Conor came out and helped with the paperwork, as Rory said he or Mia would, and when the three of us left, Rory pulled me aside and helped me into my car.
This wasn’t the cocky Rory I knew.Self-assured Rory, yes, but not cocky.All day, whenever I tried to put the wall between us, he would go and do something or say something that made me smile and question what I thought about him.
Maybe he was changing.
I don’t think he’d ever fought so hard for someone’s attention before and it wasn’t as if I were playing the cat-and-mouse game.But seeing him vie for something that wasn’t coming to him as easily as everything else in his life did, was certainly shaping him into a different person.
“Dinner?”he asked me again, this time while I sat in my brand new car.He had his forearms on the top of the car and was leaning in toward me.I kept my eyes on his, searching for answers.I needed to know if this was a game.
If I was just a conquest to him.
I wasn’t built like the girls he slept with.I thought I’d done really damn well over the last week, putting up the cinder block wall between the two of us, but I could feel it crumbling down.
I didn’t want to be like the other girls.
When Rory was nice and kind, he wasreallynice and kind.I found myself liking him more and more when he left his cocky attitude at the door.
Still looking him in the eye, I sucked in my top lip and bit on it, concentrating.I watched as his pupils dilated and his nostrils flared, but still he said nothing.
“Ok.”
It was barely spoken, hardly heard over the pounding of my heart, but Rory heard it loud and clear.His smile was movie-star worthy, showing that the man had a surprising dimple under his right eye, one that sat along his cheekbone.It added to the boyish quality he had.
“Awesome.Do you think you could be ready by seven?”
I nodded.“Sure.Is there going to be a dress code?”
“Just wear something nice.Not formal, just nice.”
Because it was still warm in the evening, I chose a sleeveless sundress in white and turquoise.I did find a cardigan to pair with it if it started to get chilly.I debated on heels before finding a pair of slightly heeled sandals that wouldn’t put my height over Rory’s.
I had a thing against being taller than guys I was going out with.
Being tall my whole life, it was one of those things that I could either let bother me, or just go with.I let it bother me.
There was a knock on my apartment door just as I was applying lip gloss.I twisted the wand back in and headed toward the living area, grabbing my purse on the way.I pulled open the door and couldn’t stop the smile from spreading when I saw Rory.
The man wore designer jeans to the bar, so it wasn’t that he’d dressed up for me; he was wearing an outfit I’d seen him in before, even.It was that he paired it with a sport jacket and held a bouquet of daisies in his hand.
“You look great,” he said, his eyes dropping and taking me in.“These are for you,” he added, thrusting the flowers in my direction.It was slightly comical, the way he did it.I wasn’t so sure that he was a flowers-to-girls guy generally.
“Thank you,” I said, taking the bouquet from him.“Let me put these in a vase.You’re welcome to come in.”I moved to the kitchen, finding a vase above the fridge, and situated the white and baby pink blooms.I loved their simplicity.
Rory stood in the middle of my living room, his hands in his pockets which allowed his sport jacket to part in a way that had him looking all GQ-esque.
Not that he didn’t any other day.
He still sported the stubble look and I was beginning to think it was just a new look for him, that he was going to keep it.It certainly didn’t hurt his image.His hair was pulled back in the stubby ponytail again, but like I said, it didn’t hurt his image.
“Ready?”I asked, stopping a little ways away from him.If I took a deep enough breath I could smell him from where I was.Any closer and I couldn’t be held responsible for my actions.
“That’s my line.”His grin was crooked and he held a hand out to me, urging me closer to him.Without extra preamble, I took his hand in mine and allowed him to pull me close.I closed my eyes when I stood in front of him, allowing the moment to seep through my veins.When Rory pressed his lips to my temple, my lips lifted in a closed-lipped smile and I opened my eyes again, turning my head this time to look at him.
We were incredibly close.I could count the blue flecks in his left eye; there were five that made up the orb I previously thought was simply one blue piece in the sea of green.His eyes held mine captive and when the corners of his eyes crinkled, I could tell his grin was genuine.
“Let’s eat.”
Rory brought me to a nicer American Steakhouse near the coastline.We were seated on the patio, making me glad I grabbed my sweater.The breeze was gentle and the night was beginning to cool, but the atmosphere of the place was truly euphoric.They strung circle wicker lights throughout the patio and had patio heaters throughout.
