"Wow. You’re like the Valentine’s Grinch.” Patrick grinned. “So maybe a decaf?"
"Sure. Sorry for the rant, Patrick.” Val smiled. “And I’ll give you fifty bucks for that shirt, Joe.”
Joe carefully set a steel pitcher full of frothy, steamed milk down and grabbed the back of his t-shirt, yanking it over his head, his toned stomach muscles rippling. He tossed the shirt to her and snagged the cash out of her hand. Before she could blink, he'd pocketed her money and winked at her before resuming making drinks.
Val's friend Kennedy pressed into her back, craning around the hissing coffee maker to get a better view of a half-naked Joe. Val and Kennedy had been coming here on their lunch break for days, just so Kennedy could see her crush. Tall, with dirty blonde hair and electric blue eyes, Joe Lockhart was gorgeous. An Adonis. A god among men. Still, Val just wasn't interested.
"Joseph!" Patrick grabbed his cousin's bulging bicep and steered him around the counter with a shove. "Go put a shirt on.”
"Why?" Joe strolled to the small merchandise section of the shop.
"Yeah, why?" Kennedy moaned, her gaze never leaving Joe.
"You're drooling." Val whispered.
"Every woman in this place is drooling." Val glanced around at the bustling shop. Kennedy was right. All the woman in the crowded coffeeshop stared at Joe as he deliberated among the t-shirts. In fact, the only person in the shop that wasn't staring at Joe was Mac Romano, the local delivery guy.
He sat in a corner table, the weak February sun gleaming on his dark hair, as he read something on a tablet and chewed a sandwich. He looked up and caught her staring. He raised a single eyebrow at her and heat flashed through her. A half-naked Joe didn't do it for her but a single glance from Mac made her hot all over. What was the matter with her?
"Here, beautiful. I've got the perfect mug for you." Joe handed her an oversized black coffee mug emblazoned with "Kiss my behind, Valentine" in lurid pink script. He wore the matching t-shirt in a size too small for him. The too-tight t-shirt outlined every one of his perfect muscles. Kennedy let out a little moan. Val still felt not the slightest flicker of interest in pretty boy Joe.
"You can't wear that shirt either!" Patrick snapped. "Why did I let you do the merchandising?"
"Because I, unlike you, am creative and I, unlike you, don't have a stick up my--"
"Just come make Val her drink."
"What do you want, beautiful?" Joe asked, shooting her a blatantly come hither look from those amazing blue eyes. Kennedy let out another tiny moan behind her. The lunchtime crush in the new coffeeshop was in no small part to the fact that sexy Joe Lockhart flirted with everything in a skirt. And his far more business-like cousin wasn't hard on the eyes either. But Val knew Joe's flirting was nothing personal. And since her last awful Valentine’s Day she hadn’t wanted anything to do with the opposite sex.
"From you?" Val scowled. "Just a coffee."
She paid Patrick and, balancing her coffee, new mug, and shirt, headed over to a table near the window, near where Mac sat. When he shifted in his chair, his navy polo bunched along his shoulder blades and another strange flash of heat arrowed through her. What was wrong with her? She shouldn't be ogling the delivery guy. No matter how gorgeous he was.
"So, someone is extra cranky today. Patrick’s right. You are the Valentine’s Grinch." Kennedy said as she sat down across from her and unwrapped a pink iced heart-shaped cookie, probably made by their mutual friend, Joy Baker. Val frowned at the seasonal reminder. Kennedy took a quick bite, dusting cookie crumbs over the front of her pristine white chef’s coat. “What’s up?”
"Two more weeks until Valentine's Day is over.”
“And the misery ends for another year." Kennedy agreed. “Do you have plans for the big day? We could do something together, maybe catch a movie or drinks or something. Take your mind off it."
"Thanks but the only thing I want to do on Valentine's Day is sink into a bubble bath and sip a glass of wine."
Joe brought Kennedy's drink to her, flashed her a melt-her-panties grin, and walked away. Kennedy sighed, her gaze glued to Joe's enticing rear view. "He'd look good covered in bubbles, wouldn't he?"
"He's pretty but he'll never stick around." Val shook her head. "He's a good time guy."
