“I just mean, I’ve never been on a real date,” I explain, my mouth going dry with how pathetic I sound.
I want to explain. I want to tell him about how I’ve been in one relationship, but we didn’t date. He didn’t take me out. But we spent time together. We had sex. I thought we fell in love, but I was alone in that. He went off to college while I stayed in Denver for school and that was that. It was fine, but it wasn’t what anyone could consider a courtship.
Joss’s eyes narrow with determination, his voice is steel as he promises, “I’ll take you on the best fucking first date of your life, Sugar. It’ll be your last, but we’ll get into those details later.”
I blink a few times and stutter, “Wh-what?”
His lips curl into a devilish smirk before he swoops down and kisses my forehead. The touch of his lips against my skin is so brief that I think I must have made it up when he pulls his phone out of his pocket and winks.
Or maybe I didn’t make it up?
I’m not really sure.
“What’s your number, Syndal?”
I rattle off the numbers automatically, a reflex more than anything else. Not that I don’t want him to have it. I do. I’ve been wishing for this chance. For a replay, a re-do, whatever.
When he’s done, he holds his phone up to show me how I’m saved under ‘Sweet Syn’. I almost fall to the ground in a puddle of adorableness that not even Cap and Pascal could rival. Holy shit. This man is potent.
“I’ll talk to you soon,” he tells me, his eyes dancing with something like victory and hope.
He slips back into the crowd. Somehow, I manage to make it through the rest of the event. I’m not entirely sure how because I’m in a daze the entire time. Except during the moments when I can feel his eyes on me.
It takes me longer to pack up than it normally does, my movements becoming almost sluggish from the exhaustion I’ve been battling along with working up the strength I needed to talk to Joss. I did it. I was honest. And he’s going to call me.
I think. Or I hope.
Maybe he won’t?
“Sugar,” Joss drawls from behind me as I set the last container in my cart, finally ready to roll out of the convention center.
When I gasp and jerk slightly, he’s right there to steady me. I look around and realize I’m the last person packing up. Apparently, I was lost in my own world.
“What are you still doing here?” The question is ridiculous; the man works here.
He has the good manners not to say it. “I’m taking you out to get something to eat. It might not be some super mega first date, but it’ll be real and it won’t be our officially first date-date.” I stare at him for a moment and the tips of his ears turn adorably pink. “I’ve been watching you, Syndal, and you’ve been working for hours without a break.” When he grabs my hand and looks at me, his eyes pleading, I’m a fucking goner. “Let me take care of you, just a little.”
“Okay.”
It’s the only thing I can say. It’s the only thing Iwantto say.
Hopefully, he’s the real deal because I could easily fall for him. If I haven’t already.
CHAPTER 6
SYNDAL
I’m not nervous at all as I wait for Joss to show up. This is our second date, technically, but he’s been calling it our first official date, with all the bells and whistles of being picked up. I don’t care what we call it. All I know is I’m excited about it.
Okay, fine, and a little nervous.
I find it calming that this isn’t our first-first date. A few days ago, after the local market, he took me out to get some food. It was casual and calm. I wasn’t dressed up and we were in the clothes we had been wearing all day. I’m sure my hair looked like I was caught in a tornado at some point. Or at least a large storm with high winds.
But it was clear that Joss didn’t care.
He looked at me with soft eyes the entire time we ate. He asked me questions about growing up, my day job, and my dreams for Synful Sweets. He never looked bored or like he was itching to get away from me. No, in fact it was the opposite. He was eager.
It was like he was lapping up every word and fact I shared about myself. It was heady as hell. I’ve never had another person pay such close attention to me before. I’m fairly sure I’ve been floating through life ever since.
