Page 11 of Written in the Stars
ZANDER
Wow.
That’s the only word I can think of to describe the gorgeous angel who smiled back at me from the accessory store.
Granted, I didn’t plan on smiling when I first laid eyes on her. I actually had to slow down once my eyes locked with her because I couldn’t help myself. I have never seen someone as beautiful as her.
Not since Maddie, anyway.
But for the first time in three years, this mysterious woman has been the only one to make me smile; her beauty really took me by surprise.
I thought about going in and saying hello before heading to Supermart, but right before I could cross the street, she looked away. Maybe she regretted it, and I didn’t want to seem like a creep. So, I kept it moving and continued on my way to Supermart.
But something in the way she turned and looked the other way made it feel as though she knew me, recognized me. But she can’t possibly know me. I know I’ve never seen her before.
I shake my head and make my way back. I’m taking the long way just in case she’s there still. She appeared to be working there. There’s no way I could have seen her before. Surely I would remember someone like her. And I know the building pretty well since it’s right across the way from the retirement home where we’ve been on a few calls to put out accidental fires.
I head inside the firehouse, placing the bags of groceries on the counter. I find Matt, along with Sal and Vin, seated at the table. Lunch has already arrived as the two of them dig in, but Matt just eyes me with a shit-eating grin plastered on his face. I know exactly what he’s thinking.
Okay, so I took longer than expected, and I’m totally not surprised the food is already here since I was gone for forty-five minutes. Yeah, I kind of took my time at Supermart since I kept thinking about the mystery lady from the accessory store, and the fact that I purposely took the long way home didn’t help. But I couldn’t control my thoughts as I walked through the store.
“Fifteen minutes, huh?” he asks, still smiling like an asshole at me.
I chuckle to myself. “Shut up.”
He rises from his seat to come stand next to me as I put the groceries away. “Store must’ve been busy…”
I turn around, crumpling up the plastic bag and placing it inside the drawer where we keep all the bags in case we need them. “Sure…”
He punches me in the arm. “Aww, c’mon, man! I know something kept you! Did you really meet someone like I guessed?”
I snap my head around and look at him like he’s crazy because he clearly is. “What?! No, man. I did not meet anyone…”
Okay, so not a total lie. Technically, I didn’t meet anyone. I just happened to catch a glimpse of a beautiful woman. Totally not the same thing…
“So, what took you so long?” He punches my arm again.
I stifle a laugh. I’m not going to mention the mystery beauty I had the privilege of landing my eyes on, but I’m enjoying the fact that he’s going crazy, trying to figure out what took me so long. I’m actually getting a real kick out of it. It’s pretty hilarious to see him breaking his head over it.
I shrug. “It’s a nice day. I took the long way to the store and back, and I dawdled once I got there. That’s all.” I look over at him and he’s eyeing me sideways. Yeah, he’s not buying it, but I don’t care. I walk up to the table where Sal and Vin are finishing up their lunch, and once I take a seat, Matt walks over and sits down across from me. I can see it written all over his face that he’s not believing me for one bit, but before I can say a word, Sal and Vin wave and head out of the room.
Matt passes me my sandwich, but continues eyeing me sideways. As I grab it, he readjusts his head and begins unwrapping his own sandwich. Then he says, “Okay, now that Bert and Ernie are gone, you can tell me what really went down.”
He calls Sal and Vin Bert and Ernie because they’re always together, and rumor has it, they’re more than just roommates and work buddies. But no one knows the truth. Not like it matters, anyway. I couldn’t care less if they’re friends or something more. As long as they’re happy, that’s all that counts. Too bad not everyone thinks like that.
I take a bite of my Silver Special sandwich, and the flavor explodes in my mouth. It’s loaded with ham, cheese, chicken cutlet, lettuce, tomato, and the deli’s special homemade silver sauce. It’s my go to and one of their best sandwiches. “What are you talking about, bro?”
Matt swallows a mouthful of blue Gatorade. “Maybe you didn’t want to say anything because they were sitting right there but they’re gone now and you can tell me.”
I chuckle. “There’s nothing to tell, seriously.”
Lie.But now’s not the time.
He shakes his head. “No way, dude. You came back in here with a pep in your step, like you were on cloud nine or something. Something’s got you in a good mood, and I’m going to make it a personal mission of mine to find out what it is.” The smirk on his face right now is priceless.
Maybe I should just tell him I saw a beautiful girl and get it over with. But what good will that do? It’s not like I plan to go back in there and ask her out. I’ll probably never see her again. Even if she works there and I happen to be on that block every so often when we get a call from across the street at the elderly home, what are the odds she’ll be back in front of the window at the very moment I’m there? I guess maybe it’s possible. But then what? Like I said, it’s not as though I’m planning to go in there for any reason.
Maybe I’ll just tell him about it, but maybe not right now.