"He can show me a good time. I don’t need anyone to stick around."
"But then you have to wake up alone." Val shut her eyes. She understood the misery of waking alone every single day. She wouldn't wish it on anyone.
“Fine by me.” Kennedy shrugged. “So, what'll you do after the bubble bath and the wine? Slip into your jammies and go to bed early, I suppose. Val, you gotta get back out there."
"I'll order a pizza--extra pepperoni--and watch the most non-romantic movie I could find. Or maybe play mindless video games. Do they make one where you can shoot Cupid in his chubby little butt?"
"Wow, you sound even more bitter than usual. Bad day?"
"Mallory called in again." Val rubbed at the headache brewing behind her tired eyes.
"You're going to have to fire her."
"I know. I just... she’s a kid and it’s her first job. Some help is better than nothing this time of year." Val stretched in the chair, trying to ease the kink in her aching back from sorting through heavy boxes for their Easter display. Mac walked past their table and Val brushed his arm with her hand as she moved. Heat flashed through her again as her fingers brushed the crisp, dark hair on his forearm. She looked up into his face and smiled at him. "Sorry."
"It's okay." His deep voice made her shiver. What was wrong with her today? He waved to them before heading out into the shopping square.
"That's interesting."
"What is?" Val rubbed her lower back as her stomach growled. It was already past lunchtime and she hadn't even eaten breakfast.
"You blow off Joe but when Mac looks at you, you blush."
"I was embarrassed from bumping his arm." Val shook her head. She was not attracted to Mac, no matter how much she flushed or her heart pounded when she was around him. She told herself it didn’t mean anything. Sometimes she could even make herself believe it.
And even if she was attracted to Mac, because he was just as devastatingly handsome as Joe and Patrick, she certainly wasn't going to do anything about it. She learned the hard way that she wasn't meant for love. Romance just wasn't for her. "Anyway, after everything with Jonathan..."
Kennedy laid a hand on her arm. "I know it's a tough time of year for you but it's nearly over. Just a few more weeks."
"Yep. And then I'll just have to endure it all over again next year."
"That's the spirit." Kennedy laughed.
Chapter Two
After exiting Cupid's Coffeeshop, Mac strolled back to his truck, whistling tunelessly, enjoying the mid-winter sunshine. So far, today had been a great day, no snow or sleet to fight his way through, a light truckload so he'd be done by mid-afternoon, and, best of all, Val smiled at him. He practically bounced into the truck. A glance in his rearview mirror revealed the dopey grin spread across his face as he pulled out of the tiny parking lot. Fifteen minutes later, when his phone trilled out the ring tone for his boss, he was still grinning like a loon.
"Hey, boss man!"
"Well, someone is in a good mood." His best friend and now boss, Pete Wilson, greeted him and then cleared his throat. "Need to chat with you."
Pete sounded serious. The smile slid off Mac's face. "What's up?"
"No need to worry. It's all good news. Just head into the office and find me when you're finished with your deliveries."
Mac hurried through the rest of his deliveries, wondering what Pete could have to chat with him about. He was one of the top drivers, efficient and good at his job, so he doubted performance was an issue. As far as he'd heard, business was booming with delivering ever-growing quantities of online orders so he didn't think he was being fired or laid off. Mac got along well with all his co-workers so an interpersonal issue was unlikely
. Still, he couldn't shake the dread in the pit of his belly as he rushed through his remaining deliveries.
After his shift, Mac headed into Pete's cramped office and sat in the tiny visitor's chair, facing the framed photos of Pete's wife and kids on the credenza. Andrew, Kelly, and Joshua's parade of photos started with grainy ultrasound pictures and progressed to adorable gap-toothed grade school kids. Looked like his youngest was into Little League now, if the picture with a ball and bat were any indication. Kids grew so fast. He remembered when they were newborns. Mac smiled at the photos. Maybe someday he'd have a row just like it.
"Sorry to keep you waiting, Mac." Pete bustled in and sat behind the desk. Though his friend Pete had been his manager for over a year now, Mac still couldn't get used to seeing him in a suit and tie, rather than the driver’s uniform that Pete himself had worn up until a year ago.
