My eyes squinted, a hint of confusion flashing across my face. “Um…like right now?”
“Yeah.”
My heart skipped a beat as I wondered what this was all about. I didn’t remember breaking the rules or doing anything bad to get his attention. So, what the hell was going on?
“Okay, lemme just—” I gestured to the table.
“Hey, Audrey!” He flagged her down as she walked past us.
She stopped in her tracks, facing us.
“Take that.” He pointed at the tray in my hand. “And cover table twelve.”
Audrey’s gaze shifted between the two of us for a moment before she nodded. She stepped up to me, took the tray, and then dematerialized without a word.
After she left, I looked right at him and said, “I promise you, whatever it is you think I did, I didn’t do it.”
His lips curled into a small smile, his gray eyes crinkling at the corners. His neatly trimmed beard caught the light, as did his black hair, styled to perfection. His lean frame towered over me, his head lowered as he gazed down at me.
“What makes you think you did anything?”
“Well, it’s not every day your manager walks up to you mid-shift and asks if you have a minute,” I answered, my voice quiet and polite.
“True.” He let out a soft chuckle. “I just wanted to ask if you’re okay.”
My brows rose reflexively, shocked by the concern simmering beneath the surface. “Yes, I am. Why do you ask?”
He was silent for a while before responding.
“When I’m overwhelmed by something, I tend to bury myself in work,” he said, his eyes pinned on me, his voice soft but audible. “Not because I love it, but because it’s the only way I can escape my reality.”
My throat bobbled as I swallowed hard, meeting his gaze.
“You’re running away from something, aren’t you?” he asked.
This man just read me like an open book—I wasn’t sure whether to find that disturbing or intriguing.
“You don’t have to tell me right now,” he added. “We can discuss it over the weekend.”
I furrowed my brows. “The weekend?”
“I’m sorry, I suck at this.” He chuckled lightly. “I haven’t asked a girl out in ages.”
Wait, what?
Is he trying to do what I think he’s trying to do? Is he asking me out right now? What the fuck? Am I ready for this? What should I say?
He curled his lips into a polite smile. “Would you like to hang out with me this weekend?”
Oh, shoot!
Panic set in, and I could feel my heart racing like a friggin’ galloping horse. I hadn’t gone out with anyone in a really, really long time, and I didn’t intend to do so any time soon.
What should I do? Ethan was a good man, and I didn’t want to hurt his feelings, especially after he revealed he hadn’t done this in a while. I was an introvert and would rather spend the whole weekend in my apartment than go out to have some fun.
I thought about declining his offer, but then I remembered my last conversation with Eva. She’d encouraged me to go out more often and live a little. If she ever found out that I turned down an opportunity to hang out with a guy, she’d kill me.
It hurt when she told me bluntly that I wasn’t living; I was only existing. As painful as that was, it was the truth. My life was boring and gloomy, and I was always so lonely. I woke up every day, repeating the same routine over and over—nothing new ever happened.
