His words were poetic and potent in a way that somehow the idea of kissing him didn’t seem so casual anymore. It was suddenly so much more than that. Before either of them could speak, the waiter brought their pizza and it was a lot easier to eat and talk about everything but a French kiss.
She learned a lot about Matthew. He liked rock music from the seventies and learned to ride horses on a farm in rural Australia where he grew up with his grandparents. His parents had died in a car accident when he was only eight.
“Do you miss Australia?” she asked.
He shrugged. “Sometimes. The place you live in for a large part of your life will always hold significance, good or ill. I still visit once a year. But I don’t miss it as much as I thought I would. I’ve been so excited about starting my life here.” He paused. “Bartending has become an important part of who I am. I love guessing what a customer’s favorite drink might be. I love making pieces of art inside a glass and seeing someone’s face when they take that first sip. It’s an ephemeral thing, but not all wonders are endless you know. Some beautiful things are fleeting but no less stunning.”
“I agree,” she said. “Like butterflies. They are incredibly beautiful, yet they last barely a season and then they’re gone. It doesn’t make their value or their beauty any less.”
“Exactly.” Matthew brushed his hair out of his eyes and an almost bashful look on his face stole her breath.
Aubree couldn’t help but fall for him a little more each time he shared something about himself, and she loved watching the way his eyes lit up when he spoke with passion.
“What about you? What brought you from Maine to Chicago?”
“I really wanted to work in investments, stocks and trading, but I didn’t want to live in New York. It’s just not the right place for me. I visited Chicago during college and fell in love with the city.”
“What do you like about your job?” Matthew reached for another slice of pizza. Aubree couldn’t believe how well this was going.
“I love the excitement and knowing that when I’m involved on the trading floor, I’m dealing with assets from companies all over the world. It’s weird, but it makes me feel connected somehow with the rest of the world.”
“That sounds like a hell of a good job,” Matthew agreed.
“It is. I work a lot of hours, but I enjoy it.” She paused, feeling so comfortable with him that she spilled her deepest thoughts. “I just never realized how lonely I’ve been.”
Matthew reached for her hand again. “I understand that. When I left Australia to go to the London School of Economics, my girlfriend at the time had to stay in Perth for her own career. We tried the long-distance thing, but it didn’t work out. When I came back, she had married someone else and moved on. Sometimes passion has a price, but it can be worth it to go after your dreams.”
“You’re the first person to ever say that. I can’t tell you how many times people have asked me if I would have done things differently in my life. It’s like asking me if I regret dreaming.” Aubree had faced so much frustration with people assuming she was unhappy as a single, career-driven woman. Feeling lonely didn’t equate to unhappiness. Happiness was much larger and more complex than a single emotion.
“So now you’re dating?” Matthew asked.
“Yep, trying to anyway.” She laughed at herself. “I probably waited too long.”
“Nonsense. Just relying on a computer program to match you isn’t easy. Romance can’t be fully discovered and experienced on an app. Sure, it can help you meet someone, but it can’t create that spark.” As he spoke, he brushed the pad of his thumb over her hand and she shivered at her acute awareness of him; their bodies were so close at that moment. His knees bumped hers under the table when he shifted and looked deep into her eyes. People always joked about situations like this, but when a man really looked at her the way Matthew was now, she felt incredible. She felt like the universe included only the two of them.
“You want to return to the bar and discuss that kiss?” he asked softly. His tone was so gentle, so seductive that she was tempted to beg for the kiss right there.
“Yeah,” she replied, her heart racing as he paid for their dinner. When she tried to hand him some bills, he waved it away.
“A gentleman always pays,” he intoned softly and flashed her a dazzling smile.
When they returned to Love Potion #9, things had quieted, and he resumed his post behind the bar. He began to make them a matching set of cocktails. She knew better than to ask. He would tell her soon enough the name of the creation he was mixing.
Matthew added gin, St. Germain, Aperol and lemon juice into a shaker with ice before he strained the drink into two cocktail glasses. He topped the concoction with sparkling rosé before he garnished it with an orange twist.
“Allow me to present… the French kiss.” He passed her one and he took the other, then he led her to a private round booth that wasn’t visible to anyone else in the restaurant. She slid in first and he followed, sitting beside her in the spacious curved seat.
“These are really called a French Kiss?” she asked
“Yes.” His eyes lit up with mischief and she took a sip. Delicious tastes exploded on her tongue.
“Oh, wow. This is so good!” She took a bigger sip. He did the same, clearly enjoying this exchange.
“Are you allowed to drink and hang out with customers while you work?”
He chuckled. “I’m a good friend of the owner; he won’t mind.”
Aubree couldn’t imagine a boss being okay with that, so she hoped he wasn’t going to get in trouble.
