Anja fingered the cell phone in her pocket. Should she call her to make sure she was okay?

Just as she pulled the phone out, the bell above the door jingled wildly and Susanne rushed in.

Anja’s mouth went dry, not just from relief but probably also because most of her bodily fluids had gone south. Anyone looking so sexy in public should come with a warning label. The top two buttons on her blouse were open as if she had dressed hastily, revealing a glimpse of her cleavage. Her chestnut hair wasn’t tied back or put up into a twist today; it tumbled onto her shoulders in wild strands that looked finger-combed.

“Sorry.” Susanne leaned against the counter and put down her laptop bag. “I overslept.”

“Really?” Anja couldn’t help asking, even though she knew her insecurities were stupid. Susanne wasn’t the type to change her mind once she’d made a decision.

“Yeah. I only fell asleep around four and must have shut off my alarm clock. If not for Muesli, who woke me up because I don’t have a litter box and he needed to go outside, I’d probably still be asleep.”

The tension that had gripped Anja all morning vanished. “Aww. How cute.”

“I’m not sure how cute it is to have a cat pulling on my hair because he needs to pee.”

“Not the cat. You.” It was good to hear that she hadn’t been the only one who hadn’t slept a lot last night. Maybe Susanne needed to hear it too, so Anja gave herself a mental kick. “I didn’t sleep much either.”

Susanne’s gaze softened. She pushed away from the counter and slowly walked up to Anja. “You didn’t?”

Anja shook her head. Now that Susanne was so close, she drank in her face, her eyes, her soft lips… As if pulled in by gravity, she leaned toward her.

The bell above the door jingled again, tearing them apart before they could touch.

No! Not now! Anja forced a pleasant smile onto her face and turned toward the customer, a well-dressed woman in her thirties. “Good morning. May I help you?”

“Good morning.” The customer glanced around. “I’m looking for a Valentine’s Day gift for my boyfriend. I hear fountain pens are like jewelry for men, so…”

Oh shit. Valentine’s Day! Despite the paper heart decorations in the store’s window, Anja had temporarily forgotten that Valentine’s Day was tomorrow. For the past three years, the day had held little meaning for her beyond increased sales of fountain pens and gift cards. But now… Her gaze darted to Susanne. Should she get her a gift or do something special for Valentine’s Day too?

The customer looked back and forth between Anja and Susanne. “Did I hear wrong?”