"What's up, boss man?" Mac grinned. "My performance review isn't until mid-summer. It can't be time for a big raise yet, can it?"
"Not a raise, no, but instead a promotion."
"A promotion?"
"I've been tapped for regional manager." Pete beamed at him.
"That's great, man. Congrats!"
"And they asked me to choose my successor." Pete pointed to Mac. "You."
"Me?" Mac's stomach lurched. He didn't want to give up his truck, not just yet. Not when things were beginning to look promising.
"You're my best driver, you get along great with the other guys, you've got years of experience. Honestly, they should have chosen you over me for this job. If you'd have applied before, you'd have gotten it then."
Mac tapped his fingers on his work boots. He'd considered applying last year, when Pete's predecessor left. After all, it was significantly more money and the first step onto the management ladder. Plus, he was on the far side of 30 now. He couldn't keep moving boxes with the young guys forever. Even though he couldn’t quite imagine himself stuck behind a desk, without the freedom of the road. But he hadn't wanted to give up his truck or his route, not just then.
Not yet.
"Mac, you've been driving a truck for five years. This is the next logical step."
Mac nodded and sighed, shifting in the hard, uncomfortable visitor's chair. "Do I need to decide today?"
"The deadline to apply is 15 February. I'm happy to look over your application, practice interviewing, and all that. You've got my vote." Pete trailed off as Mac continued to tap his fingers absently, not meeting his friend's perceptive gaze. "Will you at least think about it?"
"Sure. Thanks for the vote of confidence, man." Mac stood and shook Pete's hand. "Want to grab a beer?"
"Can't. Gotta get to Andrew's Cub Scout meeting. Rain check?"
"Sure. Another time." Mac headed out to the parking lot, chewing on his bottom lip.
Once home, Mac went out for a run to clear his head, wishing again that he had an apartment big enough to accommodate a dog to accompany him on his daily jog along the Potomac. He lived close to DC, on the Virginia side, in a warren of tiny apartments filled with singles just starting their lives. At 31, he was significantly older than most of his fellow residents. When he'd moved in, Mac liked the easy access to the city, especially the museums, and the clubs, though he couldn't remember the last time he went downtown.
Today, he jogged along the icy river, enjoying the sight of the monuments silhouetted against the gray February sky, heavy with the possibility of snow. As he ran, he considered Pete's offer. He should take the job. It was the next logical step. Driving was a young man's game. After Christmas, he'd ached for weeks with all the overtime and extra deliveries.
But, if he gave up the truck, he wouldn't see her every day. For over two years now, he'd designed his route to make sure that he delivered to Val's Card and Gifts. Chatting with Val was the highlight of his day and he even thought they’d developed a friendship.
He'd nursed a crush since the first time he saw her. He'd been driving his new route for the first time and stopped at the traffic light across from the tiny square where her shop and Cupid's Coffeeshop sat. Val stood in the display window of her store, hanging up a glittery crimson heart for a Valentine's display. Her dark auburn hair, the color of the finest wine in candlelight, caught his eye in the early morning light. She wore a dark sweater and gray plaid skirt, setting off her shapely legs. She smiled at the girl standing next to the ladder, handing her glittery hearts.
And from one moment to the next, it was like being struck by lightning.
Dazzled, he'd stared at her, until the car behind him honked. It took Mac over six weeks to say more than hello to her. At the time, she'd had a boyfriend. And though he didn’t know the details, they’d broken up rather suddenly last Valentine’s Day.
After their bitter breakup, Mac concentrated on becoming friends with Val, bantering with her, joking and teasing every day. Though he'd come up with a thousand lines to ask her out, to ask her to step over the line between friendship and more than friendship, he'd never once gotten up the courage to ask her out for so much as a cup of coffee.
He'd overheard her today, talking to Kennedy, as she described her perfect Valentine's Day. Maybe he could give it to her. He could finally ask her out. And maybe, in addition to making her love Valentine's Day again, he could get her to notice him too.
