Aaaaaaand, no such luck. Mary swung open the door—damn, she looked good in his apartment—looking freshly pressed and sparkly clean. She was all smiles and a hundred bright colors. John fought to not squint against the glare of her. The woman was freaking potent.

And nervous? John cocked his head to one side, still standing in the hallway, as he watched Mary’s eyes track down his clothing, catch on his messy morning hair and skitter away.

“Morning!” she said, just a bit too brightly, even for Mary.

“Morning,” he said back, his morning voice even scratchier than usual. “Bless you for making coffee.”

“You want me to pour you a cup?”

Yeah, she was definitely nervous. She was standing in the middle of his living room holding one elbow and playing with the fabric of her dress with her free hand. Her eyes were on her pedicured toes.

“Uh, I’m gonna shower and change first, and then I’ll grab some.”

She nodded, turned on her heel and went to join Ruth on the love seat. John quickly showered and brushed his teeth. He was grateful he’d gotten a haircut this week because his hair parted perfectly and lay smooth. He quickly changed into his usual outfit, rolling his sleeves to his elbows and praying he wouldn’t sweat through the shirt by noon. On a normal Saturday, one where he was headed to Estrella’s house or getting work done at his kitchen table, he might have worn his old jeans and a T-shirt, but Mary looked like she was ready to strut down Fifth Avenue, and John didn’t think his ten-year-old jeans, white at the seams, would flourish by comparison.

He left the steamy bathroom and crossed to the kitchen area, pouring himself some coffee and going to sit with Mary on the love seat. It was a little bit too tight of a fit for two people and Ruth. The cat yowled at him when he sat on her tail. Ruth batted at his sleeve and rolled to her back, rubbing her face vigorously against his knee.

They both laughed, and John absently scratched at Ruth’s belly. He was very aware of the fact that both he and Mary were staring at Ruth, almost as if they couldn’t bear to look at one another. Why was this so intense? It felt like a morning after.

If it was just a feelings hangover, he could understand, Mary had had a hell of a day yesterday, but he couldn’t help but feel like there was even more happening under the surface that he couldn’t quite pin down.

He cleared his throat. “Are you hungry?”

“Yes,” she answered immediately, making him laugh.