Valentine's Recipe for Love

Savoring the Moment

♡ Shane ♡

The moment I saw Megan sitting at the corner table of the little café, my heart did a strange twist, and my stomach danced with butterflies. She looked completely at ease as she sipped from a cup of what I assumed was coffee. She was people-watching as they passed by through the window. Her sandy blonde hair caught the afternoon light, and for a second, I just stood there, frozen in place, wondering how I had gotten so lucky to see her again. Yesterday, I had obsessively gone to each and every bakery in town until I had found her. The Rolling Pin Bakery was unique, and I could see myself going there more often. Not that it had anything to do with Megan. However, now, as I stood at the entrance of Café Fresco, my heart pounded a little harder than it should have. I wasn’t doing anything wrong. It was just lunch with a friend. But I couldn’t shake the feeling that I was standing on the edge of something that could change everything. I shook my head as I finally walked over to join her. Megan glanced up, and a warm smile spread across her face.

“Hey,” she said, her voice soft but filled with genuine happiness. “I was starting to think you wouldn’t show,”

“Never,” I replied, as I slid into the seat across from her. “How could I pass up lunch with you?” her cheeks flushed a little, and I found myself grinning like an i***t. Within seconds, a server approached our table, and we took a moment to place our orders. As soon as we were alone – as alone as two people could be in a crowded café during lunch hour – we fell into an easy conversation. Megan told me about her morning at the bakery. How Luna – her cat – had knocked over a tray of cooling cookies and how Josh had chased Luna around the shop.

“It was quite chaotic,”

“Luna sounds like quite the troublemaker,” I remarked with a laugh.

“She is,” Megan agreed, as she shook her head in amusement. “But I wouldn’t trade her for anything. She keeps me company,” there was a moment of silence, it wasn’t awkward, it was comfortable and easy. I sipped my coffee as I studied her closely. Megan had a natural grace about her, a quiet strength that drew me in. What was it about her that made me find her so attractive?

“So, what’s news?” I asked casually and Megan sighed softly.

“I broke up with Brendan,” she announced, her voice soft and somewhat hesitant. The words hung in the air between us. My chest tightened, and for a moment, I didn’t know what to say. Part of me wanted to jump for joy, but the other part felt a heavy wave of guilt wash over me. Megan had made a decision to move on, but I was still holding on to Casey. Not that I assumed she broke up with him because of me. Right?

“I…I’m sorry to hear that,” I said, though I wasn’t sure if I meant it. Megan smiled softly as she stared off through the window once again.

“Don’t be. It was the right thing to do. We weren’t happy, and I finally realized I deserved better. It was long overdue,” she said, and her words hit me harder than I expected. I knew she was right. She did deserve better. And deep down, I knew I wasn’t being fair to Casey. But I wasn’t ready to admit that yet – not to Megan, not to myself.

“I’m glad you are taking care of yourself,” I said instead. “You deserve to be happy,”

“Thank you,” she said just as our food arrived. Megan had ordered a grilled brie and honey panini, and I had ordered a roast beef and horseradish cream panini. We got stuck into our meal, but the silence didn’t last. “So, tell me more about you. What’s it like being a fitness instructor?”

“It’s a lot of fun, actually. I love helping people achieve their goals and seeing them push themselves to be stronger and healthier. It’s rewarding,”

“You must be really disciplined,” she said as she raised a curious eyebrow. “I can’t imagine waking up every day and hitting the gym,”

“It’s not so bad when you love it. Kind of like how you feel about baking, I guess,” I remarked with a shrug, and she nodded.

“Yeah. I never thought I would own a bakery, but now I can’t imagine doing anything else. There’s something so satisfying about creating something with your hands, seeing people enjoy what you have made,” we talked about our passions, our routines, our dreams. Time seemed to slip away, and before I knew it, our plates and cups were empty, and the waitress had dropped off our bill.

“I should get back to the gym,” I said reluctantly as I glanced at my watch. I was already a few minutes late and the last thing I felt like doing was explaining to Caleb that I had been out with Megan for lunch. “But I really enjoyed this. We should do it again sometime,”

“Me too,” Megan said with a smile. “I’m glad we did this,”

“I’ll get the check,” I said as I grabbed the bill. Megan opened her mouth to argue, but I put up my hand. “Next time you can get it,” she nodded rather reluctantly. As we stood up, I couldn’t help but feel a pang of regret. I wanted to spend more time with her, to keep the conversation going. But I knew I had responsibilities to get back to.

“Here,” Megan said, as she reached into her bag and pulled out a small box. “This is for you, just a little something from The Rolling Pin,” I smiled as I popped open the lid.

“Aw, Megan, you didn’t have to do that,” I said as I licked my lips.

“It’s a mini dark chocolate fudge cake,” she explained.

“Well, if it’s as good as that cupcake, I know I am going to enjoy it,” I said as I struggled to stop myself from kissing her cheek or something. I headed to the front counter to settle our bill while Megan waited for me just outside. The warm afternoon sun hit me, and I turned to Megan. I wanted to say something more, something that would convey what I was feeling. But the words wouldn’t come.

“I guess I’ll see you around?” she said as she tilted her head slightly.

“Definitely,” I replied, as I took a step back. I gave her a small wave before I turned to head back to the gym. As I walked down the street, box in hand, my thoughts raced. Megan was free, starting fresh. And I was still tangled in a relationship that felt more like a duty than a choice. When my phone buzzed in my pocket, I figured it would be Caleb. Instead, it was a message from Casey.

Casey: Hey, baby. Don’t forget we have dinner plans with Amy and Caleb.

“f*****g hell,” I muttered as I shoved my phone back into my pocket. I wasn’t in the mood to go out while my head was so confused and filled with thoughts of Megan.