Elias slid off the barstool, beer in hand, as they went into the living room. He wasn’t sure where they were going to put half the things they got, but he figured if all else failed, they could store them in a closet until they needed them.
5
Elias pulled into the restaurant parking lot and found a spot. It was one of his favorites, and he frequented it primarily for lunch. The food was always delicious, and he always had a good experience there. The downside was that they weren’t on any delivery apps, didn’t have online ordering options, and it was almost impossible to get through by phone during lunchtime because they stayed pretty busy. He didn’t mind making the short drive. He minded less as he exited the car and saw the other person approaching the entrance.
“Fancy meeting you here, Amate.”
Eri raised a brow at him. “This is the second time in a week you’ve been somewhere I am. Are you following me?” she asked with a playful smile.
He knew she was referring to when they’d seen each other at Avian and Marco’s on Thursday. “Far from it. It’s fate. We should embrace it.”
“Should we now?”
“Absolutely. Have lunch with me,” Elias requested.
His original plan had been to go in and place his order to go, but he didn’t have anywhere to be, and he would much prefer lunch with her. It would be the type of time he wanted to spend with her. A setting where he asked for it, and she gave it because she wanted to, not because it was convenient. They might have ended up in the same place coincidentally, but he wouldn’t look a gift horse in the mouth.
“Bold of you to assume I’m not meeting someone,” she countered.
“No one ever gets what they want by not being bold.” And he knew she was aware of what he wanted.
“I suppose I have time for lunch with you.”
Elias contained an amused smile at the forced nonchalance in her voice. He opened the door and gestured for her to enter. They were lucky; a table was being cleared when they walked in, and no one was in front of them. He assumed most people got their orders to go.
Once seated with their menus, he leaned back in his chair and looked her over as she decided what she wanted. She was fucking gorgeous, but she always was. He knew it was a physical attraction that drew him to her, and all these months later, that was still a big part of the attraction, but he’d also gotten peeks into her personality when they all hung out. He knew they would vibe well together when she stopped pretending, for whatever reason, that she didn’t like him.
When she looked up from her menu and caught him staring, he didn’t look away, and she said nothing, as he’d expected her to. Nor did she go back to looking at the menu. She held his gaze, and Elias couldn’t help but smirk as he realized what she was doing. It was cute.
“You see something you like, Amate?”
“Funny. I was about to ask you that,” Eri countered.
“I do. It’s such a beautiful sight.”
“Hello. Sorry for the wait. What can I get you to drink?” the server asked.
“A Coke, please,” Elias responded, eyes still on Eri.
She turned her gaze from him to the server as she ordered. “Lemonade, please.”
“I’ll get those right out to you,” they stated before leaving.
“That was kind of rude,” she said, putting her menu down.
“I said, please. Besides, there isn’t anything or anyone in this restaurant I’d rather look at.” Elias didn’t miss the blush that bloomed over cinnamon-colored cheeks but didn’t remark on it as he changed the subject. “Classes start back ton Monday, right?”
“Yes, but I don’t have class on Mondays. It feels weird that I’m excited for this semester to start.”
“It’s the anticipation since you graduate when it’s over.”
“Yeah, you’re probably right.”
“Do you know what you want to do regarding going to work for someone else or starting your own business?”
“Working for someone else for a while would allow me to gain some experience and get my name out there, but starting my own business and freelancing would allow me to set my hours and take on projects I’m passionate about, but that requires having clients, and while I started building my portfolio and getting my name out there when the fall semester started, I don’t think I’ll be where I need to clientele wise after graduation.”
“That might be true, but Albuquerque isn’t a small place. I’m sure you’ll find plenty of clients, and the possibilities are endless in the career you’ve chosen. I’m sure you’ll have people from all over the world reaching out for your expertise.”
