espresso-colored eyes stare at me.
“Eros.” My lips curl up in a smile. “What a surprise.”
Studying him, I notice he’s changed. He wears a pinstripe suit, a blue tie, and dress shoes. He’s as tall as I remember. His sculpted features look more… male.
“What a surprise,” he says, bending and hugging me. “I was just thinking about you earlier today.”
“The psycho girl who got in your pants,” I joke and wink at him.
He shakes his head. “I’m sorry about my overreaction.”
“How are you?” I ask. “Rich, married, and with children?”
He scrubs his face with a hand, checks his watch, and glances at the coffee place. “Do you have time for coffee?”
“If you buy me an iced tea, I might spend a few minutes with you,” I joke, then I point at his suit. “How can you wear that when it’s scorching hot out here?”
“You get used to it,” he says, holding the door open so I can go into the shop.
We both order a smoothie and take a seat at the farthest table. “So, what have you been up to?”
“I finished my master’s degree. It wasn’t hard to land a job. Gil has connections. I’ve been busy.”
As he talks about what he’s been doing for the past few years, I feel like we’re falling back to that day when we met at the airport. This is like a conversation with a dear old friend who I saw last night. Time hasn’t passed, and yet, a lot has happened to both of us.
His sisters are moving to Colorado where his parents live. His youngest sister is now in high school.
“How about the wife?” I point at his ring finger.
He wiggles his finger and says, “Still single, but I started dating a coworker.”
“Nothing serious, but it might be the love of your life?” I arch an eyebrow.
“The obsession for the soulmate kind of love continues,” he jokes. “How about you? Why are you in New York?”
“Other than stalking you?”
“Well, that’s obvious.” He winks at me.
“I’m looking at schools. After college, I want to start my master’s degree in business.”
He arches an eyebrow. “Business?”
“Dad hopes I’ll take charge of his company at some point.”
“What are you planning?”
“I’ve been doing some traveling.” I don’t tell him that his childhood stories inspired me to travel around the world, nor that it was easy to convince Dad and Dan to come along. “I have a vague idea of creating sustainable farms in places like central and north South America, where the weather is warm almost all year around. Maybe create jobs and make sure the people get paid what’s fair and not just pennies for their hard work.”
He’s staring at me attentively.
I wave my fingers. “I know, it’s too vague. Just think of it as an idea that might sprout into a big conglomerate created to help the world.”
His smirk appears. The dimple in his right cheek shows. My heart skips a little. His hand lifts, and he brushes a strand of my hair away from my face. The electricity his touch produces makes me jolt. It also proves that the chemistry between us wasn’t some cabin fever hallucination. I felt it then, and I feel it now.
Well, it’s one-sided, but still, the physical reaction toward him was—is—real.
“Where are you thinking of applying?”
“I might apply to Columbia University,” I declare. “One of my Dad’s friends gave me a tour and explained the program to me—after the interview.”
He looks at me, then at his watch. “Where are you staying?”
“We have a suite at The Plaza. Dad and Dan are staying here for the weekend. I’m flying out tomorrow morning. I’m visiting Mom for a couple of weeks.”
He stands up and looks at me. “Any chance I can see you tonight?”
I shrug. “Maybe.”
“I’ll drop by after work. What’s your room number?”
“Ask the front desk to connect you to Otto Sierra’s room when you arrive.”
He bends and kisses my cheek. I close my eyes for a couple of beats and move away. What is it about him that makes me want to kiss him, hug him, rip off his clothes, and…?
Okay, let’s hope he doesn’t show tonight.
Chapter Eight
Olivia
After seeing Eros, I spend the day wondering if I should buy a new outfit, pretend that I don’t feel well to avoid seeing him, or just have a drink with him in the lobby and then say goodbye for good.
Unknowingly, Dad chooses for me. He buys tickets to watch a Broadway show. I’m not a fan of musicals, but I go with