Falling For Frankie (Cali/New York Men Series) Book 2

Chapter 3 - Ava

The cool air refreshes my lungs as I run.

I always forget how beautiful the early morning is in New York.

By the time I get to my favourite bakery, I'm a sweaty mess.  I line up and scope out the glass cabinet filled with my favourite cinnamon rolls. Eight weeks is a long time to go without Karen's famous cinnamon rolls; people line up from the second they open to get some, hence why I'm here at six in the freaking morning.

The line goes fast, and before I know it, only three people are ahead of me. I pop my air pods out of my ears and into my pocket when a voice startles me.

"I thought that was you." A male voice says from behind me. I jump from where I'm standing and drop my phone.

"Shit, sorry." He says. I grab it from the floor simultaneously as another hand reaches for it. Looking up, I see a pair of familiar ocean-blue eyes.

"You." I groan.

"Frankie." He says as we stand, and he passes me my phone. I inspect it thoroughly, no damage. Lucky bastard.

"I recall," I say dryly.

"I see I've made an impression." He smiles, and a dimple appears on his left cheek.

God dammit, I forgot how sexy he was. I stare at his mouth before I hear him laugh and furrow my brow.

"If you call annoying me an impression, then yes, Frankie Boy, you made one hell of an impression." I roll my eyes and turn back towards the front of the queue.

"You know charming is usually the adjective I receive." I turn back, and he smirks, looking me up and down.
He's still hot as fuck. Just the way I remember. The whole Chase Crawford thing he has going on is killing my mood. The scratchy beard and chestnut brown hair, Why couldn't he be ugly, for fuck sake.

"Oh, you know what adjective means? Good boy. I'll be sure to get you a golden sticker." His cheeky stare is met with my hardened one as I turn away again.

"Look, Ava." My body responds to the sound of my name as he says it.

"I think we got off on the wrong foot. I want to make it up to you." I glance at him over my shoulder and move to second place in the line.

"And how would you think you'd do that? Tickets to a hockey game wearing your jersey so you can ogle me. Pass." I scoff, but I hear him laugh.

"You stalking me, darlin?" Again, there is that word that lights my insides on fire.

"No. Conceited much. Ellie mentioned you and what you, unfortunately, do for work."

"Unfortunately? You are not a Hockey fan; I take it."

"Nope."

"Well, that's a damn shame, darlin', because you're right about something. You wearing my jersey would be a hell of a site to see."
His eyes do that thing where they darken, and I feel something tingle within me. I crush that feeling and shove it away. This is not a man I want to get involved with. No matter how fucking hot he is.

"Smooth. Does that line ever work for you?"  He swipes at his plump lip with his thumb, and I look away, focusing on the cinnamon rolls just a step ahead of me.

"Doesn't seem like it; maybe I should start with something mundane like what do you do for work?"

"Next", The lady at the register calls out, and I step forward, ignoring him.

"Hi, what can I get you?" "Four cinnamon rolls, please," I reply with a smile.

"Ah, so she does smile." His voice is so close to my ear that I momentarily close my eyes at the sound.

"Listen, Frankie boy, I appreciate the chit-chat." The lady hands me my bag, and I give her cash as I turn around to face him. 
That was a mistake because now we were chest to chest, and his mouth hovered so close to mine that I almost darted my tongue out to taste it. 
"- But I came here for what I needed, now I'm going to go. Great seeing you. Let's not do it again."

I salute him like a soldier and walk past the crowd out the door. I think I'm finally in the clear as I walk silently for a few minutes when suddenly footsteps mimic mine, and the smell of peppermint hits my nose.

"So, you never did answer my question," Frankie says as he walks in step with me.

"Has anyone ever told you that you're incredibly annoying?" I stop and face him.

"I'd like to believe I'm persistent." He replies as he bounces on his heels.

"A persistent pain in the ass," I whisper to myself.

"What was that?" He asks as he tilts his head to the side.

"What question are you talking about, Frankie?" I rub my hand over my forehead, trying not to get irrationally angry at the guy.

"What you do for work, you seem to know more about me than I know you, and that seems unreasonably unfair." Frankie's tongue peeks out to wet his top lip, and I find my eyes following the movement.

"I work in administration for a sporting club," I tell him, not wanting to divulge that I indeed work for a Hockey team, and I made fun of him for playing for one.

"In California?"

I raise my eyebrows. "Who's the stalker now?"

"Ellie mentioned it."
He holds a hand up in defence and sips on whatever peppermint concoction is in his cup.

"I'm sure she did." I roll my eyes for the millionth time at him, but I wonder if he is asking about me.

"Yes, in California."

"Lucky me, that's where I play."

"I'm well aware; I got the play-by-play from Ellie just like you did."

"So, we both live in California, but we somehow keep running into each other here..." I can't tell if he's talking to me or himself, so I keep walking. "So, Admin, huh? You like it?"

"Are we really going to do this?" I stop and face him.

"What would 'this' be?" Frankie asks as he stops with me.

"The whole getting-to-know-you thing, just because we are friends with Ellie doesn't mean we have to do this." I signal my hand back and forth between us.

"You're not a people person; I take it."

"I'm not a man person," I reply more forcefully than I intended.

"Oh. Shit. You're a lesbian, I'm sorry. I didn't realise-"
"What? I'm not a lesbian!" I yell a little too loudly in a public street. "Not that anything is wrong with that, but I, unfortunately, like men." I whisper sharply.

"But you just said you are not a man person?" He genuinely looks confused, and my tension lessons as I stare at him. Men are like children.

"I can't be fucked with men, yes. But I do fuck them."  His eyebrows raise, but then he does that Frankie thing I'm beginning to notice, and he smirks again.

"Good to know." He smiles as he sips his drink. We walk a few more blocks in silence, and I wrack my brain trying to figure out how I ended up next to Frankie Kincaid for the last hour when all I went out for was Cinnamon rolls.

His phone brings me out of thought, and I listen to him speak to someone on the other end and then he hangs up the call and sticks his hand up for a taxi. I stop with him, and he steps towards me.

I clutch the bag of deliciousness in my hands like a lifesaver.

He stares at me again, and I watch his eyes dance over my face until the taxi pulls behind him. "Thanks for the chat Ava; I'm sure I'll see you around real soon." He leans in, and for a second, I think he will kiss my cheek, but his lips graze my ear instead.

"Enjoy those Cinnamon rolls; they look delectable." His voice is gravel against my skin, his breath hot.

My body responds faster than I'd care to admit, and I feel the loss of his body as soon as he pulls away. Leaving me staring at the back of the moving taxi.