Valentine s Love by Helena Stone

Author:Helena Stone [Stone, Helena]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Published: 2018-02-11T23:00:00+00:00

Entering the bistro at midday meant I beat the lunch rush by about an hour, and the place was almost empty. I picked a table well away from the entrance and ordered a BLT with a plate of chips and a pint of water. Whoever had occupied my spot before me had left a newspaper behind, and I read the headlines while I waited for my food to arrive.

“Excuse me. Is that chair taken?”

I knew who I would see before I raised my head; Ben’s beautiful deep voice was instantly recognizable.

“It wasn’t until you arrived.” I smiled up at him.

“Good.” He sat down. “This is a wonderful coincidence.” He smirked. “Do you come here often?”

“Cheesy much?” I joked while my mind worked overtime. If I hadn’t known any better, I would have sworn he was flirting with me. I shrugged the idea off. For all I knew, he might be practicing his skills so he’d be ready when he came face to face with the object of his desires.

“Who? Me?” He grinned. “I haven’t got a cheesy bone in my body.”

“Really? Could have fooled me.” I winked, just in case he thought I was serious.

A waiter appeared with food for both of us. Ben had apparently ordered before he approached my table. After we’d both taken a few bites, he fixed his gaze on me again.

“I’m curious,” he said, “but feel free to tell me to F-off.”

I waited, not entirely comfortable.

“What does Ty stand for? I mean, it is short for something else, isn’t it?”

Ah, fuck. I considered telling him it was none of his business before acknowledging how childish that would be. “Valentine,” I mumbled. “But nobody calls me that anymore. I haven’t used the name for three years.”

I saw the curiosity in his eyes and waited for the inevitable next question, but, much to my relief, it never came. He just nodded and picked up his sandwich again.

“I walked by your shop just now and was disappointed you weren’t there,” he said a few bites later.

“You realize that my assistant manager, Claire, is just as qualified to help you as I am, don’t you?” I asked the question to hide the fact that I was delighted he’d come looking for me specifically.”

Ben picked up his glass of water and took a long drink before responding. “Yeah, I’m aware of that. I’m probably being ridiculous, but since I’m looking for a present for a man, I’m more comfortable dealing with you.”

I nodded, although the statement didn’t make a lot of sense to me. “So what did you want to ask?”

“Well, I’ve got a pretty good idea what I would and wouldn’t like to receive as a surprise present and wondered if it’s the same for you.” He grinned. “It would be so much easier if it turned out us men have universal likes and dislikes.”

“I’m sorry to squash your hopes,” I said, “but I doubt that’s the case.” I thought for a moment, wondering if answering honestly would reveal too much.

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