Love or Luxury Read Online Free Page A

trying hard not to let her disappointment come through in her voice. What a shame someone as hot as this guy wasn't from the Meadow. But at least that explained why she hadn't seen him around before. "What brought you to Meadow Ridge earlier?"
    "Work."
    "What kind of work do you do? If you don't mind my asking, of course."
    "I'm project manager for a construction company. I had an estimate to do in the area today."
    Construction? Her hopes of a hot new bachelor to have fun with was spoiled like milk left on the kitchen counter. Didn't matter how hot he was, he worked in construction and wasn't from the Meadow. What would the girls say if they knew she was giving this guy so much of her time?
    "So, you're the manager, but you still do your own estimates? Don't you have a guy to do that for you?"
    "Nope, just me. But that's okay. I like doing it. That way I really get to see the location and can give a solid estimate my guys can match."
    At least he's sweet. He's got that going for him if nothing else. Well, and his looks.
    "It's really nice you care enough to go out in the field to make sure your customers get the right price for the job. The customer always comes first, right?" She twirled a piece of hair that had fallen out of her ponytail.
    So he wasn't a big shot from the Meadow, but he was hot, and honest, too. And flirting with him was so easy. Maybe she'd at least score a bigger tip since scoring a date was out of the question.
    A throat cleared a few booths away, followed by the loud clinking of a spoon in an empty coffee cup.
    Mr Motorcycle nodded to the man in the corner booth who looked at his empty cup with a mixture of longing and annoyance. "I hate to share you, but I think that guy might need a refill before he goes into caffeine withdrawal."
    "Yikes. I better get on that… on him… to him with the coffee. I'll be back."
    Way to go, Becks. A hot guy who cares about his customers shows a little interest and you're too busy gawking at him to pay attention to your own customers. That'll earn you a bigger tip for sure.
    He laughed as she walked away, coffee pot in her hand and embarrassment on her cheeks.
    Her chances at getting to know Mr Motorcycle slipped away as she walked back behind the counter, thinking about him and his construction job. She glanced over to him quickly while ringing out a customer at the register.
    He seemed so nice. And so her type with his sexy, yet casual looks, great wardrobe, and laidback attitude. But he wasn't from the Meadow.
    Damn it. It wasn't fair. Why couldn't she meet a guy as awesome as this one seemed, yet still be from the Meadow? That really wasn't too much to ask, was it?
    On the other hand, if she was only looking for a little fun to pass the time, did it really matter if he wasn't from the Meadow?
    "Can I get you anything else?" she asked politely as she took Mr Motorcycle's plate away. He may not have a chance with her outside the diner, but she still felt compelled to be nice to him while he was her customer.
    He smiled at her, and a shot of electricity raced through her chest and settled deep in her belly. Maybe it really didn't matter where he was from.
    * * * *
    Finn looked up from his empty plate and into the eyes of the girl he'd almost hit earlier on his bike. He still wasn't over the sight of her standing there in the crosswalk, terrified. He had to learn to be more careful. Of course, she had to learn to look both ways before she crossed the street, too.
    Now here he was in some random diner and here she was, the beautiful girl from the Meadow crosswalk. How had this twist of fate worked out?
    Girls from the Meadow did not work, and if they did, it was for a non-profit or a Fortune 500 company. There was no in between, no gray area for blue-collar jobs. Certainly, they didn't have jobs as waitresses in a diner.
    How had he been lucky enough to drive past this very diner earlier when he'd noticed the unforgettable fiery redhead heading inside with an apron in