Page 106 of The Match
“Good evening. How can I help you?” the sales assistant said.
“I’ll have all your remaining donuts with... Is that pistachio?”
“Yes. And before you say that no one likes it—”
“My girlfriend does.”
Her eyes lit up. “Oh, you’re dating Grace, right?”
“Exactly,” I said.
“I thought you looked familiar. She loves them. She was in here earlier today—twice, actually. She looked pretty down, too, so I’m sure these are going to cheer her up.”
Fucking hell. She’d already been here twice?
“Please add those cupcakes also.” I pointed behind her. One was pink, the other blue.
“On it.” She smiled. “You’re bringing out the big guns.”
Nah. These were far from being the big guns. They were just damage control.
As soon as I paid and she packed everything up, I headed to Grace’s building. I was about to buzz the intercom when I realized the door was open. The doorman signaled with his head that I could come in.
“Good evening.” He didn’t ask for my ID. Then again, I’d been here often over the past few weeks, so he knew who I was.
I went straight to the elevator but didn’t have any patience to actually wait for it, so I jogged up the stairs. Usually, when I encountered a difficult situation, I liked to prepare beforehand if possible. But right now, my mind was completely blank. The only thing I knew for certain was that I needed to see her and make things right.
Once I reached her door, I knocked, but nothing happened. I knocked again, louder. Was she not home? Maybe she’d forgotten the lights were on.
I rang the bell next, and then I finally heard footsteps. Grace opened the door a moment later.
“Hi, Zachary. Did you text that you were coming?”
She stood back and then swallowed hard. She was wearing a delicious nightgown—black silk that barely covered her pussy. Her nipples were peeking out.
Jesus, Zachary. Grovel first, seduce later.
“No.” I held up both bags. “I come with goodies.”
“Sure.”
She opened the door wider, and I stepped inside. As far as her enthusiasm at seeing me, I had hoped for much better. But then again, what did I expect?
“Listen. Tonight... Well, today, actually, when you texted,” I said, giving her the bag with the pistachio and chocolate donuts, “I didn’t realize what your messages meant.”
She opened the bag, then stopped in the act of reaching inside. “What do you mean?” She took out one donut and bit into it immediately. “Oh, I love these, though I already had a few today.”
I was wondering if she was talking about the donuts because she didn’t know what else to say.
“Grace...” I stepped closer, pushing a strand of hair behind her ear. A few stray ones caught at the edge of her mouth, which was now sticky from the sugar. I disentangled them slowly. “I didn’t realize you didn’t want to go out because of what went down with Gaston.”
She frowned, swallowing hard. “I’m not even sure what to say.”
“Let’s talk about it.”
The noise in the background was incessant. I kept looking over my shoulder. “What are you watching?”
She grinned sheepishly. “Yet another Hugh Grant rom-com.”
