee against her chest as she attempts to open the box. I take her drink, and she pauses, and for the first time since she left Ottawa, it’s as if her shield is down. There’s a softness in her bright green eyes I’ve missed. “Thank you.”
Pulling out her avocado toast, she tosses the box in the trash, and as we resume walking, she takes her latte from me. We continue in silence for a minute while she eats, but as she lets out a satisfied hum, I have to ask, “Good?”
“Yeah. Want to try it?” She offers the side of her toast where she just took a bite. I’m not sure what switch has flipped since this morning, or even in her texts, but I don’t hesitate, keeping eye contact as I sink my teeth into it. Her lips briefly part, and when she’s like this, I’d give anything for another taste of her instead of her lunch.
Once I’m done chewing, I wash it down with a sip of my coffee, but my eyes never leave hers. There’s a small drip of balsamic on her bottom lip, and I reach to wipe it away. “You have something right…” She doesn’t stop me, doesn’t step away as I swipe my thumb across the spot. “There.” I bring it to my lips, loving how her cheeks flush as I suck away the sweet-tart glaze. “And you’re right, it’s delicious.”
