No Expectations

Chapter Five

Emilia

Rain usually put a damper on the whole dog-walking thing. My schedule always got completely out of wack. Dane and I would sit in the living room with the curtains open, so I could glance outside every half hour. If the sky was clear around one of my walking cycles, I'd rush to put Dane on a leash then get to the next dog on my list. Sometimes I'd even get emergency texts from people who simply didn't want to go out in the rain.

I understood why. Dogs were picky about where they did their business. Humans aren't much different. It can get frustrating to force a dog onto the wet grass where they're too prissy to get their paws wet. They'll stand there, glaring, until I finally give up and bring them back inside. Then they'll have the audacity to cry for a walk a few minutes later. I hated rainy days, and it went on like this all week.

Day four of horrible rain, and my phone chimed in my hand. Assuming it was another customer either canceling or adding onto my workload, I opened it. As the name Tony popped up, I groaned, not wanting to rehash anything.

Hey, Mia, how are you? I just got back into town Monday, and I'll be staying through the break. I don't like how we ended things, and I'd really like to see you and talk. Text or call me when you get a chance. Hope your semester went well. Later.

I frowned as I read it over three more times before throwing the phone onto the chair away from me. Dane curled at my feet, taking up a little more than half the couch. He let out a weighted sigh. I scratched his ears. "Me too, buddy."

Thinking about Tony put me in a terrible mood. We hadn't spoken in months. Not since he admitted to cheating on me his first week away at school. Four years of commitment wasted. Apparently, a week was just way too long to go without busting a nut in some random girl from his dorm. The idea of meeting up with him or having him touch me again made me shudder, not in a good way.

Now that he had successfully pissed me off again, I needed to do something active. Burn off some steam, and sitting around the apartment wasn't solving anything. Dexter was next on my afternoon walk list, so the timing was ideal. Alright, maybe a little too ideal since I wanted to match as close to my usual time as possible and get my chance to see Stephen again.

Our first conversation sparked a deeper interest in his gorgeous mind. I imagined the way his voice would sound for so long, and when I finally heard it, I almost fainted. The way he looked at me last night sent shivers down my spine. I needed to see him again. Hear him say my name... Nobody called me Emilia, and it sounded so good coming from his luscious lips.

Newfound energy surged through me as I jumped from the couch. Dane's ears perked up. He dashed to the door. Sorry, pup, not this time. Four walks were enough, for now.

Glancing out the window, the rain had let up a bit, and the sun was even beginning to peek out. Excellent timing. I rushed down the hall and onto the elevator. I checked my watch, making sure the time was right. As the elevator doors opened, my breath caught because he was standing right in front of me.

He looked up, saw me, and smiled. Oh, my god. Those soft blue eyes stared right into mine, gluing me to my spot. His perfect full lips curled into a friendly smile made my heart stutter. He styled his hair and wore that suit like destiny had draped it across his tall muscular body.

"Hello, Emilia." Ah, the way he said my name made me want to melt away. I stepped off the elevator, and he stayed on the floor with me, letting the elevator go down without him. "I was afraid I wasn't gonna get to see you today."

My eyes widened as this dopey grin spread across my face. He wanted to see me. The man from all my dreams and secret fantasies. I cleared my throat, trying to push the butterflies away. "Why would you say that? I'm right on time." I flashed him my watch.