With his hand still at the base of my spine, Phillip and I set off toward the doors. I looked up as we approached and saw that Landen had moved off to the side and leaned against the wall with his arms crossed over his chest. And he was definitely glaring at me.
I met his gaze levelly before turning away. I wouldn’t give him the satisfaction of seeing that he affected me. I allowed Phillip to lead me outside. Considering I hadn’t heard from him in ten days, I wasn’t sure why he looked annoyed with me.
I tried to ignore the sinking sensation in the pit of my stomach, but it remained the entire two blocks to the bar. And while Phillip and I ordered our drinks. When I heard my phone buzz in my purse, I ignored it because I had a pretty good idea who was messaging me. Figures. Now that I had a date, the asshole called.
I was distracted and fighting the urge to look at my phone when Phillip spoke. “Everything okay, Chelsea?”
My eyes lifted from where I’d been studying the tapas menu and found Phillip studying me, his gaze surprisingly astute.
I forced a small smile. “I’m okay. Just a long week.”
“So you’re not uncomfortable because of the man who was staring holes in the side of my head when we were walking out of the building earlier?”
This time my smile was real. “You noticed that, huh?”
Phillip’s brows lifted and he chuckled. “I thought my hair was going to catch fire when he looked at me.” He leaned forward, folding his arms on the table. I noticed that his biceps bulged slightly beneath his suit jacket and felt an answering tug in my belly. Maybe Landen wasn’t the only man I could find attractive after all. “Did I step on someone’s toes by asking you out?”
I immediately shook my head. “Absolutely not. And I wouldn’t have accepted if I was in a relationship of any kind.”
His eyes gleamed as he stared at me and I suddenly understood what made him a good lawyer. He didn’t ask any more questions, he just let the silence stretch until I finally continued.
With a sigh, I placed the tapas menu on the table. “He and I went out a couple of weeks ago. It was a great date but he never called or texted. He didn’t even send me an email. Just silence.”
Phillip studied me for another moment before he spoke again. “Then he’s an idiot.”
I laughed and felt my cheeks warm. “Thank you for saying that.”
“I’m serious.”
Shrugging, I stated, “I’m not disagreeing with you. It’s just something that happens regularly.”
His gaze sharpened. “Men not calling you after dates?”
The waitress brought our drinks over. I thanked her and waited until she walked away before I answered. “Actually, yes.” I sipped the margarita I’d ordered and was immediately reminded of the night of Lucy’s wedding and everything else that had happened. So, the margarita was a mistake, but apparently I was a masochist because I took another drink before I continued. “I’m not as sweet as I might appear.”
The corner of Phillip’s mouth tilted up. “What do you mean?”
I placed my drink on the table and met his eyes steadily. “I’m outspoken and blunt. I say what I think and I’m not very tolerant of bullshit.” I grinned at him. “I’m actually a lot like Tanya, but I look more like a china doll than an Amazon.”
He swallowed some of the vodka tonic he’d ordered before he responded. “I could see that. You’re right that appearances can be deceiving, but I personally don’t like the delicate flower type. Which is why I approached you.”
I mimicked his earlier behavior and cocked my head to the side without speaking.
As though he understood what I was doing, he grinned and went on. “I guess it’s time for me to confess,” he said. “I’ve been here for a few weeks now and I’ve seen you at the coffee shop or the atrium several times. To be honest, after the first time I saw you, I’ve looked for you every time I’m there because you interested me. When I noticed you sitting there alone yesterday, I decided it was time to talk to you.”
Propping my elbow on the table, I put my chin in my hand. “You realize that sounds borderline creepy, right?”
He threw his head back and laughed. I found myself smiling back at him. “I know, but I’ve dated enough to know that honesty from the very beginning is the best way to go.”
“I have to agree with you.”
The rest of the date went well. We talked, drank, and laughed, though I switched to water after the margarita because I wanted a clear head for the drive home. Plus I didn’t want any more reminders of Landen and the crazy fireworks that went off in my head whenever I remembered the way he’d kissed me at Lucy’s wedding.
When I tried to split the check, Phillip merely gave me a look and pulled the black book that held the ticket to his side of the table. After he paid, we walked out of the bar and I noticed that the sun was going down. We’d stayed for much longer than I originally planned. Night didn’t fall until nearly eight during the late spring.
As we walked back toward the building where we both worked, Phillip stopped me at the corner with a hand on my elbow. I knew what was coming, so I turned to face him. He looked down at me for a moment before his head lowered and his mouth touched mine.
As far as kisses went, it was tame. A simple touch of lips, no tongues or roving hands. And it was nice.
