“It has been pretty great,” I agreed.
We didn’t have time to say much more before our server swept in and took my card off to charge it. She returned with it and the receipt, as well as the boxes Giselle needed for her leftovers.
She hadn’t eaten much while I ate with gusto, but she’d taken additional bites all throughout our conversation, which showed me she was serious about not ending up in the hospital again.
I had no right to feel proud of her for that, yet I did. She’d made a promise to my son, and she was keeping it. That meant a lot to me.
And she was looking out for her own health. That was important too.
We chatted a bit more, then stood up. It seemed neither of us really wanted to go, but the restaurant was about to close, so we had no choice.
I offered to carry Giselle’s bag of food, but she shook her head. “No, I can handle it.”
“Are you sure? I don’t mind.”
“No, I want to. But thank you for asking.”
“Of course, any time.”
Boy, did I mean that. I didn’t want this to be the last time Giselle and I interacted, despite how many times I’d told myself there wouldn’t be a second date. When I was with her, it was almost easy to forget everything that was wrong with me.
Together, the two of us walked to the car. I had to fight the crazy urge to kiss her under the inky depths of the night sky. But that was way too far, way too fast, and considering the breakdown I’d had about going on a date with a woman who wasn’t Millia, it was also potentially dangerous.
So, I kept my lips to myself and opened the passenger-side door for Giselle. She got in, but before I could close it, our server shouted from the entrance of the restaurant.
“Excuse me, Miss! You forgot your purse!”.
Giselle let out an exhausted sound, and I got it. From what she’d told me, Graves’ disease had a pretty heavy exhaustion mechanic.
“I’ll go get it,” I said, handing her the keys. “Why don’t you turn on the car and get those heated seats going?”
The look she gave me was so open, so warm, that I was a bit taken aback. “Thank you, Ben.”
Fuck, I loved the way she said my name. A single syllable, but I felt it in my chest.
“No problem.”
I closed her door and jogged over to the restaurant. It really was the least I could do, so I didn’t mind at all.
And who knew, maybe I would get a chance to do even better.
I supposed time would tell.
ELEVEN
GISELLE
A Helping Hand
Wow.
Holy halibut, cloud nine, trick-on-a-stick,wow.
After our rom-com moment on my porch, our date had taken an intense turn when Ben had a panic attack in the car.
I’d been more than a little alarmed, but then my teacher instincts kicked in, and I helped him through a breathing exercise.
I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t acutely aware of his impressive musculature when I put my hand on his chest to help him focus. I didn’t want to objectify him! Even though I’d tried my best to banish that thought from my mind, I kept thinking about the heat of him, and how my palm had risen and fallen with his breathing.
