Waffles & Weddings (Cupid's Cafe Where love is on the menu Book 1) Read online

  Chase stopped talking and looked at her quietly for a moment. He seemed to be inspecting her. Sophie fought the urge to ask if she had something in her teeth.

  After a moment, Chase said, “I know someone who might be interested in hiring you. It might not be acting, but your skills might be a fit for what they are looking for, and it pays well.”

  Sophie marveled at the idea of Chase knowing someone who could possibly offer her a job. Going from abandoned and homeless to an offer of a furnished apartment and a job seemed too good to be true.

  “Do you happen to have eight tiny reindeer?” Sophie asked.

  Chase blinked several times and then said, “Huh?”

  Sophie flicked her hand dismissively, “Sorry. That was my sad attempt at humor. I just can’t believe that Katy introduced me to the person that could solve two of my major problems.”

  Chase laughed. “Well, I’m not exactly Santa Clause, but Katy does have a reputation of getting involved in people’s lives.” He glanced at his watch. “It’s getting late. I’ve got to get over to one of my buildings and talk to the maintenance guy. You want to come along and look at the studio?”

  Sophie hesitated. It was one thing to sit and think about moving back to California, but it was entirely another to take another step forward. She didn’t want to make a decision at this point in time or waste Chase’s time showing her an apartment she wouldn’t be able to commit to today.

  “Oh, I don’t know…” Sophie began and saw Chase’s smile disappear. It was like the sun going behind a cloud. She suddenly felt cold. “I mean, uh, sure, why not.”

  Chase’s smile returned, and Sophie’s lip curved in automatic response.

  During lunch, Katy had been up and down, attending to the needs of her restaurant and bringing out the food, but had just returned to the patio.

  Sophie looked at her and said, “Is it okay if I leave my things here, Katy?”

  “Sure thing, Sophie. I’ll put them in my office. You can come back and get them when you’re ready. Go ahead now and have a fun afternoon. Chase will take good care of you,” she said with a wink at Chase.

  “There’s no need Katy. Sophie, why not take your things with you? My car’s right out on the street. You can put your things in the car, and if you decide to take the apartment, you can put them inside,” Chase said.

  “That’s a wonderful idea. Chase you help Sophie with her things and let me know if you need anything else from me,” Katy said, heading back inside.

  Sophie felt trapped. Katy had backed her into a corner. Making a fuss about not taking her things now would appear rude. Logically, she knew that taking her stuff didn’t obligate her to take the apartment, but it was just one more step towards something she wasn’t sure if she wanted yet. Resigned, she began to gather her things.

  “Here, let me take that,” Chase said, reaching for the garment bag.

  “No,” she said, “it’s okay, I can manage.” Sophie had put the bag over her arm and was just tilting the carry-on to roll it when he pulled the bag away from her. In the process, the zipper got caught on her bracelet, unzipping the bag and revealing the white satin dress inside. She gasped, fearful that the dress would come out, and to her horror, it did. Frothy white material spilled to the ground, landing at her feet.

  “I’m sorry,” Chase exclaimed. “Let me get that,” he said and bent over to pick up the bag at the same time she did. Their heads met with a solid thunk.

  “Ouch!” she said, raising her hand to her head. She rubbed her hand over the tender spot and then looked up. Chase was holding the dress up, staring at it.

  “Isn’t this a wedding gown?” he asked, looking puzzled.

  Sophie had had enough of being embarrassed. She grabbed the dress from his hands and stuffed it back in the garment bag. “Yes,” she said without looking at Chase.

  Chase felt his stomach drop to his toes. He’d spent the entire lunch absolutely enthralled with the beautiful woman in front of him. He desperately wanted to rent her the apartment so that he would have an excuse to see her. A wedding dress meant that he didn’t have any hope of ever dating Sophie.

  He glanced at her ring finger. No ring. Maybe there was hope for him.

  “It’s beautiful. Was it for one of your shoots?” Chase asked, hopefully.

