I chuckle. “Not at all. It was impressive.” Mind you, I ate the same thing the other night with JP and still had room for dessert.
“Not sure if I should be proud that I impressed you with my eating habits.”
“Maybe a little.” I wink.
He glances at his watch and winces. “I hate to be that guy, but I have an early morning meeting tomorrow and I think it’s going to take me a long time to walk back to my hotel.”
“You’re going to walk? I hope it’s close.”
“A few blocks... uphill. And trust me when I say, I SHOULD walk back.”
I chuckle. “Burning some late-night calories?”
“I have to.” Since he already paid for the meal, he stands from his chair, and I do the same. Once my things are gathered, I walk toward the exit. He places his hand on the small of my back and guides me down the stairs and out the front door.
Chills run up my spine.
This was a nice date.
There was no arguing.
There was a constant flow of easy conversation.
And even though he’s a bit awkward in some ways, he’s great in others.
“I’m glad I came out tonight,” I say as we reach the pier. I wait for him to take my hand, but when he doesn’t, I settle with holding the strap of my purse.
“I’m glad you did, too. Ellie was telling me over and over that I needed to take you out for a meal. I can see why. You’re great company, Kelsey.”
“Thank you.” I smile up at him. “How much longer are you in San Francisco?”
“A week. What about you?”
“Same,” I say. “At least, that’s what’s on the schedule. Who knows, things could change.”
“Yeah, doesn’t it always seem like the schedule is changing? I was only supposed to be here for a few days, but the time keeps getting extended. This was the first night I’ve had that didn’t involve business. It was a nice reprieve.”
“I’m glad I could help with that.”
“You did.” He sticks his hands in his pockets. “Can I ask you something?”
“Of course,” I say with a bright smile, because I have a feeling I know what he’s going to ask. He’s a bit shy, so his approach doesn’t surprise me. My answer will be a yes when he asks for another date. I’ve truly enjoyed myself tonight. We had some laughs, and even though there were some stutters in our conversation, overall, it was a great night. So, yes, I’ll sayyesto a second date.
“I was curious.” He bashfully looks away. “Would you be comfortable with telling me how you like working with Cane Enterprises?”
“That would be great,” I answer before I can process his question.
Wait...
What?
Confused, he looks at me with a pinched brow, and that’s when I actually register what he asked.
Cane Enterprises.
Working with them.
Oh.
