He listed off a full menu of beer options before I selected one at random just to make him stop talking.
“This menu is ridiculous. And way too expensive, Seb.”
“It’s not too expensive. Things have never been this good at the shop, and summer is just getting started. It’ll be even busier over the next few months. I can treat my lady to a fancy dinner. Don’t you worry about that.”
She made a face, dropping her eyes to scan the menu again.
“What if your lady doesn’t want a fish head on her plate?” Lydia asked, her face not even trying to mask her disgust as she read through the rest of the menu. “Honestly, Seb, this all sounds terrible. I mean, if you want to stay, I’ll find something on the menu. I’m sure their salads are fine.” She turned the menu over in her hands. “Who adds buzz buttons to their salads?” she muttered under her breath.
“What are buzz buttons?” I asked.
“They’re these little edible flowers that make your mouth numb. I’ve had them in a drink before, and it’s kind of cool, but they don’t taste good.”
I pulled out my wallet and dropped enough cash onto the table to cover our drink orders, plus tip. It wasn’t the server’s fault this wasn’t the kind of place for us.
“Come on. We’ll find someplace else.”
“No. No. I can find something on the menu. We don’t need to leave. I lived in New York for over ten years. I’ve seen all kinds of weird gastronomy.”
I barked out a laugh. “I don’t want gastronomy. I want dinner. Let’s go.”
We made our way through the restaurant and out to my car, Lydia’s palm in mine again.
“I’ll let you pick the place this time. Where are we going?” I asked as I stepped up to the passenger side to open the door for her.
“Honestly? I think we should go to Downtown Diner, fill our faces with good home-cooked-style meals, then maybe grab a drink at Harpoons.”
“That’s not a date,” I chided. “That’s a regular Tuesday night. We can do better than that.”
“You asked me what I wanted. That’s what I want. I want to sit across from you over good food, get just shy of tipsy at the bar, and then go home and have my way with you. That’s what I want.”
I leaned into her, pressing her back against the side of the car. Her breath hitched, her chin tipping up to me. Daylight hadn’t quite sunk into dusk yet, the low sun casting her face in a golden hue, making her mossy green eyes shine bright.
The words I wanted to say to her bounced around my head. Small words with big meanings. I hadn’t said those words to anyone since I was in high school and didn’t recognize the weight they carried until it was too late. I broke Kerry Dimacio’s heart when we were seventeen, and she threw my words back at me in tears. I felt like such an asshole—I was an asshole—and I never made that mistake again.
Telling those words to Lydia wouldn’t be a mistake. It wasthe goddamn truth of the matter, but I wasn’t sure if she was ready to hear them yet. I could wait a little longer. Give her more time so it didn’t feel rushed or premature.
I gripped her chin, holding her just where I wanted her, and looked deep into her eyes. When I slanted my mouth over hers, I poured every emotion, every feeling, into the kiss. I may not say the words yet, but she would know.
Lydia wrapped her arms low around my back and squeezed my ass.
I pulled back from her, kiss-drunk and a little dizzy. “Are you sure you don’t want to go straight home, fuck the food and drinks?”
Her smile was lethal in the way it stopped my heart. “Food, drink, then fuck,” she said. She slipped out of my arms and into the car. “Let’s go, Devereux. I want my date.”
“What my lady wants, my lady gets.” I shut her door and rounded the car.
Thirty minutes later, we pulled into the Downtown Diner’s parking lot. I looked Lydia up and down in her sexy date night outfit and then flitted my gaze to the old diner.
“Did you want to go home and change first?”
She looked down at her outfit, her hand covering her mostly bare belly. “No, why? Is this outfit a problem?” What would normally come out as a playful sass sounded guarded, maybe even fearful.
“Look at me, Lydia,” I commanded. Her eyes snapped to mine. I pulled her hand off her belly, interlocking our fingers. “I’m not him. You can wear whatever you want, whenever you want, wherever you want. I just wanted to make sure you were comfortable since we’re just at the diner.”
“I know. I’m sorry.”
“You don’t need to apologize. I need to make sure you know that though. I’m not some insecure frat boy. You’re stunning, Lydia, and you’re mine. That’s all I need.”