  “No, it’s . . . just forget it,” Sophie said, zipping up the bag. “Let’s get going.”

  Chase took a deep breath, not sure what to make of her answer. There was a story behind the dress, but one that she didn’t want to share. She held the bag so tightly that her knuckles were turning white. Chase didn’t want her upset. So, he let it go.

  “Sure, the car’s this way,” he said.

  He went to open the patio door for her and saw that she was standing completely still clutching the garment bag. Chase decided it was best to let her carry the bag with the dress and moved to get her other bag. He held the door open for her, but she still hadn’t moved. Her eyes looked as big as saucers.

  There was definitely a story there. “Come on, the car’s on the street, to the right of the Cupid’s front door.”

  Sophie shook herself and started toward him. Chase followed her through the café and out the front door.

  Chapter 8

  “Now, that’s a car!” Sophie said, pausing for a moment to look at the car.

  Distracted, Chase nearly bumped into her. “Oops, sorry! Yes, it is, isn’t it? It’s a Porsche Panamera 4. I decided to splurge on a sports car, and traded in my Mini Cooper.”

  “This is a far cry from a Mini Cooper,” Sophie said, wondering if she could afford even a taillight of a car like this.

  “Actually, there’s less cargo room, but it’s fun to drive,” he said, grinning.

  The boyish grin that lit his face made Sophie smile. Young or old, all boys loved to drive shiny, red cars. The fact that it was completely impractical meant nothing.

  Chase situated Sophie’s luggage in the car and then went around to open the passenger door for her.

  A gentleman. I’d almost forgotten they existed. Rob had continually praised Sophie for being a strong independent woman, and that was true, but it wouldn’t have killed him to open a door or two for her.

  Chase waited until she was seated, closed the door for her slowly, until it latched with a solid click, and then went around the back of the car to the driver’s side.

  “It won’t take long to get there,” he said, starting the car with a subdued snarl, which reduced to a purr, and pulled out of the parking spot.

  “Oh, no need to hurry on my part,” she blurted without thinking, “I’ve got all day!” Then, she laughed, realizing that he probably had better things to do than entertain her all day long.

  An awkward silence fell, and Sophie wished she had kept her mouth shut. It didn’t last long, though. Within minutes, Chase pulled up to the curb in front of a small apartment building with a garage underneath.

  “My buildings aren’t too large,” he said, “and the apartments aren't fancy. Just basic living units. Most people wanting to live this close to the U don’t spend much time at home. My office is in the other building. There’s parking below, but it’s limited to the one bedroom units. You’d have to park on the street or find a nearby lot. I think I can help you with the latter. But let’s get you a look at the place first. You might not like it.” He smiled at her.

  It wasn’t about liking or not liking the apartment. Sophie just wasn’t sure if she wanted to remain in California or go back to New York.

  “I’m sure it’s lovely. There’s just a lot going on in my life right now. But let’s go see if. Do you have a key?” she asked.

  “Got it in my pocket. Let’s go in.”

  He quickly got out and came around to open her door. They crossed the street and went inside through the plain entryway. Chase unlocked the front door into a small foyer, then unlocked an inner door to a long hallway with a staircase to the left.

  “Good security, two locked doo
rs,” he said. “There’s no buzzer to let someone in. You have to come out to open the doors. Harder getting in and out with a load of groceries but safer.”

  “Seems good to me,” Sophie replied. “I lived in New York for a year, in a 4th-floor walk-up, with buzzers on the entry. Anybody could get in that way. I never felt totally secure.”

  “Well, hopefully, this will be a good selling point for my place,” he said, smiling at her as he held the second door open.

  She moved aside and waited until he had let the door close and lock itself, assuming they were going upstairs. He stepped past her and went down the hall.

  “The vacant unit is on the first level, so you won’t have to worry about climbing any stairs,” he said, smiling at her look of relief. At the second door on the right, he stopped and inserted a key, opening the door into a sunlit room.

