My eyes roamed back up to his face. He looked like he hadn’t shaved in a few days, and that light dusting of hair made my body react in ways I hadn’t felt before. My nipples were hardening, and it wasn’t because of the cold. My breathing felt like it had picked up slightly. Maybe I was getting sick.
The man adjusted his glasses, which brought my attention to his eyes. His glasses were simple, but the hazel color behind them was not.
“Do you play beach volleyball?” I blurted out, realizing this guy was definitely thinking I was off my rocker with how long I’d been staring at him. I just wished I would have thought of something better to say.
Chapter Six
Arthur
Simply adorable.
Phillip didn’t tell me anything about this girl, other than where she’d be and to treat her nicely. I appreciated that because I really wanted to find out everything about her on my own. I didn’t need him giving me the ins and outs of her past, present, and future. She would tell me in time. Hopefully. Unless I already came off like a creeper by asking to sit with her. She sure looked like she didn’t know how to react in the situation.
“Not recently.” I smiled at her question.
“Does that mean you’ve never played beach volleyball? Your body structure looks like the type I saw in the Olympics with the men’s beach volleyball team.”
She just put whatever she was thinking out there. But I guess her thought meant she had checked out my body, and those dudes were fit.
“I haven’t, but I’m going to take that as a compliment that I have a fit body like one.”
Pink blush coated her cheeks, and she started focusing on the winter scene out the window, purposely not looking at me.
“I’m Arthur.”
I waited for her to introduce herself, maybe keep playing the small talk game with me, but she just looked at me, nodded that she heard me, and then looked around the diner.
“Ow.” She jumped an inch to the right, like something bit her.
“What was that for?”
I raised my hands, showing I didn’t do whatever just happened.
“I didn’t do anything.” I had no clue what was going on right now; this situation had not started out how I thought it would at all.
She whipped her head down to the empty seat next to her and then to me.
“I know it wasn’t you. It was my companion here. Apparently, I wasn’t listening to his cues about introducing myself and small talk, so he pinched me to get my attention. Sorry. I’m not very good about this thing.” She blew out a breath in exasperation.
Did she say companion?
Before I could ask about that, she shook her head.
“I’m Gwendolyn, human robot of Seahill. I don’t go out much, or talk to a lot of people, and I have Asperger’s syndrome, which is on the autism spectrum.”
That was a complex introduction, and I did not know what to make about it. Not that I was upset about any of her words. She was just so open, and didn’t beat around the bush at all. It was interesting to talk to someone who just put it all on the table like that.
The waitress came and dropped off Gwendolyn’s hot chocolate and food. Then she took my order for a coffee and omelet.
“Why did you say those things about yourself instead of just your name?” She chose those things on purpose; my guess is she thought it would push me away. I could be wrong, but habits from the old me were still hanging around inside me. Like reading people. I was really good at that.
“Usually people walk away after my awkward introduction. I’m not good at small talk or reading any social cues, really. It’s part of having Asperger’s. Men normally don’t like that. I thought you would wanna know before trying to keep talking to me—didn’t want to freak you out when I didn’t do what you would expect.”
Her answer was as honest as it gets. I have a cousin who is on the spectrum; he is one of the smartest kids I know. Amazing guy. This girl wasn’t scaring me away from her at all with her introduction; in fact, it only made me want to know more.
Those ice-blue eyes of hers were staring into my hazel ones, and I was simply mesmerized. I doubt there was anything this girl could do that would turn me off of her. It was crazy. I felt like a madman for being so into a woman after simply seeing her and chatting for all of a few minutes, but I wanted so much more.
“I’m not going anywhere, as long as that’s okay with you?” She was honest with me, so I returned the favor.
