Penny Serenade (5 page)

“I don’t suppose you’d care to elaborate on their meaning?” His eyes were wide and he genuinely sounded interested. Still, it was a personal topic and she didn’t feel comfortable discussing her life in a public place.

“No, not really.”

He leaned back in the chair again, propping his arm up on the side. Audrey decided he looked very sexy in that pose, and wished he didn’t.

“Would you care to get a drink with me after work? I’d like to hear more about what you sell in your store.”

Her throat felt drier than the desert. There was no way she could be alone with this guy. Not with the way he sent her body into hormone overdrive. Self-control would be out the window and she couldn’t afford that. She needed to stay far away from him. “Thanks, but no,” she replied in a rush. “Besides, I know you’re not really that interested in what I sell in my shop.”

“No, no…I’m very interested.”

She frowned. “Why now?”

“Well for one, my niece is big into that crap, I mean that stuff.” He rushed his cup to his lips and took a sip.

And there he went from sexy to schmuck in two seconds.
Such a shame.
Why did he always have to ruin a good moment with words?

“And for another—”

“Stop right there,” she said before he could finish. “See, this what I mean. You think my store and the stuff I sell is crap.
Including my pennies.
An hour alone with me guzzling booze isn’t going to make you suddenly change your mind and have it pique your interest. Don’t bother or waste your time.” Knowing things were headed downhill fast, she decided it was time to leave. Sure he had the ability to melt her body, but in the same breath he turned into Jack Frost.

Audrey forced herself to her feet and snatched her notebook. “I need to get back and open the store again. Some people like what I sell.”

His hand went for her but she dodged it. “Hang on one sec,” he said, “okay?”

“For what?”
Her shrill voice echoed. Heads turned and her body started to shake. Public displays of anything were not high on her favorite things to do list.

He sipped his coffee and stood up. “My name’s Dominic. Dominic Blume.”

Great, now she would forever think of him anytime she met someone named Dominic, anytime she watched a movie or read a book and the character’s name was Dominic, and at least for awhile anytime she masturbated. Now she had a name to attach to the “fuck me” part. Life could be so cruel.
“And?”
She prompted.

“Can I get your name?”

“What difference does it make?” She took a few steps and he caught up to her.

“I’d like to know your name,” he said and followed it up with a sexy smile.

After a long pause she answered, “Audrey Kessler. Satisfied?”

He held out his hand, which like the rest of him had paint splattered on it. “Then Audrey, thanks for making my lunch break an unexpected treat.”

And the charming side of him had returned. Much as she wanted to touch his strong looking hand, she knew it would unleash a chain reaction inside her. She gave him a curt nod of her head and walked out the door.

Audrey grumbled under her breath all the way back to her shop, cursing when the key gave her a problem in the lock. She managed to get it open with some magical cuss words and stormed inside.

Her mind whirred. The man was bad for her nerves. On one hand he had an incredible face, voice, and body. He smelled damn good, and his seductive smile made her entire being shudder. On the other hand he didn’t know the first thing about communication. His words spilled out, without any filters. She speed walked around the store, finding herself too wound up for the peaceful ambiance she’d created. The music was all wrong. Heavy metal rather than Celtic harp would be more her pace at the moment. A string of obscenities lay at the tip of her tongue and she was starting to sweat from walking so fast. She needed to find a way to catch her breath and be calm. If she threw herself into her work, thoughts of Dominic, wanting to touch Dominic, and wanting to kiss Dominic, would disappear.

She grabbed a notepad off the counter along with a pen, and wrote down the amount and colors of Betsy’s bracelets that needed to be restocked, especially in lapis blue. Audrey groaned. Great, the lapis blue bracelet, another thing that reminded her of the day the tactless wonder walked in.

No sooner had she jotted down numbers, a streak of light shone into the store, followed by Dominic himself. She groaned again, this time to herself. Wouldn’t he ever leave her alone? She’d never seen him before and now she couldn’t escape him.

Through gritted teeth she asked, “Can I help you?”

“I feel the need to apologize, again,” he said. “Err, repeatedly.”

“It’s not necessary,” she grumbled. “If we stay out of each other’s way then there won’t be a problem.” She’d have to find a new place to go for lunch, which sucked on many levels, or she’d always be looking for him.

“Listen.” He reached out to touch her arm and stopped before his fingers made contact. Curling them into a fist, he put his arm back down to his side. “I’m not in the habit of saying sorry, to anyone, but I can tell you don’t think much of me, and I’m to blame for that. I have a feeling you’re going to hold a grudge against me because of what I said about the pennies.”

Audrey shrugged. She was feeling very out of her comfort zone around him. Words escaped her.

He walked over to the penny display and turned it slow. “These really are something. It’s a clever idea.”

She folded her arms. “Don’t be condescending.”

“I’m not trying to be, I swear,” he said, leaning his god-like body against the counter. “Yesterday I only had one thing on my mind and that was getting the best gift I could for my niece. You can’t fault me for not knowing you made them. Hell, I didn’t even know your name.”