  Chase stepped aside and motioned for Sophie to step in. Straight ahead at about waist level she saw a sliding glass window eight feet wide and three high, a center divided pull drape covering the entire opening, like a hotel window. The drapery was open with bright, afternoon sun filling the room. She turned to her left and saw a small open door leading to a tiny bathroom. On each side of her, the bath wall on the left and a half wall on the right formed a short hallway into the one open room.

  She stepped forward and rounded the corner to her right. Behind the shelf topped half-wall was a tiny kitchen with a four burner stove, refrigerator, a one bay sink, and a small counter space. There was no bed in the large room, but a dark gray two cushion love seat sat against the light tangerine painted wall to her left.

  A light blue upholstered rocker was placed under and to the left of the window and a brass pole lamp stood in the corner between the two seats. The other three walls were painted an off-white. Tastefully framed pictures and paintings were hung above the sofa and on the walls to the left and right of the window.

  She spun slowly around in the center of the room, taking it all in. Standing against the short wall, under and to the right of the window, was a narrow drop-leaf table with its leaves down. There were western and southwestern accents scattered on the walls and a small end table between the sofa and chair.

  “Oh my, it’s perfect!” she exclaimed. “But where’s the bed?” She went over to the love seat and lifted a cushion, displacing one of the four small, brightly colored throw pillows accenting the sofa. “This doesn’t look like it pulls out,” she said, dropping the cushion back in place and turning to Chase.

  “Oh, it doesn’t,” he said, and smiled. “That’s a neat surprise. Have you ever seen a Murphy bed?”

  “No, I don’t think so, at least not a real one. Where is it? In the ceiling?”

  “Nope. But first, here’s something you’re probably going to like,” he told her, moving to the wall on the bathroom side of the room.

  She hadn’t noticed the two beige sliding doors on that side. He slid one open, revealing a narrow six-foot long closet with a clothes bar at the top. “Perfect place to hang your dress and all your other clothes,” he said, gesturing at the closet.

  Sophie colored again at the reminder of the dress that she wanted desperately for him to forget. “Uh, sure, lots of room in there,” she said, quickly turning and striding into the kitchen to cover her embarrassment. She opened and closed the oven and the refrigerator. Sophie turned her attention to the kitchen sink and played with the faucet as though she was keenly interested in how it functioned.

  Sensing he had said something wrong, Chase turned away from Sophie, and, to cover his own discomfort, he threw open the oak doors to the cabinet on the other side of the room from the sofa. “Ta-dah!” he said, louder than he intended.

  Sophie turned to look and saw a standard, double-bed platform nestled against the wall inside the revealed closet. She’d never seen one before and wasn’t sure what his revelation was about. Two bookshelves stood to the left and right of the bottom of the bed platform.

  “Wha . . .” she started to ask.

  “The bed!” he said proudly. “It’s right here, against the wall, out of the way. Gives you more space! I designed this myself and had it built. I’ve been selling the concept online, and it really took off.”

  “Really? It’s amazing, and you designed it yourself?” she asked.

  “It’s what paid for the Porsche,” he said. “Here, let me show you.”

  With that he pulled on a recessed brass handle that hinged out near the top of the finished bed panel, and guided the completely made bed down from the wall, forgetting to move the blue rocker first.

  As the bed came down, Chase stepped to his left, out of the way, trying to lower it to the floor, but the chair caught him in the back of his knees, and he fell in a seated position, crosswise toward the chair arms. His free left arm flailed for purchase on the chair back and overturned the lamp, which thumped on the carpet behind the end table.

  He sat there for a second, looking completely startled, but unhurt. Sophie ran to help him and ended up tripping, falling into the chair, and across his body.

  Chase felt the impact as Sophie fell on top of him. He twisted and looked directly into her eyes. Her green eyes widened, staring at him with surprise. He held her gaze, unable to look away. His pulse sped up, and he knew his life would never be the same again. This beautiful woman had completely bewitched him. She’s close enough to kiss. He sucked in a breath and held it. He shouldn’t be thinking about kissing her. They had just met, but he couldn’t help it. Chase wanted to learn everything about her and be the one she kissed goodnight at the end of each day.

