Debbie sighed as she stared at her phone, Pasco's
message glowing on the screen. Her gut told her to ignore it, but her curiosity—and the tiny ember of lingering feelings—won out. Before she knew it, she was in a taxi heading to meet him at a café near the river. As she stepped inside, the scent of coffee and freshly baked croissants filled the air. Pasco was already there,waving at her from a corner table. He was dressed casually, but his posture screamed confidence, as if he already knew he had some kind of hold over her.
"Hey," Debbie said, sliding into the seat across from him.
"You came," Pasco said with a crooked smile, the one she used to melt for.
"Yeah, well," Debbie replied, trying to sound nonchalant,
"I figured if you were going to stalk me all the way to
Bangkok, I might as well hear you out."Pasco chuckled. "Fair enough. But stalking? Really? I prefer to call it… persistent coincidence."
Debbie rolled her eyes. "Whatever helps you sleep at night."