Holy crap, I forgot about not getting names. “Paula. You?”
“Tristan. It’s nice to meet you.”
He moves closer to me as Eric slides our drinks across the bar. I can’t remember the last time I felt so at ease talking to someone. I mean, I’m friendly with the girls at work, but this is different. Someone I might be interested in if I did relationships.
“So, how long are you in town?” I take a sip of my drink. Just because he comes and goes doesn’t mean we can’t have a little fun.
“A couple of days, I think.” He tilts his head to the side as if that will help him come to the right conclusion. “I know the band was going to work on a project with Devin, but I’m not sure how long they plan on sticking around.”
“Do you have to be wherever they are?”
“Actually, no.” He moves his forearm to the edge of the bar and leans on it. “We usually get leave time when they are working on stuff because they aren't’ doing any shows. I usually go home, but I could hang around here for a little longer.”
It’s good to know I’m not the only one feeling the chemistry. Though, I don’t know how I feel about the couple of days part. That feels a little too long for what I’m comfortable with.
“How about we start with one night?” Too forward? Maybe. But it beats talking to my family, and he’s cute.
He rears his head back, surprised by my suggestion. I’m guessing most people he’s seen don’t usually come right out with their intentions.
“Um, yeah. That works, too.” His cheeks are bright red, and I don’t think I’ve ever made a man blush.
“Let’s finish our drinks, then get out of here.”
He doesn’t argue, but the smile crossing his face lets me know he’s not opposed to the idea.
“Wow, you live way out here, don’t you?” He’s standing with me on the front porch as I unlock my door.
“Yeah. It gives me the privacy I want and I’m away from my family. It’s a double win.” I shrug and push the door open.
“I take it you’re not close to your family.” He follows me inside and shuts the door behind him. “Any chance I get, I go home to see my family.”
Shaking my head, I laugh. “You don’t have the family I do. They feel the need to butt in on every aspect of my life.”
I really don’t want to get into this with him. It’s too heavy a subject and I don’t know that he needs all of this information. Especially for one night. He may be coming in with bigger expectations, but I can’t promise him that.
Honestly, we should have gotten a hotel instead of coming to my house. It’s like I’m incapable of making a good decision. Well, that’s not entirely true. Discussing my family just makes me moody.
“That’s actually understandable. I think we all have those people in our lives who think they know what’s best for us.”
With those few words my bad mood has gone just as quickly as it arrived. I’m glad he’s not judging me. I get enough of that from everyone else.
I’m only hoping we can keep this up for the rest of the night because I don’t want this to be another mistake.
“Thanks for not pressing too much.”
“Hey.” He holds his hands up. “We’re hanging out for fun. Not to bring family drama into things. No offense, but that feels a bit much for a first date.”
I can’t help the laugh that falls from my lips. “This is what you consider a first date? Most guys would definitely classify this as a hook up.”
He holds his hands up in the air. “Nobody said you were getting any of this just because I came home with you.”
“What other reason did you think we were leaving?” He is different than most guys I’ve ever met, even briefly. Or maybe I misread his smile? I mean, he did blush when we were at the bar.
“I know exactly what you were insinuating, but I’m not that kind of guy. I never have been.” He takes a few steps back toward the door. “We can hang out and get to know each other a little bit. Or, I can go back to my hotel room.”
“Wait, you have a hotel?” God, this information would have been good to know before we left the bar.Then he wouldn’t know where I live, and this wouldn’t become an issue later on. As cute as I think he is, I don’t know if I can just hang out with him. It’s not something I’m used to doing.
“Yes.” He draws out. “Why is that important?”
