Lara’s POV

I cover my mouth with my hands and stop the giggling. What was I thinking? He looks like he is in a good mood and now I have ruined it. He will be the death of me.

“Uh, I am sorry. It’s just you say ‘Mrs. Gunther’” I try to explain but he does not budge. “In friends, Gunther the coffee house guy…..”

“The guy with a funny looking blonde hair?” He gets me.

“Yes.” I got excited.

“Yeah, you’ll never get used to it.” He giggles.

I mirror his giggles.

“So, what are you submitting?” I ask him.

“I think a roasted chicken, what about you?”

“Maybe cupcakes.” I shrug.

“Cupcakes…..” He whispers most likely to himself.

“I am not good at cooking but I bake.”

“That explain the pizza.” He sarcastically teases me.

“That, my fridge was empty.” I giggle with him.

He cuts his own giggle and gets right back to the manuscript. I talk too much. Ugh, God. Send Help!

“So……” He puts his glasses on. “I think the first chapter needs a lot of editing, as I said on email a few weeks ago.”

I gulp.

He moves closer to me so we can see which parts to fix and I am beginning to think that this is actually going to be okay. I try not to look at his face because it is a total distraction.

His has to unbutton his jacket and I get a glimpse of his perfectly muscular body wrapped in a white shirt. I secretly shake my head and take my eyes back on the manuscript.

The rest of the editing was okay. No yelling, no bad words came out of his mouth. He was surprisingly patient with my slow brain cells. I will give him the update in two days and I say goodbye to him and wave Ryan goodbye on my way out.

*******

I look at the time on my phone and it’s five already. I put down my laptop and head to the store before dark. Thankfully, it takes only five minute drive from my house to the store. I stroll around and add some snacks and canned food to my cart.

Even though I hate being out in public, I can say that I love grocery shopping. It's like a retail therapy for me. Now, I need to get some yogurt so, I go to the diary section and open a giant chiller to get my favorite yogurt. It’s only one left on the display. I reach out for it but it’s gone before I could even touch it.

A black haired rude boy with a blue hoodie stole the yogurt from me right in front of my eyes and just walked out like a boss. Ugh, I wanted to snatch it back but I hate to make a scene. I can only look at the empty display and slowly close the chiller back.

“Excuse me!” A store guy comes up to me with a handful yogurts in his cart.

He neatly stocks the yogurt back on display and I can’t be more thankful to him. That little boy could steal the old displayed yogurt from me.

“Thank you.” I say to him and he returns my smile.

As I get in the line to check out, I see that boy again in another isle with a full cart. He loads them to be scanned and our eyes meet. His eyes are shining blue and his lashes are thicker than mine. He looks away to mind his business and I could only curse him in my mind. What a jerk!

“You’re new in here?” A lady at the register asks me.

“Yes. I just moved in yesterday.” I simply answer with a smile.

“You must be Lara. The girl who bought the Rogers’ house.” She blatantly spoils my identity. Wow.

“That’s me.” I awkwardly respond.

“I am Amy. I live just down the block.”

“Nice to meet you, Amy.”

Amy continues to overwhelm me with another information of the neighborhood. It’s not like I hate it, I just feel strange and awkward to meet a person for the first time and force to hear so many stories in one go. It’s just too much for me.

“I met them yesterday.” I respond to one of her question.

“So, you’ve met the Jacobsons then?”

Jacobson? Kyle’s family?

“Yeah, my pizza guy accidentally dropped my pizza at their door.”

“What do you think?” She raises her eyebrows with a conspicuous smile.

“About what?”

“About Kyle. He is hot, alright.” She stuns by my silence. “Oh, I mean Mr. Jacobson. You’ve met, right?”

“Yes. Yes. He’s the one who delivered the pizza to me.” I don’t know why I feel so annoyed.

“All the women in our neighborhood have a crush on him. Sometimes even flirt.” She giggles.

“Wow. Just don’t let his wife catch you.” I roll my eyes.

“Oh, it’s okay. Kyle’s a widow.”

He is a WHAT now?