I take out my phone and pull up the conversations I’ve had with Clayton again. I’m going into this date with an open mind and I have my mace ready if he tries anything. My “stalking” of Clayton Turner didn’t bring up anything indicating he’s a serial killer. He seems like a sweet guy.
I take a deep breath and walk inside. My heart is racing and I rub my hand against my thigh a few times to wipe off the sweat. Blind dates are supposed to be fun and fun is the word I’m looking for tonight.
To be honest, I’m not sure if I remember how to have fun. That’s what’s holding me back. Part of me thinks I should turn around and head back to my apartment. My very lonely one-bedroom apartment that’s ridiculously too expensive. It was something I needed, and it was available.
I nearly stop in my tracks when I see him. Dear Lord in Heaven he’s tall and cuter in person than in his pictures. The pictures he’s sent me don’t do this man justice. There’s an instant pull to him and I can’t shake off this feeling. We’re like magnets and I’m being drawn to him. When he smiles and his chocolate brown eyes shine, it’s almost perfection.
Maybe fun has a different meaning and he’s going to be more than that.
“Hi, Ashley.” His deep voice snaps me out of my dreaming. He steps forward and pulls me in for a hug. I could melt in his arms. Hold me tighter, please. “It’s nice to meet you.”
“Hi, Clayton,” I barely whisper. “So nice meeting you too.”
With his hand on the small part of my back, he leads me to a table in the corner and motions for me to have a seat. My heart picks up its beat and I start sweating again. He’s even sexier up close.
“Did you want anything? I wasn’t sure what you liked, and I didn’t want to look like a fool in case I got it wrong. I guess I never asked you what you liked to have at a coffee shop.” He taps the side of his head. “When you tell me, I’ll be sure to remember going forward.”
Going forward.
I blush. I literally feel the warmth in my cheeks, and I can’t help to smile. This man is quite perfect.
I wave my hand. “No worries. What I crave all depends on my mood. You would never look like a fool to me. Can you get me a chocolate croissant with a lavender latte?”
“Of course. I’ll be right back.”
“Okay.” I watch Clayton walk and get in line. I pull out my phone and text Gina.
Ashley: I’m here.
Gina: Good! How’s everything going?
Ashley: He’s getting our order. G, I’m going to be honest with you.
Gina: Yeah?
Ashley: He’s perfect. Beyond perfect. I’m pretty sure I’m in love. I know it’s crazy, but I don’t know how else to explain it. As soon as I saw him, something came alive inside of me.
Gina: Shut up. You just met him.
Ashley: Trust me, I know! He’s coming back. Talk to you soon!
I put my phone away as Clayton slides me my coffee and croissant. It’s toasted and warm. My favorite.
“What’d you get?”
“Caramel frappe. I didn’t know what else to get. I’m not a big coffee drinker.”
“I live on coffee. I’m sure it’s bad, but I can’t function without it. People who know me know not to talk to me until I’ve had one cup of coffee. If they try to interact with me, well, let’s just say it doesn’t end well for them.”
Clayton laughs. “Noted.”
“We didn’t have to come here if you don’t drink coffee.”
“No worries. I like to try new things and since you suggested we come here, I wanted to make you happy and thought it would be fun.”
“That’s really sweet of you.” The butterflies are back. Clayton Turner has to be the most gorgeous man I’ve seen. He has a shy part to him and that’s what’s alluring. There’s no cockiness to him. “Tell me more about yourself.”
“Let’s see. Well, you know I’m twenty-three and I didn’t get a chance to tell you this before but I started working for the Seattle football team as a physical therapist.”
“Shut up. You help Will Montgomery?” My jaw drops. “Please say yes. I love Seattle. Ever since I was a baby, my dad, bless his heart, always wanted a boy. He ended up with three girls so for some reason, I was the one he handled as a boy. We used to go to all the games.”
“Yeah, he’s a great guy. Used to? You don’t go anymore?”
I clear my throat and play with the napkin, trying to keep my emotions in check. “My dad passed away a last year. It’s hard. My family, we’re managing, but he held our family together. He was the glue.” Don’t cry. Don’t cry. “Massive heart attack.”
Clayton reaches over for my hand and wraps it with his. “I am so sorry for your loss.” I’m not sure how it happened, but he’s next to me and my head’s resting on his shoulder. “Let it out,” he whispers, and I do.
Chapter Two
Clayton
There’s no way she’s this into me.
When she walked into the coffee shop, I stopped dead in my tracks. She took my breath away. There was something about her that pulled me in. I never felt this way before. I’ve been in some relationships here and there, and one time I thought I was in love, but this instant gravitational pull to her has me needing to know more about her.
As soon as I saw the tears forming in her eyes when she talked about her dad, the only thing I knew was I really wanted to hug her. I wanted to take her pain away.
“I don’t know if that’s a good thing or not, Clayton. I haven’t talked about my dad in a while. I feel like the wounds are still raw. My mom’s a mess and my sisters avoid any type of emotion all together. They work all the time and my mom tries to keep busy with whatever hobby she can find. Then there’s me.”
“What about you?”
She lets out a breath and holds my hand tighter. “I escaped Portland and moved here.”
“I get it. Okay, let’s change the topic. If there’s anywhere in the world you can go where would it be?”
She has a wistful smile and I’d love to see her smile every day. “Paris. There’s something about the city that makes me feel like I’m in a fairy tale. I went my senior year of high school. It was a gift from my parents. They worked so hard to get me that trip. I remember my dad worked overtime for over three months just so I could experience Paris. Eleven days. It was transcendent. I’d go back in an instant. What about you?”
Growing up I’ve had the best of life. My parents had my little brother and me, and we experienced life in a different way. My mom was a stay at home wife and made sure we were taken care of. My dad was a CFO for one of the top tech companies in the world. He wanted me to work alongside him, but my passion was helping people, and I never saw myself working in an office. My brother took the route to work with my father and I picked something that I knew would make me happy.
“Honestly. Here. This is home to me. I love everything about Seattle.”
“Wow. That’s surprising.”
“Why’s that?”
She shrugs and sips on her latte before answering. “I thought you’d say some place expensive and nice.”