Page 35 of Sparks Fly

She called me Addie.

I curled under the blanket and set my phone beside me while the apartment settled into silence. My life was loud with clients and weddings and parents and expectations.

Sawyer cut through all of it. I didn’t try to analyze the feeling or file it away or make it make sense. I just let it be there.

* * *

11

Sawyer

Thursday morning, the felt different.

When I got to the shop Benji was already there, crouched over a half-finished iron railing with earbuds in and his torch lit. Sparks jumped like fireflies every time the metal caught heat. He didn’t look up when I walked in. He just gave me the nod, the Benji nod. Our shorthand for good morning, I see you, we’re okay.

I liked mornings like this. No clients. No expectations. Just the steady heartbeat of the shop.

By nine-thirty, Benji shut off his music and stretched his arms overhead.

“Coffee break?” he asked as he tugged one earbud out.

I didn’t look up from the railing while smoothing the weld line. “You just want an excuse to flirt with the barista,” I said.

Benji rested a hand on his chest like I had wounded him. “She draws rainbows in my oat milk foam,” he smirked. “That’s not flirting. That’s destiny.”

I tugged my gloves off and wiped my hands on a rag. “Fine,” I told him. “But you’re driving. I’m not rescuing you again if you forget your wallet.”

At the café down the block, I leaned against the counter while Benji worked his charm. He wasn’t subtle. Never had been. The barista lit up the second she saw him, and I had to hand it to him. Benji’s softness disarmed people.

We grabbed a table by the window once the drinks were ready. I sipped my cold brew while pedestrians hustled past outside with the distracted urgency of weekday mornings.

Benji studied me for a moment before speaking. “You seem… good,” he said finally.

I lifted my eyes from the window. “Good?”

“I don’t know, just steady.” He clarified.

I shrugged slightly and took another sip. “Thursday,” I offered.

He gave me a look that said he wasn’t buying it. “And maybe Addison?” he asked.

I lifted a brow. “How much do you want to know?”

“No gross details or anything, but enough?”

“There aren’t any gross details…yet” I teased. “We went on a date Tuesday night.”

“That got his attention.” He leaned back in his chair slightly. “Okay,” he said slowly. “That’s new.”

“I like her,” I added. “Feels easy.”

Benji leaned back farther and studied me like he was assembling a puzzle. “She spending the night?”

I snorted. “Not yet.”

“But you’re thinking about it.”

I didn’t answer, which was answer enough.