Total pages in book: 58
Estimated words: 53349 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 267(@200wpm)___ 213(@250wpm)___ 178(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 53349 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 267(@200wpm)___ 213(@250wpm)___ 178(@300wpm)
“What happened?” Nate asked, his voice quiet and soft.
Tamara tried to calm her breathing. “It turned out that Brad had been seeing my best friend, Stacy, behind my back.” She stared out at the ocean, avoiding Nate’s gaze. “They eloped, and I haven’t seen them since.”
She turned back to Nate and saw that he looked grim and serious.
“You’re kidding,” he said.
Tamara shook her head. “Trust me, Nate, I’m definitely not kidding. I wish I were.”
“Tamara, I’m so sorry. No one deserves that.” It was evident by the sincerity in his voice that he was stunned by the story, and he was unsure of what to say next.
Just the thought of that was enough to make Tamara feel uncomfortable. She’d shared too much. Personal stuff could be dangerous, and it could take people unawares. She tried to switch things back to business, where the world was safer.
“It was a long time ago,” she said, as if sweeping the whole subject under the carpet. She put a smile on her face, even though she felt about as far away from smiling as possible. “So, tell me about this client of yours. You said that he’s looking for something special in terms of coffee?”
“Yes, that’s right,” he said, and Tamara was relieved that he was letting her change the subject so rapidly. He continued, “The groom and his fiancée are coffee aficionados. They want to serve the highest-quality coffee at all the wedding events—the rehearsal, the reception, and anything else that comes up. Since you’re the coffee expert, Liz and I wondered if you would be willing to help us out.”
This was something that Tamara could deal with easily. She was back on solid ground. She might not understand why Brad had run off, or why the memory could still provoke such sadness in her, but she knew coffee, and she knew the best importers and roasters in the city.
“The thing is,” Nate said, “I want to go further and find a way to make it really unique to them as a couple.”
“I could put together a specialized blend for them,” Tamara suggested. “The best beans, personalized flavors. It would be something no one else would have.”
“That sounds perfect,” Nate said, grinning.
As they talked about suppliers and roasters and time frames, Tamara got excited—this was her jam. She was still tossing out ideas when their waiter came over to the table.
“Would you like to order dessert this evening?”
Nate at Tamara, who hesitated only a moment before nodding and ordering sorbet.
“Are you celebrating a special occasion?” the waiter asked. “An anniversary perhaps? Or an engagement?”
“No, no, nothing like that,” Tamara said, probably a little too quickly.
“Just two friends having a night out,” Nate said smoothly.
“Certainly, sir,” the waiter said, and Tamara thought she saw him wink. “I’ll be right back with your dessert.”
Tamara watched him go. He probably thought she and Nate were having some kind of affair or something. That wasn’t a great thought, given what her best friend had done.
“I hope all this isn’t making you too uncomfortable,” Nate said, also glancing at the waiter’s retreating form. “All the romantic references here… If I’d known, I’d have picked another place to have dinner.”
“Don’t worry. It was lovely,” Tamara said. “I’m just glad you’re someone I can be open and honest with. I haven’t really shared my story with other people.”
Nate nodded. “I know it must be hard to talk about, or even think about. But if you don’t mind me saying, Brad was a complete jerk, and he was an idiot for not recognizing what an amazing woman you are. Thanks for trusting me, Tamara. I will never discuss this with anyone,” Nate said sincerely as he looked her in the eyes.
The talk turned to other things, but the realization of what a special person Nate was didn’t leave Tamara. Brad couldn’t begin to hold a candle to him.
Eventually, they headed out to their cars, and Tamara had to admit she’d had a good time… actually a really good time.
“Well, I guess this is good night,” she said.
“I guess so,” Nate agreed.
On instinct, Tamara hugged him, enjoying the warmth of his arms wrapped around her. Their hug lingered, because neither of them seemed to want to be the first to let go. Tamara knew the embrace had a momentum of its own, and she could guess where it would lead. Another kiss. Probably another great kiss.
And, oh, how badly she wanted to kiss Nate again. Which was exactly why she forced herself to disengage, step back, and get into her car.
She drove away before she could change her mind, hoping that, as they began to work together more closely, things with Nate would get easier than this.
Chapter Five
Nate watched Tamara drive away, knowing they had both ended up having a good night, even though things had been a little awkward at first. Everything was so easy with her. He’d really wanted to kiss her just now and had come so close to acting on his feelings. But only this morning they had agreed to keep things “normal”—whatever that meant. It was obvious that Tamara just wanted to be friends.