She opened her mouth to argue, but he made a good point. His comment about the pennies wasn’t even the issue anymore, and she knew it. She was angry for having made him out to be perfect at first glance and then felt betrayed by her own high expectations. It was easier to blame him than her lousy quick judgment.

“It doesn’t matter,” she said, looking past him.

“I can tell it matters.”

“I’ll get over it. I’m good at that.” Audrey could write a how-to book on the subject if she wanted.

Dominic straightened and took a step closer. “Can we consider starting over? I’d like another chance.”

If he knew how much he aroused her in that split-second with the way he moved and his words, he’d use that to his advantage.

She clicked her tongue. “I’m not interested.”

His jaw slackened. “Then you’ve already made your mind up about me.”

“I didn’t say that,” she said in a rush. “I just know myself,” she explained, feeling like an idiot. “Anything you say will of course sound better
now
, but it won’t erase what you said before. You could’ve knocked anything else in the entire store, but you ridiculed something dear to my heart. I said I’ll get over it, but it will take time. The hurt can’t be removed with smooth talk or a charming smile.”

His lips curled in a tantalizing way. “Do I have a charming smile?”

She paused. How had that slipped out? Blurting wasn’t her style. Flustered she looked around the store, trying to focus on something that would guide her. Nothing did. She’d been very close to having everything together in her life before Dominic. It made sense that things would be better if she stayed clear of him. Not knowing what else to say, she glanced at the clock. “Look, I have a ton of work to do. If you aren’t going to buy anything, then you should leave.”

“I’ll leave,” he said, his tone serious again. “I promise.”

The sooner the better, she thought.

“How about that drink later?”

Along with learning some tact, the guy needed to learn to take a hint. She shook her head. “I don’t drink.”

“Do you do dinner?”
A twitch of something, smugness?
crossed
his lips.

“I don’t close until seven,” she answered with a bitchier-than-planned tone. “I usually heat up something in the back around six and munch on it. Thanks anyway.” She wondered when he was going to leave.

“Dessert?
I’m a big fan of cake.”

Audrey thought back to the cheesecake at the café and her resolve weakened.
“Oh yeah?
What kind of cake?”

“Any kind, though I’m partial to white cake with butter cream frosting.”

She nodded. “Sounds good, but I’m a sucker for cheesecake.”

“Noted,” he said and pretended to take out a pad of paper and write it down.

Dessert conversation over, she returned to her frown. He’d almost made her forget to be irritated. “I can’t do anything with you tonight. I have plans,” she stated. “Thanks anyhow,” she added to be polite and turned her attention back to checking for items to restock. If she ignored him long enough, he might go.

A couple minutes later he still hadn’t left, and she had a notepad full of stick figures and doodles. With him around her mind turned to a big sloppy swamp of goo. She swung an aggravated gaze his direction and applied her fake but courteous tone. “Yes?”

“Are you sure you can’t find some time later?” He had a lunar calendar in his hand and flipped it to the back. “Wow, these are nice.”

She ignored his comment about the calendars, refusing to be baited into changing the subject, again. “Believe it or not, I made these plans a month ago.”

“Ah. In other words you have a date.”

“No.”

“Girl’s night out?”

“Wrong again.”

“So you’re going solo.” He said it like it was the worst thing in the world one could do.

“I’m going with my dog,” she said, and then chuckled. Even she couldn’t keep a straight face after saying something that dumb. “Yes, I’m going solo.”

“Hmm.”
He brushed his chin with his fingertips. “I could join you if you’d like.”

“Trust me. It’s not your thing.”

His eyes zeroed in on her and narrowed. “How do you know?”

“Just a hunch I have.”

“At least tell me what it is that you claim isn’t my thing.”

Great, she had to spell it out for him. “Ugh, fine. I’m going to the planetarium.”

“Cool.” He put the calendar back on the display rack and rested his hands on his hips.

Audrey walked behind the counter and straightened the jewelry boxes. Being near him did nothing for her resolve.

“Like I said, it’s not your thing.”

“Hey, I might not know about this new age stuff, but who isn’t fascinated by stars?” He came up to the counter to stand across from her.

“I’m not impressed by people who feign interest about things they’re clearly
not
interested in,” she pressed, hoping he’d get the hint.

He rested his arms on the counter and leaned in close. So close she caught a whiff of his cologne. Knees weak much? “Oh, I’m interested,” he relayed in a killer seductive tone.

Her body responded with a shiver. She felt her power of resistance wane. Audrey decided to give him another chance, and then decided she’d lost her mind.

“Fine.
I take the bus home and then drive over.” She opened the phone book in case he needed directions. “We can meet there if you’d like. It starts at eight.”

“We could do that,” Dominic replied. “Or I can pick you up. Save you the bus fare.”

“I have an annual pass,” she retorted.
Take that
.

He crossed his arms, lips pursed. “You’re good, did you know that?”

“At what?”

“Making excuses,” he replied. “You could turn the brush-off into an art form.”

She felt her face turn a couple shades of red. “I tell it like it is.”

“And then some,” he added. “Anyhow, I’d like to drive you there. I swear I’m a good guy and have a clean driving record. Maybe a few parking tickets and one for speeding, but those happened many years ago.”