Page 13 of Igniting Sparks

But it is the first time with Mina and that makes all the difference.

Mina. My friend’s best friend. Mina, my next-door work neighbor. Mina, the woman who shoots me a shy smile and flushes every time I grab a coffee.

“I’m so fucked,” I grumble, tossing the pencil down and yanking my hands through my hair.

A light knock at my door grabs my attention and I look up to see Mina peeking into my office. “Am I interrupting you?”

“No. Come in.”

She enters, wringing her hands as her gaze darts around the room. “Guess we need to talk, huh?”

Her entire being vibrates with nervous energy and for some reason, that knowledge calms me. Closing out my design app, I circle the desk and lean against it, crossing my arms over my chest. “You threw me back there.”

Her cheeks redden. “I’m sorry. I wasn’t thinking. Please don’t be angry with me.”

“Hey, I’m never angry with you, Mina, but a little heads up would have been nice. I thought you were kidding about your aunt’s stipulation with the studio.”

“I wish I was.”

“So, now what?”

Mina sucks in a deep breath, chewing her lower lip with her teeth.

I lean over and gently tug it free. “Breathe. No matter what, everything is going to be fine.”

I expect her to nod and laugh, alleviating some of the tension.

But her wide blue eyes fill with tears, which she quickly swipes away. “That’s just it, Braden. Everything isnotgoing to be okay. The only thing I’ve ever known is dancing. Since Iwas five, it’s been my entire life. I always thought I’d wind up on Broadway.”

“What happened?”

She tugs up her pant leg and points to a silvery scar running along her ankle. “I missed my landing and shattered my ankle. Killed my career before I even had one.”

“Fuck, I’m so sorry, sweets.”

I am, too. I know what it’s like to pour your heart and soul into something, only to have it snatched away at the nth hour.

Mina manages a tremulous smile. “Me too. I was washed up before I’d even begun, and after seventeen years of dancing as my singular focus, I had no idea what to do with my life. So, I hung up my dancing shoes and took a couple of years to figure it out.”

“That’s why you’re working at One More Page? I figured you were studying to be a librarian or something.”

“Always a possibility, I suppose.” Mina inches closer, her long fingers trailing along the edge of my desk. “Plus, I’m pretty fond of the owner.”

I chuckle. “Yeah, so is my brother.”

She screws up her face into a mock scowl. “He better stay that way, too. Or I’ll get him.”

Damn, but she is adorable. And her dedication to her craft, along with her sharp wit, is unexpected.

Granted, she’s rarely said more than a few words to me before this morning.

But if this is the real Mina? I could get used to this real quick.

What the hell are you thinking, man? She is too young, remember?

I huff out a breath, earning a look of surprise from my blonde visitor. “Sorry, I forgot to do something for my client.”

“I’ll get out of here, then.”