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As I headed for the shower, I couldn't help but wish I hadn't agreed to work today. The thought of spending the morningserving coffee to hungover patrons instead of staying in bed with Matt seemed like a particularly cruel twist of fate.

But maybe it was for the best. A little distance, a little time to think about what exactly I was getting myself into with a man who would be gone in fourteen days.

Two weeks wasn't long. But as I stepped under the hot spray of the shower, I couldn't help but wonder if it might be just long enough to break my heart all over again.

Chapter 5

Geri

The morning coffee rush at the Harborview was exactly as brutal as I'd expected. Hungover revellers stumbled in seeking caffeine salvation, bleary-eyed families with cranky children demanded pancakes, and the occasional bright-eyed morning person bounced in with entirely too much New Year's Day enthusiasm. By eleven, I'd been on my feet for four hours straight, and my lower back was starting to protest.

"Two more cappuccinos and an avocado toast for table seven," I called to James as I pushed through the swinging doors into the kitchen.

"Coming right up," he replied, not looking up from the grill where he was flipping a perfect row of hash browns. Despite being the sous chef, James had volunteered to help with the breakfast shift when our regular morning cook called in sick. That was James—always reliable, always there when you needed him.

I leaned against the counter for a moment, taking the brief respite to check my phone. No messages. No missed calls. No sign of Matt.

He'd said he would come by. He'd seemed sincere about it. But it was already past eleven, and the lunch crowd would startarriving soon. I tried to ignore the sinking feeling in my stomach. It wasn't like we had concrete plans. It wasn't like he owed me anything after one night.

One incredible night.

I shoved my phone back in my apron pocket and grabbed the fresh coffee pot. No time for disappointment when there were tables to serve.

By one-thirty, the rush had finally died down. I was wiping down tables when my phone buzzed in my pocket. I nearly dropped the spray bottle in my haste to check it.

Hey, it's Matt. Got your number from Anna. Sorry I wasn't able to make it down, something came up. I'll call you tonight.

I stared at the message, conflicting emotions washing over me. Relief that he'd reached out. Disappointment that he hadn't shown up. Annoyance that he hadn't bothered to text earlier. Hope that he still wanted to talk.

"Earth to Geri," James said, waving a hand in front of my face. "You planning on cleaning that table or just staring at it until the crumbs get scared and run away?"

I blinked, realizing I'd been standing frozen with the cloth in my hand. "Sorry. Just got a text."

"From tall, dark, and tattooed?" James asked, his eyebrows waggling suggestively. News travelled fast in our friend group, apparently.

"Maybe," I said, resuming my wiping with renewed vigour.

"Ooh, details please. Haley said he stayed over last night."

I shot him a look. "Don't you have some chef-ing to do?"

"Kitchen's clean, prep for dinner is done, and I'm officially off the clock until tonight," he said, dropping into a chair at the freshly cleaned table. "So spill."

I sighed, knowing he wouldn't let it go. "Yes, he stayed over. Yes, it was nice. No, I'm not giving you the play-by-play."

"Nice?" James repeated incredulously. "That's all I get? Nice?"

"What do you want me to say? That he rocked my world? That I'm already planning our wedding? He's shipping out in two weeks, James. It's not exactly the foundation for a lasting relationship."

James's expression softened. "Hey, not every connection has to be forever to be meaningful. Sometimes a good fling is exactly what you need."

"I know," I said, moving to the next table. "It's just... I don't know if I'm built for casual."

"Says the girl who just had a one-night stand with a guy she met yesterday."

I flicked the cloth at him, spraying him with a few drops of cleaner. "It wasn't a one-night stand. We didn't even... you know."

James's eyebrows shot up. "You didn't? Then what did you—actually, no, don't tell me. I'll just use my imagination."