I was so busy taking note of the changes, I could almost pretend that I wasn’t headed to the one place that had been on my mind all this time.
I’d started my career working at a small cafe, back when I’d been full of ideas, and cooking was still fun. I’d honed my skills there, and would test new creations on the owner’s daughter.
Mack, the cafe’s owner, must be over sixty now, but would definitely still be in the cafe’s kitchen making gourmet meals for the lunchtime crowd.
And Natalie… well, I should never have fallen for Mack’s daughter. It had complicated everything.
Still, it would be better to see her now when I was prepared for it than to run into her unexpectedly. And seeing as I’d be staying in San Dante for a while, and Nat’s best friend had moved in with Mason, my older brother, I was certain to see her eventually.
Mack’s Place was just ahead of me, and it looked the same as it had years ago, with tables and chairs out front on the sidewalk. But it was strange there was nobody sitting at those tables. I could see a shape inside, maybe someone wiping one of the tables, but with the sunlight glancing off the windows, the person was hard to make out.
Walking up to the door, I spotted a small sign that said the cafe opened 8am to 3pm daily. No mention of opening in the evenings, which was strange. But what I could see of the interior looked mostly like I remembered. A glass counter ran down the left side of the shop, and a few tired-looking cakes and muffins were on display. The menu board advertised only a few basic meal options, all with a side of fries.
The cafe was empty, except for a single figure. It was eleven o’clock on a Tuesday morning, not the busiest time, but I couldn’t remember ever seeing Mack’s Place empty before.
My hand was on the door handle, ready to push it open, but I froze as the person inside came clearly into view.
It was Natalie.
She wore her long, dark, straight hair in a ponytail, and some strands had come loose and were waving around her face. Her glasses were different from the ones she used to wear. They were round with black rims, like Harry Potter’s glasses, only bigger. They sat precariously on her nose, and I knew exactly how she’d look when she pushed them up to a more secure position, because I’d seen her do it with her old glasses a million times.
Natalie bent over to wipe a table, and her butt was toward me. Then she wiggled her hips.
My throat went dry.
She had a perfectly round ass. Like two apples perched on top of the shapeliest legs in the world.
Nat jumped back and turned toward the window, still wriggling her hips. Her hand was raised to her mouth as though she held a microphone, and her lips moved. She was singing. There had to be a song playing over the cafe’s stereo system, but I couldn’t hear it.
The hand not holding her imaginary microphone shot straight up in the air and she threw her head back, singing to the ceiling. Then she dropped her head and arm down, curling her whole body inward for a moment. Releasing out, she moonwalked backward. It had to be Michael Jackson on the stereo, and my guess was Smooth Criminal.
Her dance should be hilarious, but I couldn’t even crack a smile. My heart was beating too hard and I felt a little sick.
My worst fears were realized.
In spite of the heartbreak she’d inflicted on me, and all the years that had passed since she told me she’d never be mine, I knew with complete certainty that I was still in love with Natalie Williamson.
Before I could move, or run, or save myself, Natalie twirled, lifting herself onto her toes and thrusting her hips forward. Her lips pursed into the wide O of a long, high note.
She saw me with my hand on the door handle and froze mid hip-thrust. Her face registered total shock, as though she’d seen a ghost.
I was trapped. Caught in her gaze.
What else could I do but walk inside?
* * *
No Funny Business is available to pre-order on Amazon now!
About the Author
Talia Hunter is a bestselling author who likes to pair loveable heroines with the hunks who deserve them.
She recently moved to Australia, where she’s constantly amazed and not at all freaked out by the weird and wonderful critters. When she’s not writing, you can usually find her with a glass of wine, a good book, and a jumbo-sized can of bug spray.
She loves to laugh, and if you feel the same way you can keep up with her new releases and special deals by following her on Amazon and on Bookbub, and signing up to get emails.
Also by Talia Hunter
THE LENNOX BROTHERS ROMANTIC COMEDY SERIES
No Ordinary Christmas
No Laughing Matter
No Fooling Around
No Funny Business
THE LANTANA ISLAND SERIES
Boss With Benefits
The Engagement Game
The Devil She Knew
THE RICH LIST SERIES
Rocking The Billionaire
Mastering The Movie Star
Bossing The Billionaire
Pleasing The Playboy
Copyright © 2021 by Talia Hunter
All rights reserved.
No part of this book may be reproduced in any form or by any electronic or mechanical means, including information storage and retrieval systems, without written permission from the author, except for the use of brief quotations in a book review.
No Fooling Around: Lennox Brothers Romantic Comedy Page 25