Free Deserving Love: A Contemporary Romance Series (Nick & Lexi Book 1) by Kay Brody

accept it for now.”
    “Not like you really have a choice,” I reminded her. “I’m going to do what I’m going to do.”
    “Yeah,” she conceded.  
    “Give me time,” I placed my hand on her shoulder. “I’ll get there.”
    “Well try and get there with the hot rich guy, okay?” she laughed.  
    “I’ll try.” Both of us grabbed our things and made our way towards the back. I was more than ready to go home and relax for the night. It had been a long and mentally draining day.  
    I didn’t even have the energy to soak in a bath when I arrived home. Instead I grabbed a bite to eat, set my DVR to record Reckless and then curled up in the bed. I knew Nick would contact me, but I was too exhausted to chat with anyone. I had to rest and prepare myself to have coffee with the man that I’d been certain I’d never want to lay eyes on again.  

    *****

Chapter 9
    “Very cute,” Kendall smiled as she walked in the door of the shop only an hour after I’d opened. “I approve.”
    “Thanks,” I smiled, spinning a circle for her to check out the outfit that I’d chosen.  
    To me it seemed silly. I was wearing something special to sit in my own shop and have coffee with a man I’d barely tolerated for the last few months of my life. Why? So that this attractive, powerful and wealthy man might approve of me?  
    It didn’t make a lot of sense. Especially when I knew what he was like. A man who understood his appearance and its power over women, Evan Monroe had utilized it several times to try and get his way on the issue of the retail development. Why would I be interested in trying to impress him?  
    Yet there I stood, in the middle of my shop, twirling circles for my best friend and proud of the fact that she found my outfit acceptable. I felt as though I were a teenager preparing for a first date with my long time crush. Even though I was not a teenager and this man was nowhere near a crush. For some reason, I had a need to impress him by looking my best.  
    “I love that color,” Kendall beamed and I glanced at my reflection in the glass behind her.  
    I had opted for a bright blue top, sleeveless and just long enough to cover my midsection, with a short, pleated white skirt. I matched it with a pair of flat sandals, in the same shade of blue, and topped it all off with a bracelet, a couple of rings, earrings and necklace.  
    The blue of the top brought out the deep color of my eyes and brightened up my wavy blonde hair, that I’d opted to wear in a loose French braid, leaving a few tendrils around my face.  
    “I’m surprised you actually dressed up today,” she announced. “Given your aversion to liking the guy and all.”
    “I’m not really dressed up,” I blushed. “Am I?”
    “For you? Yeah,” she teased. “A skirt is definitely dressing up.”
    “Glad you weren’t at my place this morning,” I rolled my eyes and fixed us both a cup of coffee.  
    The shop hadn’t had a single customer since I’d opened. It was typical to have days like that, but I really wanted the distraction to take my mind off of my upcoming visitor.  
    “Why’s that?” she asks, a twinkle in her eye.  
    “It might have taken me a while to decide what to wear,” I sat down at the table with her to enjoy our coffee. “I couldn’t make up my mind.”
    “Wow,” she giggled as she took a sip. “So you actually acted like a girl going on a date?”  
    “It is not a date,” I argued. “Not at all. It’s coffee between two…”
    “Well certainly not friends,” she laughed. “What would you guys be anyway?”
    “I’m not sure,” I confessed. “People trying to get past something bad.”
    Kendall began to ramble about how maybe it was fate that brought Evan and I into this battle over a shopping center. She said that perhaps it was our destiny to meet, and the battle over land was just the way it was meant to start.  
    I half listened to her rambling about Evan and I being soul mates that