A Taste of Spring novel Chapter 7

DEZMOND

Dez couldn't take his eyes off the vision that had him pushing aside all the damn crap that was suffocating him over the past few months. Anna was an instant balm on his scattered mind from the moment he laid eyes on her.

(Anna.)

Dez repeated the name in his head a few times as he unpacked their food. It was a fitting name and it was climbing up on his favorite names list.

"Do you live in this huge loft alone?"

Her voice slid over him like a soft caress, causing Dez to shiver. That sort of response to a woman's voice was peculiar and it took Dez a full minute to shake off the unusual sensation. Once he did, he realized he hadn't answered Anna's question. When he looked up, she was watching him.

"Uh, yeah, I live here alone."

"Hmmm," Anna said. She turned around and looked at his bookcase.

Dez continued placing their food on the plates he took from the drawer. He kept looking up, watching Anna glide around looking at this and that. With Anna inspecting his books, movies, and décor, he felt strangely inadequate. Like he hadn't read the right books, watched the right movies, or decorated his place nice enough.

After the plates were filled, Dez carried them to the table. He went back to the kitchen and grabbed the wine and two glasses when he heard an ear-splitting scream.

(What the hell?)

Dez was taken aback; the wine bottle and the glasses he carried wobbled in his grasp. He had to juggle to keep them from falling as he rushed to the dining room to peer into the open space of his common area. His heart raced until his eyes fell on Anna.

She was fine, or rather, Anna seemed to look fine as she stood in front of one of his full-sized arcade games. She whipped around, excitement gleaming from her hazel eyes.

"You have Gorbert? I love this game!" The smile on her face was mesmerizing.