“Exactly.” I slipped out and Teller slid his arm around me. So natural, like we’d done this forever.
I wore my jean shorts, but I’d paired them with another shirt I’d never worn before. A lavender blouse that was summery and frilly. My sandals weren’t new, but my feet said they were. Hopefully tonight wouldn’t include a lot of walking. I’d repainted my toenails to match my top and kept my hair down.
I felt like a new girl. “So I’m going to walk into a bakery with the bachelor I paid fifty grand for.”
His grin flushed heat right down to my toes. “I’m considered a good business decision in bachelor auction circles.”
He led me in. The sweet, doughy smell wrapped around me like sunshine on a picnic.
A young girl waved us to a table. “Have a seat anywhere. I’ll be right with you.”
Teller picked a spot by the window. We had a lovely view of downtown. I was almost as distracted by that as I was by the menu.
Teller leaned over the table. “We can also go get a steak after this if you want.”
The menu was mostly finger food and various platters of bread and dip. Teller wouldn’t fill up on bread and charcuterie meats.
“There’s not a lot of protein in bakeries,” I said.
He leaned his elbows on the table and pressed his fingertips together. “How about we consider this an appetizer?” He thought for a moment. “And dessert. We’ll eat out of order tonight.”
The jokes. My excitement over something so simple. How easily was this turning into the best date I’ve had? “Deal.”
We settled on our order, and after the server came by, he pointed to one of the many brick buildings.
“There used to be a boot shop here Dad would take us to all the time. We chewed through boots when we were younger.”
So had I, but they hadn’t gotten repaired or replaced that often. “Were you a Lucchese family?” I teased.
He laughed. “Dad loved a good quality boot, but it’d kill him to put a pair of Luccheses on teen boys and send them to work with cow shit.” He pushed a smaller menu in front of me. “What are we getting to bring with us after we eat?”
Every time he said we, a zing raced down my spine. It was early yet. This was our first real date. I wasn’t as experienced as him in the mechanics of dating, and I wanted to enjoy this. I didn’t have to question it, and if I started thinking about the future, I would.
I studied the menu to hide my chaotic thoughts. I liked Teller. A lot. What I felt for him was starting to make my feelings for Damien look like a little girl’s crush. That could be because Damien had been a crap husband, but that was the thing. I didn’t have enough experience to know. I wasn’t worldly.
Teller had done stuff that wasn’t just about survival. He’d never lived paycheck to paycheck, and that had given him a lot of freedom to just be. I wasn’t there yet, and I was afraid to dive in. However, I could savor the slow consumption of all things Teller. He cared for me, and I believed him. I believed him when he said he wanted what was best for me.
“What are you picking?” he asked.
“I’m a sucker for an almond croissant.”
“What else?”
I floundered. How much did he think I could eat? We were having an appetizer, baked goods, and then he seemed serious about getting a full dinner.
He took the little menu from me. “We need to get a couple of donuts, obviously.” There were several varieties of old-fashioned donuts still in the case. “You like bagels?”
“Is there someone who doesn’t?”
He flashed a grin. “I haven’t had many. Once in a while, I’ll get the breakfast bagel at Mountain Perks.”
“I’ve made them before.”
“Yeah? Are they hard?”
I shook my head. “They can be a little tedious since you have to boil them first.” I traced over the grains on the table. “One of Damien’s partners, Lyle, approached me after I sent some bagels to work. Offered to contract with me to provide bagels a couple days a week at one of their coffee shops.”
A hard glint entered Teller’s eyes. “I want to drive straight to Missoula and kick your ex’s ass. Damien didn’t want you to?”
