(Chapter 6 continued)
Robert smiled at her as he went to grab a pastry. “Congratulations. You survived meeting my mother. And you must have made an impression on her. She usually lingers, just to make my companion nervous.”
Elaina smiled faintly, dipping a silver spoon into the parfait glass she had claimed. “You said she’s unpredictable.”
“I did,” he acknowledged, “but this is the first time she’s only stayed for a few minutes. The first time in eight years.”
Elaina shrugged. “Maybe she’s keeping things interesting for herself.”
Robert offered her a faint smile as they finished their breakfast. Unlike the evening before, he was quite taciturn, seemingly lost in his thoughts. Elaina couldn’t help but wonder if Robert himself was going to be as hard a nut to crack as his mother.
Library job, she told herself. Library job.
She glanced up at Robert, who has making swirls in his granola and yogurt.
And maybe a new friend or two, she added.
“So, tell me,” Robert said as they wandered out of the dining room, “what does my new companion enjoy doing?”
Elaina laughed. “You remember the book I had last night?”
He grinned, whatever tension had been preoccupying him during breakfast melting away. His nose might be a little big and his hair a bit too shaggy, but he wasn’t hard on the eyes and his grin gave him a bit of a roguish air.
“If what Nigel told me is true, then you found your book to be of more interest than me.”
“No offense, but, after breaking up with Bradley, I’m kind of done with the rich and powerful.”
He nodded. “Of course. I understand. And I can’t tell you how grateful I am that you accepted my proposition. Let me make it known that my goal is for you to be as comfortable here as possible.” He gently took her hand, and she was surprised it wasn’t lily soft. “We’ll start the house tour in the library. I think you might find it satisfactory. ”
She smiled as she let him lead her down the hall, thoughts of soft pages and colorful covers filling her mind.
The Lily Cafe 