Wildcards

Chapter 3

After lounging around the whole weekend, Everly finally dragged Michael out of bed.

It was twilight, and they now moved around his spacious kitchen preparing their dinner.

"Are you going to get that?" Everly asked, pointing to his phone which was now ringing for the third time.

"Nope," he said dismissively. "I'll call them back tomorrow, I want to spend some quality time with you tonight. I feel like I never see you enough during the week." He went over to where she stood and wrapped his arms around her.

If it weren't for her nagging and distrustful sixth sense, she would have melted like his presence usually made her. But because of the rising tension,she found herself incapable of doing so.

"You know, I never liked cooking much." He said in an attempt to reset the heavy mood between them, and to hopefully switch from the phonecall subject to something lighter.

"I know. You tell me every time we're in the kitchen together," she said as she pushed the lasagna into the oven.

He chuckled at that. "I didn't realize that." Then offered,

"now that the hard work is out of the way, do you fancy some wine?"

"I'd like some,thank you," she sat in the stool opposite him while he poured for them.

"Something bothering you?" he probed, reading her distant mood.

Other than your phone calls ringing unanswered? She wanted to say,but settled for "Not really."

As if on cue, the phone rang again just as he was extending his hand to hers.

Their relationship was fairly new, but had already moved too fast. She had practically moved in. They shared a bed every night. And yet, they still had defenses in place.

The ringing of his phone off the hook tonight reminded her of everything she didn't know about him.

In fact, her mind started exploring possibilities. Was it from someone he was seeing? Was it from an old flame from his past? Because when he walked over to switch it off, she got the confirmation that it definitely wasn't work related.

"We never got to talk about your exam, on Friday," he mentioned upon rejoining her.

"What about it?" she asked.

"How did it go?"

"It started later than we had expected because of some inconvenience that befell our professor." She turned thoughtful, "but the paper itself was everything I expected. Except for the infuriatingly long duration, of course."

"There's that smile," he observed.

"What?" she asked, confused.

In informing him, she hadn't realized that she'd given him a small smile.

"Talking about classes, politics and all the controversial theories you conjure up in your mind always lights up your face," he told her.

Now beaming, she asked in a playful tone, " is that so, counselor?"

"Yes, indeed" he smiled too as he leaned in for a kiss. And just like that, the fight that was looming on the horizon was dissolved.

"Dinner will burn," she said pulling away when their lips mingled for longer than they had both anticipated.

"Urgh" he groaned. "Damn,woman. Look what you've just done to me," he grabbed her hand to make her feel the growing bulge in his pants.

"That's impressive,but I'm sure you'll live past it," she grinned at him.

"The rocket's about to fire, and that's all you have to say?" he started playfully chasing her around the kitchen island.

She always loved moments like this. Moments where loving him felt easy. And making dinner led to playful moments or resulted in naughty moods.

"Okay,okay!" she exclaimed when he caught her. "I'll make you a deal."

"Better be a good one," he said making the embrace tighter.

"It is. How about we have dinner, without ripping each other's clothes off. Then we go upstairs and shower together?"

"Mnh," he sighed, deliberating. "I guess he can wait a bit." He decided, referring to his manhood.

"It's settled then," she said with a victorious smile. "Does that mean I'm free from this prison?" she asked wiggling in his arms,in a fake struggle to get free.

"Yeah, I guess." he let go.

As her finger played on the edge of her wine glass, she watched him studiously.

From his jet black hair, eyebrows knitted in a frown, warm brown eyes,all the way to his sensually carved lips. The man sitting in front of her was gorgeous.

When their eyes locked, she was immediately reminded of the first time she met him.

Her nose was buried in books, trying to wrap up an assignment in time- as usual.

The coffee shop was almost empty when she got there.

With time, she could distantly tell that the flurry of activity had increased around her but didn't look up to check.

She knew what she'd see anyway. Yoga enthusiasts with their mats rolled under their arms, there to get something before or after their workouts. Friends meeting for breakfast dates. Married couples who couldn't whip up something before leaving their houses. Students like her, preparing for whatever their academic day would throw in their way. Or even workers grabbing some coffee before their work day began.

What she hadn't expected was a stranger joining her.

"Every table's occupied, do you mind if I join you?" he had asked.

"No," she had promptly responded without looking up.

"Thanks," he muttered.

"You're welcome." She looked up, to see a man whom she immediately thought was too good looking for his own good. But that wasn't the place or time. She refused to be distracted. So instead,she immediately filed and labeled the image of the stranger away as just another suit.

A week had passed without seeing him. Even though she hadn't expected to, she still felt a bit disappointed. Her morning routine stayed the same, until one fateful morning he showed up again.

"Good morning," he said with a dazzling smile.

His voice was something she remembered very well,resulting in her immediately jerking her head up.

