It wasn't at first sight

Chapter 50

The next morning, on Saturday, Hanna is brushing her teeth at the bathroom sink, wearing her robe, her hair wet after her shower when Caleb joins her. He stands behind her, moves her hair to the side, and places a sweet kiss on her neck.

Caleb "Morning, beautiful."

Hanna smiles in response, her mouth full of toothpaste.

Caleb opens the shower and takes off his boxers before getting in.

Hanna takes a little sneak peek at his butt as he does so and then proceeds to rinse her mouth with water.

Caleb "So, what are we doing tonight?" He asks from the shower.

Hanna "I don't know... do you have something in mind?" She asks and dries her mouth with a towel.

Caleb "I was thinking we could go to Philly for dinner."

Hanna "To Philly? Are you sure?"

Caleb "Yeah... we could find a new place for dinner... Rosewood is getting kind of old."

Hanna "Okay, sounds good... What are you doing up so early on a Saturday, though?" She asks, intrigued, since unlike her, Caleb and Toby don't work on weekends.

Caleb "I have things to do... I'm getting a new reel for my fishing rod, and one of the sprinklers in the backyard broke, so I'll have to replace it. I'm going to the hardware store."

Hanna "Sounds very boring."

Caleb chuckles. "Yeah, I know. That's why I'm taking care of it while you're busy, so we can do something else together later."

Hanna smiles tenderly before leaving the bathroom.

/

It's Saturday afternoon, and Hanna is in her upstairs workshop at the store. Her seamstresses don't work on Saturdays, so it's just her up there. Sydney is downstairs in the store, as Chloe doesn't work on Saturdays either. They also don't open on Sundays.

Hanna had planned to take care of some admin work, which includes ordering supplies like new fabrics, zippers, fasteners, sequins, beads, crystals, and other decorative elements, to restock. But as soon as she crossed the store's entrance that morning, she noticed it appeared a bit empty. The dresses hanging on the racks had plenty of space in between, highlighting the challenges they've been facing over the past few weeks, trying to balance dress production with high demand in sales. They've struggled to maintain a decent inventory of dresses. But today, in particular, the store seems even emptier. So, she decided to dedicate her time to making progress and finishing the dresses that Anna and Lisa, her seamstresses, were working on last Friday. This way, they can start on the new designs she's assigned them as soon as they show up for work on Monday.

Mona "Hey, Han!" She greets Hanna, making her jump from her seat startled.

Hanna "Gosh, Mona. I didn't hear you coming, you scared the shit out of me."

Mona smiles. "It's nice to see you too." She says and grabs one of the dresses Hanna has already finished, taking a closer look at it. "God, Hanna. This is a piece of art."

Hanna smiles back. "Yeah, it came out pretty well." she says as she goes back to cutting a piece of fabric.

Mona "So, what time are you finishing here?"

Hanna sighs. "I've no idea."

Mona "Wanna go grab something for dinner at the Apple Rose?"

Hanna "I can't. I made plans with Caleb for dinner."

Mona "Oh, come on! You live with the guy. You see him every day. I don't get to see you very often... You're always busy."

Hanna "You can join Caleb and me for dinner." She suggests, still focused on her work.