Chapter Three
The following Monday, before the store opened, Val sang along with Sam Cooke about "Cupid" as she sat at her tiny, cramped desk in the back room of her store. She sketched a design for an Easter display window, including oversized felt chocolate bunnies. Now, she just had to figure out how to make them. Maybe her most creative friend Joy could help her sew brown felt together---assuming she could tear Joy away from her budding cookie baking business for Cupid’s Coffeeshop long enough to get some sewing help. Val would find a plaid ribbon in Easter colors….
She tapped her colored pencil on the desk, belting out the song now. Singing along helped her think. A booming knock made her drop the pencil as she scrambled to turn off the blasting music and dashed to the door. She cracked the door and peeked out to see Mac standing with a tower of boxes on a rolling cart.
"Great song." Mac said, in that sexy rasp that made her shiver. Heat crept up Val's face that he'd heard her warbling along.
"Sorry." She stepped around him to hold the door open, catching the sweet spicy scent of his cologne. She tried to ignore the press of his firm bicep against her chest as she squeezed past him in the tiny entrance.
"I've got your number now. Singing along to love songs while pretending to hate the big day." He smiled at her, amusement in his chocolate brown eyes. Had he always been so handsome? Val supposed she’d just gotten immune to it and stopped noticing it after a while. What was making her suddenly notice tall, dark, and gorgeous, after ignoring men for so long?
"It just happened to come on and you’re right. It’s a great song."
"You don't really hate Valentine's Day, do you?" Mac maneuvered the stack of boxes he'd brought into a space along the back wall and leaned on his trolley, one eyebrow raised.
"I do now."
"So, how come you opened up a card store? It's gotta be one of your biggest days."
"Because I didn't hate it then." Val answered, stepping back around to her desk and taking the clipboard from him to sign for the boxes. "I didn't know that my boyfriend was going to turn out to be a lying, cheating scumbag."
Mac tapped his fingers on the top box, a brief, staccato rhythm. "Right, but that still doesn't explain why you hate Valentine's Day."
"Last year, on the so-called day of love, I got a message for Jonathan--that's the lying cheating scumbag--on our home voicemail, that our dinner reservation got changed to Valentine's night. We always celebrated the weekend following Valentine's Day since I was usually too tired on the actual day to enjoy it. And Jonathan, the cheap bastard, got to save a few bucks that way."
"Right, I get it. I'm usually too exhausted on Christmas Day to enjoy it too,
even though my nieces and nephews are over the moon with Santa." Val carefully counted picture frames in the shape of the word "Mom." She'd gotten her Mother's Day inventory today. With all the Easter décor in the back room already, she didn’t know where she’d store it all. When she finished counting, Mac asked, "So what happened?"
"I thought Jon had moved our reservation at Monuments to surprise me."
"Monuments? That restaurant with the views of the city?"
"That's the one. Anyway, we'd been talking about marriage so I thought he’d propose. So, even though it was my busiest season, I took time off work. I got my hair done, my nails done, bought a new dress, the works. I mean, a girl is only supposed to get one proposal, after all. I wanted to look good for it." Val shook her head, remembering how carefully she'd prepared for that night, even going so far as to purchase new lacy underthings as a surprise for Jonathan.
"I'm pretty sure this story isn't going to end with a big ring and a happily ever after."
"You'd be right. At least not for me, anyway." Val said, blowing her bangs out of her eyes. Why was she telling him all this, especially since she didn’t want to get too close to him? He was just a friend. Not a new crush. She did not want a new crush.
"So, finish it."
"Well, when I got to the restaurant, I saw him right away, his blond hair gleaming like a beacon in the candlelight. And I walked over to be seated but there was already someone across from him. At first I thought there was just some simple explanation. She was a colleague waiting for her own date and just chatting with Jonathan or something..." Val clutched the clipboard to her chest, lost in memories of the night her world caved in. Surprisingly, thinking of it didn’t hurt as much as it once had. Just a dull ache instead of the heart-crushing pain it used to be.
"But?"
"Just as I reached the table, he leaned over and kissed her, cupping her face the way he used to cup mine when we were first dating. I couldn't remember the last time he'd kissed me like that." Val clenched the clipboard so tightly it dug into her palms. She loosened her hold and shrugged. “That’s it. That’s the big story.”
Cupid's Coffeeshop Set One: Boxed Set: Books 1-4 Page 7