“It’s late, Callum. I should get going….”
Sophie was being a coward, and she knew it. But, she wasn’t ready for the intense conversation they needed to have. He’d asked her what was holding her back like it wasn’t the most complicated question ever posed. It would’ve been easier to tell him what wasn’t holding her back.
Callum nodded solemnly, sensing wisely that if he pushed too hard now, he might push her away entirely.
“I’ll walk you to your car…” he offered, ever the gentleman. Sophie agreed, and they walked slowly to the entrance of the orchard.
“Shit.” She muttered to herself.
“What is it, love?”
“I didn’t drive. I uh, got an Uber. It’s fine. I
“Callum, it’s no big deal, honestly. I put on a pretty dress, and I hang off the arm of a lonely guy at an event. It’s good money, and it’s temporary. Just until I have enough to buy the premises for my patisserie….”Callum stared straight ahead, hands still gripping the steering wheel. His brows were furrowed, jaw clenched, and his knuckles were beginning to turn white.Sophie was beginning to feel cross. Who did he think he was? Showing up out of the blue and reacting this way when she was only trying to be honest. What did he expect after five years? That there’d be no surprises, that she’d simply been sitting around waiting for the day he decided to chase after her… Until that package arrived at her door, she was convinced she would never see Callum Buchanan again.“You know, you really have no right to be mad at me. How I chose to earn a living while we were broken up for five years is really non
It was Friday, and it had been exactly one week since Callum Buchanan had crash landed back into Sophie’s life.They had been texting back and forth all week. Both resisting the urge to cancel all their other plans for each other. They were determined to do the whole dating thing more traditionally this time. So, they had settled on a lunch date.Lunch was decidedly safer than dinner. Plus, Sophie had a client that evening.Callum insisted on picking her up and she gladly accepted the offer. He had always been chivalrous—the kind of man who opened doors, walked on the traffic side of the footpath, picked you up before a date… Sophie had always loved that about him. It made her feel nurtured in a way that wasn’t overbearing. The gestures always seemed thoughtful rather than possessive, she could handle herself and Callum knew that, but he still always tried to make her feel secure.Sophie was waiting outside her building when she h
Sophie didn’t feel awkward in the passenger seat of Pierce’s expensive sports car. Although he was paying for her to be his date this evening, the conversation was free-flowing and comfortable. They asked each other the usual questions, getting to know each other a little to help with the façade of the evening.“That’s a great dress, by the way…” he said with a flirtatious smirk forming across his handsome face.Sophie couldn’t help the blush the hit her cheeks as she ran her hands down the emerald satin gown. It was one of her favourites, figure hugging yet flattering and the colour accentuated her unusual eyes.Callum had always insisted black was her best colour. That anything else drew far too much attention away from her natural beauty. The emerald green gown was an exception. The first time she wore that dress his eyes roamed up and down her body and his jaw noticeably dropped a little. She still remembered
London was everything Sophie dreamt it would be. After a long day of sightseeing, she was exhausted yet satisfied. She had one last stop on her tour before she could finally retire to her hotel room for the night. Although she was seriously considering skipping the last stop and sneaking away to her luxurious hotel bed early, she knew she'd regret it tomorrow. She decided sugar was the only solution. She stared lon
She popped the last piece of cake in her mouth and savoured the delicious, chocolatey taste. She turned to Callum with a glint in her eye, "I don't mind. But make it an adventure."
"I did. This is Sophie. Sophie, Miranda. Where is Peter?" "By the bar, I'll get him!" One of Callum's friends chimed in, oblivious to the tension of the interaction.
“I say, I didn’t have to know you longer than a day to decide I’d go anywhere you wanted to take me. Is that crazy?” “Not in the slightest… now, about that kiss.” Butterflies erupted in Sophie’s stomach as Callum leaned in and kissed her softly. She was so nervous, anyone would have thought she’d never kissed anyone before. As she relaxed into the kiss, she realised that although it wasn’t her first kiss, it was a first… something. She couldn’t quite put her finger on it, but she knew that this was different, that Callum was different to every boy that came before him. They were broken from their moment when they heard the applause from inside the marquee. The first dance was done and the rest of the wedding part had joined the couple on the dancefloor. “Should we go back in? This is your brother’s wedding after all.”
Seven years later. "Breathe, Sophie,... In and out... One... two... three..." Sophie was a bundle of nerves as she attempted to steady her trembling hands enough to apply her make-up. It had been three days since the suspicious package wrapped in brown paper had been mysteriously left on her doorstep. She'd have been in less of a state right now if it hadn't taken her two days to work up the courage to open it. She could still feel the way her heart rate quickened as she untied the brown craft string and gently tore at the seams of the paper. She recalled the confusion as she found herself staring at a shoebox for a pair of R.M. Williams Craftsman boots. Men's, size 10. "Peculiar...." she thought to herself as she lifted the lid of the box. Hidden under a few layers of tissue paper was a book she had never seen before. A lump formed in her throat as she inspected the cover—"Chance, Fate & Chocolate Cake: When Advent