“Good night, Brooklyn,” he says, his voice deep and low.
“Good night,” I exhale.
I watch in dismay as he walks away. Without a kiss. What the hell?
FIVE
The small diner near Shyla’s house knows us by name and meal. Every Wednesday we come here for a girls’ night, the wine, and their dinner special. Tonight is chicken fried steak with gravy and mashed potatoes. It’s delicious. This has been our ritual for a few years now, time away from their other halves to talk about them and my time to enjoy it.
“How should I go about talking to William about anal?” Aimee asks.
Shyla and I choke and sputter on our wine.
“Do what?” Shyla croaks. “Where the hell did that come from?”
Aimee laughs. “Just making sure I have your attention.”
I wipe my mouth with my napkin. “The conversation we’ve been holding didn’t give that away?”
She leans closer to the middle of the table. “I think William is planning on proposing.”
“What gives you that idea?” I ask.
“Isn’t this the same thought you had last year?”
Dismissing Shyla’s question, she flicks her hand. “Yes. But I was reading into the wrong clues. This time I’m certain. He’s been pulling later hours. He’s told me that he’s always wanted to get me a ring I deserve, so surely he’s preparing to buy one. Right?”
“He already makes good money. Why pull late hours?” Shyla asks the obvious.
“Big ring?” Aimee responds.
“Doesn’t he know you’re not materialistic?” I ask.
“What girl doesn’t like big things?” She waggles her brows. “Speaking of big things, don’t you have a date with the hottie tomorrow?”
The question awakens my nerves. I’ve been anxious about seeing Nathan again. “Yes.”
The date is the only thing I can think of lately.
She smiles. “You two seem to be hitting it off.”
I don’t respond.
“What about Declan?” Shyla asks. “You have one with him Friday too. Don’t you?”
“I do.” I nod.
Aimee’s smile grows into a huge grin. “I’m so glad you went. Look at you with all these good-looking men wanting to be in your life.”
I roll my eyes. “I’ll have you know I haven’t slept well since that stupid speed dating event. It’s screwed up my peaceful balance.”
Aimee tosses her head back and giggles. “You’ll be happy, possibly sated, and walking around madly in love. You’ll be balanced soon.”
“I was fine single.”
“You’ll be finer taken.” Aimee winks over her wine glass.
Shyla cracks up. “What a comeback.”
Aimee lifts her shoulder. “Sounded good.”
* * *
I’m losing my mind when I get off work. I rushed home to get ready for my date with Nathan—the official date—and I’m a frantic mess. I’m nervous and excited, freaking the hell out and extremely eager. My pull to Nathan is potent. It wakes up my insides, makes my body react in wild ways, and scrambles my mind. Men don’t make me jumbled up. I’m always quick witted, but with Nathan, it’s as if I struggle to keep my senses.
He texted me around lunch and told me to dress comfortably and casually. After the rush was over, I asked him what the plans were so I could get a better idea of what to wear, but he only replied with “relaxed.” So that’s exactly what I do. I’m in jeans with a pretty maroon off the shoulder top. Let’s just pray his relaxed is the same as mine.
Because I’m a single woman, I don’t allow men that I date to know where I live right off the bat. It’s not that I don’t trust Nathan, but have you ever watched the Investigation ID channel? It’ll have you second guessing everyone, including your local public librarian. So I’ve resorted to meeting him at a restaurant downtown.
This time I’m ten minutes early and have already found a parking spot right beside the building. As I approach the entrance, I spot my date looking handsome in jeans and a navy blue shirt that sucks tightly against his chest as he leans against the brick façade. He grins when he sees me and it sends my pulse into triple speed.
“Hey,” he says, not sounding nervous at all. Unlike me. “You’re on time,” he teases.
My laugh only exposes my nervousness. “I am. Thursdays aren’t as busy as Tuesdays apparently.”
The place feels romantic—dim lights, soft music and our table has a small candle in the middle. We each order a glass of red wine and it takes no time for the waiter to bring them. Thank god. My nerves are running amok and I need the red liquid courage.
“You look beautiful,” he says over the rim of his glass before taking a sip.
The way he’s looking at me, warmth pooling around his mahogany shaded eyes, has heat pulsing through my body. My cheeks flush and I drop my head, tucking a strand of hair behind my ear. “Thank you.”
Should I tell him he’s mouth-watering? That I want to run my hands up the hem of his shirt and feel his body against my palms?
Jesus, I’m buckling. He makes me want to ditch my morals and dignity and throw myself at him over the table. I just want to run my hands over his jaw, feel his scruff against my fingers.
Shaking the images out of my head, I offer a flirty smile. “I don’t know what I like you in the most—jeans or a suit.”
My statement brings out his devilish smirk. “I look good in both, huh?”
“So far you’ve made everything you wear look good.”
The waiter comes and we order our meals. After he leaves, Nathan leans his forearms on the table. “What made you decide to become a pharmacy technician?”
“In high school, I took one of those career quizzes where it helps narrow down career paths based off your personality. It opened up a ton of ideas I had never thought about, one being a tech. I enjoy helping people and making a difference, and I don’t do well with the clinicals of nursing, so a tech is what I chose. I truly love my job.”
A smile teases his lips. “A soft heart… What do you do for fun?”
I worry on my lip before taking a swallow of my wine. I titter, rolling my eyes to the ceiling. “You’re going to think I’m a total bore. I enjoy reading and prefer to curl up with a good book over mostly anything. Wednesdays Shyla, Aimee, and I go to a little diner and hang out.”
“You’re in a constant state of decompression. I’ll admit. I’m a bit envious.”
I puff a giggle under my breath. “That’s a new way to describe it. What about you? What do you do to decompress?”
The food is set in front of us and he lifts his fork before he answers.
“I run every weekend with Cody. Other than that, I sit in my living room in complete silence while enjoying a glass of whiskey.”
“Now I see why you think my fun is interesting,” I tease.
The way he smiles at me has my chest tightening again. He’s devastatingly handsome with a boyish charm. He oozes confidence and power, but it’s not uncomfortable. In fact, it’s comforting.