  Chase closed his eyes to clear his head. He was getting too serious, too fast. The lack of eye contact spurred Sophie into motion.

  “I’m so sorry!” She scrambled to get up and ended up sliding off the chair, onto the floor.

  “Are you okay?” he asked, looking over the chair’s edge down at her.

  “I’m fine. I fell on top of you. I should be asking you if you’re okay.”

  He hadn’t minded at all, but he wasn’t going to admit that to her. “You’re the one on the floor,” Chase retorted with a grin.

  Sitting on the floor, at his feet, Sophie began to laugh. It was the first time in two days that she had laughed, or felt any relief from the troubling cloud that had been over her head since yesterday afternoon. She found that she couldn’t stop laughing, and suddenly knew she was going to be all right. Somehow, she knew that Chase was meant to help her through this horrible moment in her life. It might be weak of her to rely on another person, but the sound of Chase’s laughter joining with hers warmed Sophie’s heart. She wasn’t about to let that feeling go.

  “I’ll take it!” she said.

  Chapter 9

  Chase had extricated himself from the chair, helped Sophie to her feet, and told her to look around for a few minutes while he went out to the car to retrieve her things. He waved off her protests and went out, promising to be right back. Soon, he unlocked the front door and came back in, towing her carry-on and carrying the garment bag.

  "I'll just put this here," he said reaching into the closet and hanging the bag over the closet rod.

  She took the carry-on and rolled it over beside the bed, where she had discovered dresser drawers cleverly concealed by doors under the bookcases. She was putting the case on the bed as Chase let her know that he would be back soon with the lease for her to sign.

  She smiled, telling him she would see him when he got back. He took the two keys off his key ring and handed them to her. Telling her to make herself at home, he went out. Sophie began to unpack, humming softly to herself.

  Chase made his way to his car. As he slid into the plush leather, he chastised himself. I must be crazy! I've just rented a $2,000 studio apartment at a discount to a woman I've never met before, given her the key, and didn’t ask for a deposit! Chase scrubbed his hands across his face. He would have to tell the guy he was planning to show it to today that he’d rented it already.

&nb
sp; He was a sensible person, yet seconds after meeting Sophie he was more than willing to take a risk just to be able to possibly be near her.

  ……

  Chase walked into his other building a few minutes later after speaking to the maintenance man about purchasing a new electric hedge trimmer. He turned the key and entered the dark, empty office. His property manager and longtime friend, Darron, didn't work Sundays. So, he would have to collect all the appropriate paperwork and lease agreement for Sophie. It was fine. The quiet room gave him the opportunity to reflect on his recent past.

  In the last year, Chase had made a lot of money from several of his design ideas. Of course, between overseeing Darron and the apartments, building the online website, and his actual job, Chase was completely wiped out. He might have a decent amount of money in the bank, but he had no life outside work and absolutely no love life.

  Sophie’s image came to his mind. Maybe it was time to stop working so hard and focus on getting a life. Chase thought that spending some time getting to know Sophie would be the perfect reward for all his hard work.

  His mind drifted to Katy. She was a sly one. He’d heard the rumor that great waffles weren’t the only thing on the menu at Cupid’s Café. Katy Cupid was Berkeley unofficial matchmaker and one that seemed to just know who would be perfect together. He hadn’t thought much about that fact until Sophie walked through the patio door. Katy had known he would be interested the second he met Sophie. The rumors were apparently true.

  He really liked Katy. When he had arrived in the Berkeley area, fresh out of Cornell, he had enjoyed his first breakfast at Cupid's so much that he had become a regular there. Attractive, curvaceous, flirty and a good listener, Katy had appeared much younger than her thirty-five-years when he’d first met her. Chase had thought Katy was one of the waitresses at Cupid's Café. On his second visit there, he had asked her if she was free for dinner that night. He was amazed when she accepted.