A smirk twitches at my lips.
“Ah, you’ve got me.”
“Did you have fun tonight?” she asks, changing the subject.
“Yeah, I guess. I think the guys are suspicious as fuck, though. Especially considering I spent more time gazing across the restaurant than I did listening to what they were saying.”
I don’t need to look over to know she’s blushing; I can see it clear as day in my mind.
“You were not,” she argues.
“I just needed to know it was going okay. That you were happy and comfortable.”
“I really appreciate it. It was nice knowing someone had my back if things went wrong.”
Relieved I didn’t fuck anything up tonight, I shift a little in my seat.
“I have a confession to make.”
“Another one?”
“Yeah. So…I didn’t just come out tonight to check on you.”
“Oh?” she asks, twisting to study my profile as I drive.
“I…um…I may have fucked up my own dinner.”
“Cole,” she half gasps, half laughs. “I left you basic instructions to warm it up. How did it go wrong?”
“I didn’t read it correctly. I thought the three was an eight and…and well, I nuked it.”
“Oh my God,” she laughs. “How? How are you so useless?”
As soon as I hear the words, I know she’s going to try taking them back. Despite being worried about offending me, her lack of filter doesn’t seem to be getting any better. And I’m glad; I love hearing what she’s really thinking. So much of my life has been filled with people telling me what they think I want to hear. I love that she doesn’t care who I am, that she doesn’t feel the need to change the way she talks to me because of my job.
“I’m so sorry, Cole. I didn’t mean that.”
“What have I said about apologizing?” I growl, my voice deeper than intended.
“I…uh…” she stutters. “Sorry.”
“Fucking hell,” I laugh. “I’m going to ban that word.”
“I’ll try to stop,” she promises.
“I give you an hour,” I tease.
“That’s not very optimistic,” she points out.
“You do say it a lot.”
“I guess,” she muses, turning her attention to the passing buildings.
“So, are you going to see him again?”
“Do you believe in love at first sight?” she asks, shocking the hell out of me.
“Uh…”
