looked like. In the back
of his mind, he guessed he’d figured it would be small, but—knowing Nina—nice
and well-run. So as he scanned the room, a sense of pleasant surprise washed
over him, his lips curving into a smile.
He’d been right.
It was nice. No, it was better than nice. It was pretty damn great. It wasn’t
huge, but it was bigger than it looked from the outside. Or maybe it just
seemed that way, the room arranged to make it feel spacious and airy. Afternoon
sunlight poured in through the large windows to give the room a warm glow. He
wasn’t surprised to see half of the small tables set against the window were
occupied, the customers taking their time enjoying their coffee and snacks
while busy on their laptops and phones. It was a place made for lingering and
passing the time, the whole room felt so comfortable and inviting.
It didn’t hurt
that the place smelled incredible, like something had just been pulled fresh
from the oven, the scent of it filling the room. The counter was on the far
wall. Both beside it and along the wall behind it were glassed-in cases
containing such a wide variety of baked goods that he couldn’t begin to
identify them all, even as his mouth began to water at the sight of them.
Well done,
Nina , he thought, feeling a strange burst of pride at what she’d
accomplished here. She really was incredible.
“You’ve never
been here, have you?” Ashley said beside him.
“No.” He’d never
had a reason to. He and Nina had always spent their time at her apartment,
never needing to venture out anywhere else, finding plenty to do with each
other there. Last night was the first time he’d even seen the building.
“Hmmm.” Bobby
glanced over to find her studying him through narrowed eyes. She gestured
toward the counter with a jerk of her head. “Come into the back. We can talk
there.” She led the way, glancing toward the young woman who stood behind the
counter as they approached. “I’m just going to be in the kitchen if you need
me, Danielle.”
The younger
woman, a brunette roughly the age of the pregnant woman who’d left earlier,
nodded with a smile. “Sure thing.”
Ashley moved
behind the counter and through a doorway into the kitchen. Bobby followed close
behind, letting the swinging door fall shut behind him. The room was empty. It
didn’t matter. Somehow he could picture Nina here, hard at work. Somehow it
felt like her.
Ashley turned to
face him, bracing a hip against a counter in the middle of the room as she
folded her arms over her chest again. “How much has Nina told you about the
shop?”
“Not much,” he
had to admit.
“But I’m sure
she told you about everything she did before we opened it?”
He shrugged a
shoulder. “Nope.” Bobby couldn’t help feeling a little embarrassed. He knew how
weird it had to sound considering how long he and Nina had known each other.
“I know it’s
none of my business, but what exactly have the two of you been talking about
the past three years? I mean, it couldn’t have all been sex, right? You had to
take a break every once in a while and…recharge.”
He had to grin.
“Yes, we did.”
“So what did you
talk about? Or did you just sit there in silence until you were ready to go
again?”
“No, we…talked.”
It had actually become one of his favorite parts, just lying there with Nina
either beside him or curled up against him, simply talking. Bobby figured he
knew what the ceiling above her bed—and living room…and kitchen…—looked like
more than any other part of her apartment. He liked listening to the sound of
her voice. Liked feeling the vibrations of it against his body. Loved hearing
her laugh, that full-bodied sound that seemed to come from deep in her belly,
especially when she threw her head back and just let it out, the sound as
unrestrained as the rest of her. Especially when it came out because of
something he’d said. The sound was better than music. It was...pure
of his mind, he guessed he’d figured it would be small, but—knowing Nina—nice
and well-run. So as he scanned the room, a sense of pleasant surprise washed
over him, his lips curving into a smile.
He’d been right.
It was nice. No, it was better than nice. It was pretty damn great. It wasn’t
huge, but it was bigger than it looked from the outside. Or maybe it just
seemed that way, the room arranged to make it feel spacious and airy. Afternoon
sunlight poured in through the large windows to give the room a warm glow. He
wasn’t surprised to see half of the small tables set against the window were
occupied, the customers taking their time enjoying their coffee and snacks
while busy on their laptops and phones. It was a place made for lingering and
passing the time, the whole room felt so comfortable and inviting.
It didn’t hurt
that the place smelled incredible, like something had just been pulled fresh
from the oven, the scent of it filling the room. The counter was on the far
wall. Both beside it and along the wall behind it were glassed-in cases
containing such a wide variety of baked goods that he couldn’t begin to
identify them all, even as his mouth began to water at the sight of them.
Well done,
Nina , he thought, feeling a strange burst of pride at what she’d
accomplished here. She really was incredible.
“You’ve never
been here, have you?” Ashley said beside him.
“No.” He’d never
had a reason to. He and Nina had always spent their time at her apartment,
never needing to venture out anywhere else, finding plenty to do with each
other there. Last night was the first time he’d even seen the building.
“Hmmm.” Bobby
glanced over to find her studying him through narrowed eyes. She gestured
toward the counter with a jerk of her head. “Come into the back. We can talk
there.” She led the way, glancing toward the young woman who stood behind the
counter as they approached. “I’m just going to be in the kitchen if you need
me, Danielle.”
The younger
woman, a brunette roughly the age of the pregnant woman who’d left earlier,
nodded with a smile. “Sure thing.”
Ashley moved
behind the counter and through a doorway into the kitchen. Bobby followed close
behind, letting the swinging door fall shut behind him. The room was empty. It
didn’t matter. Somehow he could picture Nina here, hard at work. Somehow it
felt like her.
Ashley turned to
face him, bracing a hip against a counter in the middle of the room as she
folded her arms over her chest again. “How much has Nina told you about the
shop?”
“Not much,” he
had to admit.
“But I’m sure
she told you about everything she did before we opened it?”
He shrugged a
shoulder. “Nope.” Bobby couldn’t help feeling a little embarrassed. He knew how
weird it had to sound considering how long he and Nina had known each other.
“I know it’s
none of my business, but what exactly have the two of you been talking about
the past three years? I mean, it couldn’t have all been sex, right? You had to
take a break every once in a while and…recharge.”
He had to grin.
“Yes, we did.”
“So what did you
talk about? Or did you just sit there in silence until you were ready to go
again?”
“No, we…talked.”
It had actually become one of his favorite parts, just lying there with Nina
either beside him or curled up against him, simply talking. Bobby figured he
knew what the ceiling above her bed—and living room…and kitchen…—looked like
more than any other part of her apartment. He liked listening to the sound of
her voice. Liked feeling the vibrations of it against his body. Loved hearing
her laugh, that full-bodied sound that seemed to come from deep in her belly,
especially when she threw her head back and just let it out, the sound as
unrestrained as the rest of her. Especially when it came out because of
something he’d said. The sound was better than music. It was...pure
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