Total pages in book: 70
Estimated words: 64851 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 324(@200wpm)___ 259(@250wpm)___ 216(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 64851 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 324(@200wpm)___ 259(@250wpm)___ 216(@300wpm)
Her hair was a glorious cloud of curls that framed a gorgeous face. She couldn’t be categorized as a classic beauty; her nose was a little too round and wide; her lips, a little too full and naturally arched brows, a little too thick. But she was absolute perfection.
She smiled to reveal straight white teeth with a small gap in between the front two. It suited her. She was perfectly imperfect, and I couldn’t take my eyes off her.
“It’s okay. I can just throw these in the wash.”
She attempted to turn away, but I couldn’t let her go. I reached out and caught her by the shoulder. “At least let me reimburse you for your coffee.”
She flinched away, her smile becoming a bit chillier. “It’s tea actually. Seriously, it’s no big deal. Look, I have to go, or I’ll be late. Don’t worry about the mess. It’s just as much my fault as yours but thank you for the offer.”
She was gone before I got a chance to ask her name.
I don’t know why I couldn’t stop thinking about her. From that moment on, she consumed by every waking moment. I even started going to that coffee shop. It didn’t make sense that I would become so obsessed from such a brief encounter, but I found myself going back to that café around the same time every morning even after Cheri returned, in hopes that I’d catch a glimpse of her. My careful stalking paid off when she came back a couple weeks later. I’d set up my laptop on the table closest to the door so that I could see everyone coming and going. She was in dark scrubs this time. Her hair was pulled back in a huge puff, and she was just as beautiful as I remembered.
“Frankie!” the barista shouted her order.
“I’d purposely waited to approach her until after she ordered to learn her name.
I closed my laptop and gathered my belonging before intercepting her as she walked out.
“We have to stop meeting like this.”
She jumped with a gasp before she tilted her head up to look at me. Much to my chagrin, it seemed to take her a few moments to recognize me. “Oh, hi…”
“Nick.” She gave me a brief smile before continuing on.
I followed. “Actually, I’m glad we ran into each other again.”
She halted and glanced at me with raised brow. “Oh?”
“I feel awful about spilling your tea, so I think it’s only fair that I make it up to you by taking you out for dinner.”
Her eyes widened, and her mouth formed a perfect O. “Oh, wow. Thank you, but totally not necessary.”
“But I insist.”
She shook her head with a laugh. “I don’t normally make a habit of going out with strange men in a coffee shop, regardless of how cute they are.”
I keep myself from grinning. “You think I’m cute?”
She giggled “Don’t let it go to your head. Look, I really have to get to work, but maybe I’ll see you around again.”
“How about you give me your number, and I’m sure we will.”
“Smooth. You give me yours, and I’ll call you.”
“Oh? Why do I get the feeling I’ll never hear from you again?”
“I guess you’ll just have to see.” She took out her phone. “Go ahead and give it to me.”
I gave her my number before she changed her mind, and she tapped it into her phone. “I’ll be in touch…Nick.”
“I’ll hold you to that.”
I didn’t hear from her after that much to my disappointment. I kept going back to that café, but she never showed up again. After a couple months, I realized that she simply wasn’t interested, and I reluctantly moved on.
Until one night when I saw her at a charity function. She was absolutely stunning in a strapless black dress that showed off a body that would have caused a priest to sin. It was in that moment I vowed to have her no matter what it took.
Little did I know that my obsession with her would turn into something way more than I bargained for.
My phone rang, breaking me from my thoughts. I frowned wondering if my mother was calling again. When I looked at the caller ID, I nearly dropped my phone. I didn’t expect this call, but in a way I did.
I wanted to ignore the call and send it straight to voicemail, but deep down a part of me wanted to hear her voice.
I brought the phone to my ear and pressed the answer button. “Frankie, what can I do for you?”
Chapter Three
Frankie
When hell freezes over.
That was when I thought I’d ever see Nicholas Steven Evans again. It wasn’t enough for his rotten mother to completely humiliate me at Kenny’s funeral, or for him to come to my house later that night to threaten me. That condescending way he’d talked to me when he’d called to inform me about Kenny’s will was the final straw.