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years.
When he was helping her plant her garden last summer, shirtless and sweating in
her backyard. When he’d helped her move, his arm muscles flexing each time he’d
carried another box into her house. Running her fingers through his thick hair
whenever he’d convince her to give him a haircut when he’d waited too long to
get an appointment at the salon. She’d always brushed it off as a passing
attraction, never giving it more serious thought. Now all of a sudden the
thoughts seemed quite serious. She found herself wanting him in a way she’d
never wanted anyone.
    “You okay?” he asked, slinging an arm around her shoulders
as they walked down the street. His touch made her legs feel loose and rubbery.
    “I’m fine. I’m guessing this is much more fun than my actual
honeymoon would have been.”
    His lips pulled into a smile and he shot her a sideways
glance, his hair sweeping low over his eyes. Her insides started to liquefy. He
tugged her closer and kissed the side of her head, nearly causing her heart to
stop. She imagined his lips elsewhere, everywhere. The thoughts had her so
flustered she tripped on an uneven bit of sidewalk.
    Jon caught her mid-fall. “Whoa.” He gripped her around her
waist and she considered turning in his arms and kissing him.
    Her cheeks flushed at the idea. What if he pushed me
away? Sure, she’d caught him looking at her from time to time, but not once
had he ever made a move on her. It seemed unlikely he thought of her “that way”
and the last thing she wanted to do was fuck up their friendship.
    “I think I need some coffee.” She pointed to a café on the
corner.
    While they were on line, she stared at Jon as he craned his
neck to read the chalkboard menu that spanned the rear wall. He still hadn’t
shaved and his stubbly face looked incredible. She imagined rubbing her cheek
alongside his.
    “You ready?” he asked.
    Her eyes widened. “What?”
    “To order. Do you know what you’re having? We’re next.”
    She shook her head to clear it and noticed the woman behind
the counter was looking at her impatiently. “I’ll have a large iced latté and
the fruit salad.”
    Jon had a small smirk on his face as he looked at her and
she wondered what was going through his mind. Probably that she was behaving
like a total ditz. “I’ll take a large iced coffee and a Cuban sandwich. And an
order of sweet potato fries.”
    “You like it spicy?” the girl asked, her eyes not leaving
his.
    Shari felt instantly annoyed at the woman. What if he
were here with me? Wait, he is here with me. Who is this bitch to flirt with
him so openly?
    “The hotter the better.” He threw the counter girl his
winning smile.
    Did she actually just wink at him? Shari felt her
nostrils flare as she headed to the other end of the counter to wait for their
coffees.
     
    Jon noticed the pissed-off look on Shari’s face the moment
they sat down. “What’s wrong?” he asked, handing her two sugar packets from the
white box on the table.
    She tapped the small bags against her finger then ripped
them open, dumping the contents into her coffee. “I can’t believe she flirted
with you like that.”
    Jon’s eyebrows popped up. “Why not? Is it so hard to imagine
a woman being attracted to me?”
    Shari’s mouth twisted into a grimace as she poked at her ice
cubes with a straw. “What? No. But how did she know I wasn’t your girlfriend or
your wife for that matter? I was standing right there.”
    Is she jealous? He couldn’t keep the smile from
creeping across his face. “Maybe she just couldn’t control herself.” Shari’s
brow furrowed further and he laughed. “She was probably just hoping I’d toss
some extra coins in the tip jar. What’s gotten into you?”
    “Nothing.” She took a sip of her coffee and reached for a
third sugar packet.
    The thought of her being jealous gave him a renewed sense of
hope. Maybe she was finally starting to look at him differently. Maybe. His