His face lights up as I approach, and he reaches for my hand when I draw level with him.
Lacing his fingers in mine, he smiles. “I’m glad you made it.”
“I wasn’t about to stand you up.”
His rough skin feels good against mine as he gives my hand a squeeze and leads me into the restaurant.
“Table for Burrows,” he tells the maître d’.
“This way, sir.”
I’m not sure I’ve ever been somewhere this nice. Is this really his kind of thing or is he out to impress? I’d much rather have a burger and fries somewhere than go somewhere fancy. Tonight I’ll enjoy being pampered. Next time, I’ll …
Next time?
I’m already thinking about our next date.
My cheeks flush as we take our seats, and Mark looks at me curiously.
“What were you just thinking about?” he asks.
“Just how nice this place is.”
He grins. “I wanted to take you somewhere fancy. It’s not really my kind of thing.”
“So why are we here?” I cross my arms.
He chuckles. “To make a good impression. And I’ve always wanted to try it. My sister’s been here a few times and she said the food is really good.”
I pick up the menu from the table and raise my eyebrows. “It had better be at these prices.”
“So what were youreallythinking about?”
I narrow my eyes. “How do you do that?”
“Do what?”
“Know that that wasn’t what I was thinking.”
He leans back in his chair. “Your cheeks weren’t red because you were thinking about the restaurant. I hope you were thinking about me.”
I burst out laughing. “Actually, I thought next time we’lljust go and get a burger or something because this isn’t my kind of place. But I’m happy to be here with you.”
“So you want there to be a next time?”
I shrug. “Let’s see how tonight goes.”
Dinner is amazing. The food is great, and the company even better.
Mark makes me laugh, and it feels like forever since I’ve just enjoyed another person’s company.
He’s a smart man who’s run his own business for years, and I admire the fact that he raised his sister.
His flirting is outrageous, and I love every minute of it. It’s so good to know exactly where I stand, and I don’t have any doubts about ulterior motives.
I’ve never been so relaxed.
Afterward, he insists on paying the bill and walks me to my car.
