I raise an eyebrow at him. “Too basic?”
“It needs to be more serendipitous than that,” he says. I lick my lips.
“Alright, then, Jake, what do you suggest? You’re the professional, here.”
He looks up at me. He taps his lip with his finger, and my gaze fixates there longer than it should. I catch his glance at my coffee cup.
“Coffee,” he says carefully.
“Coffee?”
“You picked up the wrong order. It was my order.”
I smirk at him. “And you were just too fucking cute to let out of my sight.”
He looks away, and I don’t miss the pink tint to his cheeks.
Fuck, this man blushes too easily and I like it more than I know I should.
“Yup. Sounds good.”
I finish my French toast and coffee, but Jacob takes his time. I’m not sure if it’s from all the talking or if he’s unhappy with his food.
“Is everything okay?” I ask. He looks back up at me. He nods.
“Yeah, of course.”
I’m not sure he’s telling the truth, but I don’t press him.
The waitress brings the check, and I swipe it from her before he can.
“We can split it,” he says as I shake my head.
“Absolutely not,” I tell him as I throw my card down in the checkbook.
He opens his mouth to protest but I hold my hand up.
“It’s the least I can do considering you took this gig on short notice.”
Jacob sighs, and I shake my head.
“All expenses for the date are covered by the client, right?”
“Yes, but this isn’t the date, yet.”
“All business meetings are on company time,” I say. “Consider it a write off.”
He looks like he wants to protest, but thinks better of it.
“Right. Then I guess I’ll meet you at the bar at six, like planned?”
All at once, I remember my text to Chris. I had said I’d meet my rent-a-date at the bar at six for drinks before the event, to get a feel for him, but now…
Now I already have a feel and I think maybe it would be better to meet up personally. Come together.
“I can pick you up,” I offer. “I mean, if we are serious, it might help to establish some…” I look him over. “Level of comfort.”
He chews his lip. “Right, level of comfort.”
