#ggfic

When Toni heard the chair scrape on the floor she didn’t even bother to look up, until someone cleared their throat clearly wanting her attention. She had to admit when she looked up and saw the all-black wearing, Latino man before her with his many tattoos, taking residence at her table she was confused and mildly intrigued. She quirked an eyebrow at him, as he looked at her with a smirk and was moments away from cussing him out for his interruption when he finally spoke.

“Every time I come in here, you always writin’.”

“Excuse me?” Toni said, uncertainty in her tone, “Do I know you?”

“Oh, I’m sorry mama, I’m Chris.”

The individual named Chris stuck his hand out, waiting for Toni to shake it. She looked at the appendage with apprehension and crossed her arms, opting out of the handshake.

“You’ve been watching me?”

She could see the disappointment flicker on his face as he put his hand down, resting it back on the tabletop, “When I see a beautiful woman, it’s hard not to stare.”

Toni scoffed, “That still doesn’t give me a reason for how you know I’m always here or even why the hell you’re sitting at my table.”

They were silent for a moment, conversation, and coffee being made, the only sounds between them. Chris’s focus was solely on Toni, his brown eyes meeting hers,  “I know you’re here all the time because this is one of the businesses that I own. And when I come in to do inventory, you’re always sitting at the same spot, ordering the same thing, while you type away on that shitty laptop.”  

Toni tried not to look offended by his comment about her poor computer or impressed that he didn’t look much older than her, and he already had a business under his name. It was one of her dreams to have a publishing company to call her own, but with her drowning in student debt it was only a fantasy.

“You didn’t answer my other question Chris, why are you sitting here with me?” Toni asked.

Chris gave a shrug, a smile playing on his lips, “There’s just somethin’ that makes me curious as hell. ”

“About what?”

“You”

Toni let out a small laugh and was glad her blush was barely seen because of her brown skin. The man had a way with words and she knew he was trouble, which only piqued her interest more, “Well, Chris it was great to meet you, but I have to be going.”

  Chris nodded his head, his jaw clenched. It was clear he was upset at how quick, the conversation ended. Toni closed her laptop and put it in her bag, stuffing her chargers in there as well. She made sure her things were properly put away and her phone was in her hand before she got up.  She walked past him, preparing herself to leave and never come back to her favorite writing spot. But before Toni could reach the door, she stopped short. She bit her lip and turned her head, seeing he was still sitting at the table, but this time texting on his phone.

Toni didn’t know why, but she had a feeling if she walked out, they would never speak again and that thought made her uncomfortable. She groaned, and walked back to the table, chastising herself with each step that she took.

When she reached the table, she tapped Chris’s shoulder, making him look up from the screen. At first, his face was in mild confusion and then changed into a smile when he saw her hand outstretched in front of her, “I’m Antonia and when I’m not being a total bitch, I like to write at your place of business from time to time.”