Chapter 16
Lennox curled up in her wicker lounge chair, afternoon sunlight streaming through the glass storefront and warming her to the bone.
She squinted her peach blossom eyes contentedly, fingers unconsciously tapping the armrest as wind chimes occasionally tinkled in the breeze,
The door chimes rang again with a crisp “ding–a–ling.”
“Boss!”
Perfect England English floated in, the speaker’s gaze landing precisely on the lazy figure in the chair.
Lennox lifted her eyelids, saw it was a regular customer, and closed her eyes again.
“Oh, it’s you. Pick whatever you want to make today–materials are on the shelves.”
A month ago she’d moved to this seaside town, bought a small villa with a garden, and took over this corner shop to open a craft store.
Life moved at a lazy pace. The shop didn’t get many customers, so most days she just basked in the sun and daydreamed.
All those messy complications from the past six months had faded like fog blown away by sea breezes, gradually disappearing without a trace.
Until two weeks ago, when this man named Lucas pushed through her door and became a regular.
“Len, could you teach me to make ceramic cups today?”
Lucas settled familiarly on the wooden stool across from her, his gaze falling on her sun kissed profile. Long lashes, a delicate nose, even the little dimple at the corner of her mouth seemed touched with warmth.
Lennox hummed lazily: “The plates you made a few days ago are still in the kiln, Lucas. Your passion for ceramics is pretty persistent.”
“I’ve always been fascinated by handicrafts.” Lucas smiled honestly, his emerald eyes sparkling like scattered diamonds in the sunlight.
“Too bad after all these visits, I still can’t complete a single piece on my own.”
He looked down slightly, a hint of disappointment in his voice.
Lennox smiled to herself.
Back when she was learning pottery, how many clay forms had she ruined before getting the hang of it? If this man picked it up in just a few tries, all her years of practice would’ve been for nothing.
She sat up from the lounge chair, dusting off her hands: “Apron’s on the hook. Put it on and I’ll teach you.”
They moved to the work table. Lennox grabbed a piece of clay, her fingers deftly kneading and shaping as she demonstrated and explained:
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“Keep your palms steady, even pressure, thumb goes down from the center first… right, now slowly push outward…”
She was focused on teaching, and when she looked up to ask “got it?” she unexpectedly met a pair of starlit emerald eyes.
Lucas‘ pupils contracted sharply. Like he’d been burned, he looked away and fumbled for his own clay.
Unfortunately, he was all thumbs. The perfectly good clay turned into a shapeless mess under his clumsy handling.
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Watching his ears turn red, Lennox suddenly understood. She deliberately drew out her words: “Hey, I’m starting to think you coming here every day isn’t really about learning pottery, is it?”
15:20
A Billion Dollar Goodbye: Too Late for Second Chances, Mr. Ex
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Chapter 16
She paused, watching Lucas‘ body go rigid, then added mischievously: “You don’t… like me, do you?”
The clay in Lucas‘ hands dropped onto the wheel with a “plop.” His face went from ear–tip to hairline red at visible speed, his heart hammering like drums, fingertips trembling.
Sunlight streamed through the windows, weaving a fuzzy golden halo between them.
Seeing him frozen for so long, Lennox’s heart skipped.
Had she actually hit the mark? Just as she was about to smooth things over, Lucas suddenly looked up, her reflection clear and bright in his emerald pupils.
She felt a flutter of panic, instinctively blinking as even her ears grew warm.
Those eyes were too intense, like deep sea whirlpools that made you want to drown.
“I…”
“L…”
They spoke at the same time, then both stopped. Something indefinably intimate hung in the air.
“Maybe…” Lennox blinked rapidly, breaking the silence first, “you go ahead?”
Lucas took a deep breath, his Adam’s apple bobbing as he prepared to voice the words he’d been hiding for so long.
“I like-”
“Ding–a–ling-”
The door chimes suddenly rang as someone crashed through, the crisp sound shattering the atmosphere.
Lennox’s heart dropped back into place with a “thud.” The tension from moments before still hadn’t faded as she hurriedly looked away, turning toward the door with her habitual welcoming smile:
“Welcome to-”
The words stuck in her throat.
The man standing in the doorway wore a wrinkled suit, dark circles under his eyes, but those eyes were locked onto her with frightening intensity.
Lennox felt like all the blood in her body had frozen at once. She could only hear her own heartbeat.
It was Hayes.
“Len.” Hayes spoke, his voice slightly hoarse. “I finally found you.”
