thoughtful, polite, and had a self-deprecating sense of humor, which I found
sweet. It’d been years since I’d given a guy my number. With myhistory, a
romantic relationship was not something I ever thought I’d entertain again,
but there was something about Arkin. He seemed more like the leading man
in a romance movie instead of a construction worker. That was why I’d
agreed to spend more time with him than just a ten-minute cup of coffee. I really didn’t know much about dating, but my roommate, Molly, had
always told me that a coffee date was the best way to go. A coffee date
could be cut short if the guy was a total creep. Or it could be extended all
the way into dinner if he had potential.
After a lot of thinking, I’d decided that Arkin had potential. I wasn’t
sure about potential for what, but he definitely had managed to charm me
enough that I didn’t want to run off after ten minutes. I knew he was safe,
and that was my biggest concern. He’d saved me last night, which made
him most definitely not a predator.
“We’ve been walking in a circle for the last hour,” he said as we passed
the same tree for the tenth time. We’d been so lost in conversation that time
had slipped away.
“Oh, I guess we have,” I whispered as I looked at our feet. His shoes
were ridiculous and way too fancy for anything in this town, but I
appreciated the effort he went to, with the expensive Italian loafers. He
wasn’t the kind of man who wore lavish, European leather shoes. My eyes slowly rode up his strong legs, examining his torn and stained
jeans. I smiled because that was more like it. Arkin seemed like the kind of
guy who wore ripped and tattered jeans and worn white T-shirts. He didn’t
seem stuck-up or uppity but earthy and solid. I guess that was one of the
reasons I was so drawn to him.
“Did you borrow the shoes?” I uttered and then instantly wished I could
take it back. Here he was, saving me and being kind, and I was mocking
him.
He took it well, though, with a smile.
“Nah, these puppies are all mine. I had to wear them to a wedding.” I liked his smile. It made his eyes crinkle and the blue in them dance
