Page 85 of She’ll Steal Your Heart
“I sure do.”
Lauren worked side by side with Mia in the kitchen as they rolled out the dough and pressed it into a pie pan, kissing and dotting each other with flour as they worked. While the dough baked, they made the chocolate cream filling, which they poured into the crust and then placed it in the fridge to set.
“It needs to chill at least four hours, so I’ll have to stop back here for it after we finish volunteering, but we’ll need to get changed before we go to my dad’s anyway.”
They got in the shower together, which was highly distracting since Lauren was much more interested in the way the water splashed over Mia’s body than in getting clean. But she managed, and they both dressed in jeans and casual shirts to go to the shelter. But first, they stopped downstairs to feed and care for the foster cats since the café was closed today.
They spent the next three hours at the shelter prepping massive amounts of food. Lauren baked rolls while Mia peeled and chopped potatoes, and they finished out their shift serving plates of food to a steady stream of people who’d come in for a hot meal. That was always Lauren’s favorite part, and she left the shelter feeling tired but satisfied.
“Damn, I’m starving already,” she commented as they boarded the subway.
“Tell me about it,” Mia said. “We missed lunch, and being around all that food was just a tease.”
“Something tells me your dad’s about to make up for that,” Lauren said as a hint of her earlier nervousness crept back in. She was about to meet Mia’s father. She’d never played “meet the parents” before, nor did she have any context for a happy family Thanksgiving. Logically, she knew it was going to be great, but it didn’t stop her from feeling out of place.
“Big time,” Mia confirmed.
After a quick stop at Mia’s apartment to change and pick up the pie, they were on their way to Mia’s dad’s house. Lauren tried not to fidget as they exited the subway at his stop, but she knew Mia could tell she was nervous. She reached over and took Lauren’s hand, giving her a reassuring smile.
“Will you stay with me again tonight?” she asked.
“Oh, um, yeah I can, but I have to be up early to work at the market.”
“That’s fine. I’m opening the café tomorrow too.”
They smiled at each other, and Lauren’s chest loosened. This was going to be okay. She blew out a breath. It would take time for her to stop feeling like the other shoe was about to drop. She’d spent her entire life searching for the kind of stability she’d found in the last few months. Ironically, she’d had to hit rock bottom to get here.
Mia pointed out a brown-paneled row house ahead, and Lauren tensed again as nerves burst to life in her stomach. Mia gave her hand a squeeze before leading the way up the front steps, balancing the pie in her free hand. Before she’d even had a chance to knock, the door swung open to reveal a smiling, gray-haired man wearing a red apron.
“You must be Lauren,” he said, extending his arms for a hug. “I’m Mia’s father, Francisco, and I am so pleased to meet you.”
24
As she headed down to open the café, Mia was glad Black Friday was just another Friday for her. Lauren had left an hour ago to stock the shelves at the market, expecting an influx of customers looking for deals, but people didn’t tend to bargain shop at a cat café.
A dull headache had wrapped itself around Mia’s temples, the result of too much wine yesterday and not enough sleep, thanks to the woman in her bed. Now that they’d started, they couldn’t seem to keep their hands off each other.
But Mia was dragging this morning. She was grumpy and frustrated as she cleaned up after the cats and prepared their breakfast. It wasn’t the early hour or the prospect of a long day ahead that had her holding in a sigh as one of the cats stepped on the plate and tracked wet food across the floor with his dirty paw.
As a lawyer, she’d gotten up earlier than this too many times to count, eager to get a head start at the office, never tiring as she poured over briefs and depositions or prepared for a long day in court. She’d worked twelve-hour days with hardly a break and loved every moment.
Sweeping cat litter off the floor didn’t provide the same thrill. Now that she’d acknowledged how much she missed practicing law, it felt like a persistent itch between her shoulder blades, out of reach but annoying enough that she couldn’t quite forget it was there.
What could she do about it, though? She’d invested her savings and almost a year of her life into this café. She couldn’t just abandon it. That wasn’t her style. And she did love the café. She loved helping these cats get adopted and being home in time to spend lazy evenings with Lauren. But the days were starting to feel monotonous. Boring.
She let out a groan as she put the broom back into the closet. Twelve hours later, as she closed up for the night, she was still groaning. Lauren had texted earlier that she was going to her apartment for the evening to work on edits for her book and then calling it an early night. Mia went upstairs, changed into workout gear, and headed to the gym.
She did some strength training and sweated out a few miles on the treadmill before pulling on her jacket and heading out. She stopped to pick up a sandwich for dinner on the way home. As she approached her building, she noticed an Office Space Available sign in the window of the law practice next door.
Huh. She paused, staring at the sign. Would she be getting new neighbors? She felt a stab of jealousy toward the lawyers who worked inside, doing what she loved while she served coffee and scooped litter boxes next door. And then…an idea sparked. Maybe there was a way to have her cake and eat it too, so to speak.
It was something to think about, at least. Her mind was spinning with possibilities as she unlocked the door to her building and let herself inside. Upstairs, she ate her sandwich and sat down with her laptop to research a few things. And then, feeling tentatively hopeful, she showered and went to bed.
The weekend was a busy one, with Mia filling in for Jordy, who’d gone out of town for the holiday. Lauren worked both days at the market, and although they had dinner together on Saturday, that was the only time they saw each other. On Monday morning, Mia was at the café early again, but today, Lauren would be working here with her, and Mia was surprised how impatient she was to see her after spending most of the weekend apart.
“Hey,” Lauren said as she came into Mia’s office, bag slung over her shoulder.
“Morning.” Mia felt herself smiling. “Did you get a lot of edits done this weekend?”