"Good morning to you too," she responded.

When he placed his brief case on the empty chair, she had interrupted "there's a lot of unoccupied tables today." She had observed. "So, why are you joining me?"

He seemed to be caught off guard by the question. Almost as if he hadn't even noticed this coming in. And looked slightly embarrassed to have been caught out.

"Uhm, yes,true." He rumbled. "I take it you mind" he said and started to turn away.

Damn it. She had thought. She hadn't meant to chase him away. She had only asked out of genuine curiosity.

But the damage was done. Which made it very hard to concentrate on her work after.

"I don't mind" she said shyly when he walked past,the next day.

Making him walk back with his coffee to join her by the window.

"Do you pay rent in this place?" he had asked as soon as he sat.

"Where's that coming from?" she frowned.

"You're always here. And by here I don't even mean just the coffee shop, but this very same table." He explained.

"I just like having my coffee with a view," she had said looking out the window. Where a woman seemed to be screaming at a non responsive husband,who had started to walk by very quickly.

Chuckling at this, he said "I see the attraction now. I'm Michael Cordova by the way." He extended his hand.

Placing hers in his firm grip across the table, she introduced herself too. "Everly Sanderson."

"Nice to meet you."

"Likewise."

From that day on, they'd shared their mornings. Everly being the early bird she is would always get there first and order her usual caramel macchiato. He'd arrive a few minutes later with his strong black coffee. And they'd then enjoy the comfortable silence of working together. Every now and then, they'd ask each other little non-intrusive personal questions. And during those they got to know the basics about each other.

Everly learnt that Michael was ten years older than her. She had frowned when he told her this and argued that he didn't look his age at all. But immediately regretted saying it out loud,lest he thought she was giving him ideas or even leading him on.

She had also picked up from their scattered conversations that he was a lawyer. He liked his coffee strong. He was a bachelor. From the looks of it, she had immediately assumed he was the non committal kind.

And in turn, he had seemed fascinated by her being a student. Or maybe it was the passion their political science conversations would always bring to her face. Almost like a tangible glow.

With time, their coffee dates developed into more. One morning of discussing a court case that had a ruling coming up that same day, had led him to asking for her number.

"Why?" she had asked.

"So that we can go for a celebratory dinner and drinks if I win." He had grinned enthusiastically.

She was reluctant. And went on and on about how she wasn't part of his defense team, so why would she be joining in the celebrations.

But his persuasive lawyer skills won her over in the end.

Everly was pretty surprised to have a fairly decent time with him that evening.

He had driven her to her apartment after, and kissed her forehead goodnight before leaving.

And before they knew it, they had given in to the attraction - that had developed on its own in those few weeks of knowing each other. At some point they both admitted that their alliance wasn't just about coffee anymore. It was about those little conversations of getting to know each other. It was about those jokes and laughs before the seriousness of the day began. It was about their comfortable silences. Their observations of everything going on outside that corner window of theirs. It had all built into more than just a morning habit. But into something frustrating for both of them.

"It wouldn't hurt to explore it," he had said one morning.

Which had scared her because she had never 'explored' anything with someone his age before.

"We can take it slow? No pressure? Just get to know each other a bit more?" he had continued.

"I guess we could," she had finally given in. She seemed to be doing a lot of that when it came to him. But she was pleasantly surprised to find that she liked it. Probably more than she should have.

"Penny for your thoughts?" he said back in the kitchen, pulling her out of her reverie.

"Huh?" She arched an eyebrow.

He took it as a sign that she hadn't even heard him.

"You've been gone for a while, where'd you go?" he asked.

"Oh. Just the coffee shop." She told him with a smile.

"Back to the good old days?" his smile matched hers.

She laughed at this. "You know that's just two months ago,right?"

"Is it? It sure feels longer to me."

It did for her too. They had after all lived a lifetime in those two months.

"Yeah, I know. They must be wondering where I disappeared to."

"Considering that you had set up permanent camp in there, I wouldn't be surprised." He teased her.

"Whatever," she downed her wine then retrieved their meal from the oven.

"How about a coffee date tomorrow morning?" he said invitingly as she put a perfectly cut square on his plate.

"I'd love that." she said.

"Yeah. I'm just trying to get off their suspect's list for the abduction."

"And here I thought you were doing it out of the goodness of your heart."

"No. Just trying to avoid prison time." He said and they both lightly laughed.

After digging in,in silence. She took their plates and loaded them in the dishwasher.

Seeing her bent at the waist he asked, "are you intentionally giving me a show,Miss Sanderson?"

"What if I am?" She responded in a flirty tone.

"Then I'll come over there right now before you get a chance to change your mind."

"You'd have to catch me first," she giggled as she headed for the stairs.

Running after her,he shouted "Oh, I will catch you alright!"