“Yes. I know. But he knew we were trying to talk. He could have waited for us to stop talking,” he said quickly. “Anyway, everyone’s family is fucked-up in some way. I’m just glad you’re like the rest of us. Do you want to talk about it? You don’t have to.”
“I’d rather not. So, what about you? How did you get into your job?”
He leaned forward and took a drink of his wine before answering. “I guess that’s a bit of a loaded question for me as well. My mom raised us on her own. I hated seeing her struggle, so I needed something fast and inexpensive. I also always liked helping people and my uncle was a retired paramedic. So, it just made sense at the time.”
His honesty was disarming. She was suddenly in less of a hurry to get the date over with. “What about now? Do you still like helping people?”
Christian tilted his head to the side and studied her before he answered. She felt his gaze every place he looked. Right as he opened his mouth to respond to her question, the server placed their meal in front of them. Chris’s anger was palpable, and it took everything for Mallory not to laugh out loud.
“What’s funny?” Christian asked as soon as they were alone.
“You are,” she answered as she picked up the serving spoon and filled both bowls with pasta. “Now, back to my question. Do you still like helping people?”
Christian grinned; his dimples plainly visible. Mallory swallowed hard and begged her body to remain in control of itself. Refusing to label her response with a name, she instead enjoyed the way it made her feel.
“The simple answer would be yes,” he answered after a long moment.
“And the not so simple answer?”
Christian leaned forward and surprised Mallory by covering her hand with his, the warmth taking up her entire focus. His fingers lightly stroked her wrist and she nearly forgot how to think.
“Well … I enjoy helping people, but it’s hard. I really do want to help people. If you have family in the field, then I’m sure you’ve heard it before. People treat us like shit. We get attacked. All those things ruin it for people who need help. You already know what recently happened to me. My old partner was attacked a while back. She was nearly killed, and the people responsible barely got a slap on the wrist. Stuff like that makes the job harder than it needs to be. I’m probably known for having a bad attitude, but it’s not because I don’t like my job. It’s just so hard going into work knowing anything can happen andwe don’t have the protection that the police have. If that makes sense,” he tried to explain. “I’m sorry. I don’t mean to drag you down. You know how it is when you’re dealing with people. But all it takes is one patient to remind you why you do the job.”
It was hard for her to not immediately think of him as that patient, but for other reasons. She was being silly. Just the other day an elderly woman had made her entire day. She was so sweet, and her smile could light up the room. When Mallory had asked the standard questions, the woman’s eyes lit up and she smiled as she answered. Mallory had wanted to adopt her as a grandma.
“I know what you mean. We’re just people. The job can get to us the same way any job gets to anyone. And just because we may get annoyed, it doesn’t mean we don’t give every patient our all,” Mallory said quietly. “Even the ones who don’t deserve it.”
“Even the ones who don’t deserve it,” Christian repeated.
They ate their meal in silence. Mallory really did feel a connection to him. He was brusque, but she understood him. He had a short fuse, but she knew he would never direct it at her. She couldn’t explain how she knew, but she did. Without a word, she wrote her number on a cocktail napkin and slid it across the table.
“So …” Christian said as he filled their glasses with the last of the wine. “Can I see you again?”
Mallory had already decided she wanted to see more of him. She’d been single for some time, and this was the first time she found herself wanting more than a first date or a one-night stand since she’d stopped seeing Aiden.
“Yes. Why else do you think I gave you my number?”
“Tomorrow?” he asked, nearly talking over her.
She laughed at his enthusiasm. “Whoa, what’s the rush? I have yoga tomorrow night. We can do something this weekend, though.”
He leaned even closer and flipped her hand over. She shivered when he began tracing designs along her palm. “It’s my weekend to work …”
It was tempting, but she didn’t want to be that person. Fridays were for her best friend. She wouldn’t ditch him for the first man who came along and asked her out. Never mind that Dan would probably approve. He hadn’t pushed her aside even though things were getting serious with Ian.
“Come to the gym with me tomorrow. Have you ever tried yoga? You might like it,” she suggested, assuming he’d say no.
It was his turn to laugh. “I am not taking a yoga class, but I’ll go to the gym with you. I’ll do a workout while you do your yoga. Sound good?”
Going to the gym together sounded strangely intimate even though they’d already done part of a workout together before. She liked the idea. “Meet me there tomorrow at around four?”
Christian stood and tossed a few bills on the table. When Mallory joined him, he reached for her hand and gave it a gentle squeeze. “It’s a date.”
The butterflies were back. She wasn’t sure what the hell was wrong with her. She was behaving like a teenager who’d never been on a date before. Everything he said and did made her heart flutter. They had come to a stop beside her car, and she realized he was watching her with an amused smile. Her thoughts were always displayed on her face when she wasn’t paying attention.
“Okay, then. I’ll see you tomorrow,” she said as she turned to open her car door.
Christian stepped forward and placed his hand on her car door, both closing her in and preventing her from opening the door. It was excitement, and not fear that coursed through her. She sucked in a breath and searched his face. He had the same amused smile as before when he stepped closer and used hisfree hand to tilt her chin. His scent overwhelmed her senses as he closed the distance between them. He smelled of soap, and either cologne or after shave. Whatever it was had her closing her eyes and breathing it in.
