He ran a hand over his chin. “What do you think?”
Aida was right. He was awful cute. “You’re still gorgeous.” I imitated his gesture. “How about me?”
I hadn’t put on any foundation. Just lipstick. I’d left my hair straight, all the colors on display.
“You’re always gorgeous.” He revved the engine and put the car in Drive, and we headed toward Piedmont Park on a warm summer day.
“This car is something else.”
He bit his lip. “It was my dad’s. He collected and restored classic cars.”
I’d noticed his use of the past tense and wanted to tread lightly. “Your dad? Did he . . . ?”
“He’d show them off at vintage car shows.” He turned right.
The wind whipped my hair across my face, and I reached into my backpack to dig out a hair band. “So, you just tool around Atlanta in old-timey cars.”
“To be honest, I usually drive a very sensible Volvo, but I wanted to impress you.” He shot me a crooked half smile. “Did it work?”
Guys and their preening. I laughed, but he flipped the visor down and snatched out a pair of sunglasses. With his left elbow resting on the door and his right hand relaxed on the wheel and those aviator shades and his wild hair and this car, he went from really cute to incredibly hot in a heartbeat.
“Yeah. It worked.”
I wanted to freeze this magic moment in time.
When we arrived in the parking lot, Alfie handed me the leash and popped the trunk to retrieve a couple of paper grocery bags.
We followed the path to the dog park, where Alfie let Jasper off the leash and tossed a ball. Jasper trotted after it.
“How old is he?”
Alfie squished his face up, thinking. “Eleven. I think. Yes, eleven.”
He laid out a blanket. “Hope you like bar food.” He’d brought some cold chicken, soft pretzels, and beer.
I watched Jasper sniffing another dog’s butt and turned to find Alfie staring with a curious look I’d seen before.
“What?”
He handed me a beer and opened his own while I filled my plate.
“I was thinking about something my karate instructor said: ‘Every time we learn something about someone, we add a new brick to our relationship, strengthening the foundation.’ ”
“That’s cool.” The visual made me think of building houses in Minecraft.
“For instance, do you prefer dogs or cats?”
“I couldn’t have pets growing up, and Aida’s allergic. But I always wanted a dog. You? Dog person, right?”
“Oh, I like them both. We always had barn cats and a couple of dogs.”
“Barn cats? What are those?”
He laughed. “Cats. That live in the barn.”
“You had a barn? Did you grow up on a farm?”
“Yeah, actually.”
“No shit. So those boots you had on the other day weren’t just for show?”
“You noticed my boots?”
I blushed and tried to change the subject a bit. “So did you study agriculture at Auburn?”
He shook his head. “Engineering.”
“Yeah? So how does a farm boy with an engineering degree end up running a bar?”
“Well, I had an engineering job. I didn’t like it, so I quit.” He cracked another pair of beers and handed one over to me.
“Wasn’t it a scary risk?”
“Actually, no.” He gave me an appraising look. Then he sighed. “I had an inheritance to invest.”
“An inheritance.” The implications hit me. “Oh, Alfie.” I reached over and squeezed his hand.
“I realized I was going to die miserable and alone, so I tried to think of a job where I’d always be surrounded by people.”
“That’s . . .” I couldn’t imagine wanting to deal with people constantly. “Wow.”
“What?”
“You’re like my polar opposite.”
“Am I?”
“An extrovert and an introvert walked into a bar.”
He snorted. “You think I’m an extrovert?”
“You like being around people.”
“I thought I would.” His thumb traced mine, and it sent a shiver down my spine. “It’s why I wanted to make this contest a continuing event. I thought maybe if I got some regulars, I’d start to make friends.”
“Is it working?”
“I’m here with you, aren’t I?” The shiver turned into an electric current.
“We got here from asking if I like dogs or cats?”
He waggled his eyebrows. “Imagine what would happen if we asked bigger questions.”
“Example?”
He sucked on his teeth. “What would you do if you knew you couldn’t fail?”
“Right now?” That was pretty easy. “Go to Germany to present our demo.”
Jasper returned the ball, and Alfie rubbed the dog’s head before rolling it out again. “So, what’s stopping you?”
“Reynold. And my own brain.”
“I have confidence you’ll make it happen.” When he smiled, it made all my anxieties seem so far away. I never felt like I had to pretend or perform for him.
I may have stared a bit too long, and he tilted his head, his smile fading into something softer, more serious. My eyes settled on his lips, and I had a deep desire to touch him.
I shook my head to regain control. “What would you do if you knew you couldn’t fail?”
He chuckled. “I guess I set myself up for that.”
“Well?” I nudged his foot with mine.
“If I knew I couldn’t fail?” He scooted closer. “I’d kiss you.”
My stomach flipped so hard, I thought the park had tilted. I wondered if he’d set the whole conversation up to lead us here. The way he gazed into my eyes, he could have hypnotized me with the endless worlds I saw in his. The electric current converted to a gravitational force.
I leaned closer. “I have confidence you’ll make it happen.” My voice sounded smoky. I placed my hand on his cheek where I’d been wanting to feel his skin, so soft. He closed his eyes, and I traced my finger down to his chin. “What’s stopping you?”
He wove a hand into my hair, his fingers tangling in the loose strands, tentatively, willing me toward him, and when our lips brushed, it felt so right, so natural—inevitable, even. It was like we’d kissed a thousand times before, a thousand years ago, and yet it also felt like our first kiss. He didn’t rush it, and I loved that he took the time to explore how we fit together, how we felt together. Our mouths touched, then broke apart, only to find each other anew, stronger, more urgent, then gentle. My pulse increased along with my desire for him, and I wanted more, so much more.
He drew away, breathless. “I’ve been wanting to do that for a while.”
His hand slid around to the back of my neck. I shivered. Tentatively, I mirrored him. He had the softest, floppiest, loosest curls. Boy-band hair. “I’ve been dying to muss your hair since I first saw you.”
My fingers spread out, explored, and without meaning to, I’d grasped hold with both my fists and pulled him back to me. I didn’t ask if I could kiss him. And he didn’t say no.