“Oh, yeah, you really look it.”
“I think I need to invest in some sexy orthopedic shoes or something. Hey,” I complain when Sienna snorts a laugh. “It’s not funny. I thought pregnancy was meant to make you glow.”
“You look radiant,” she announces.
“Don’t lie to me,” I mutter.
“It’s early days. I think it gets worse before it gets better.”
“Okay, go back to lying to me.”
Sienna chuckles as I shuffle toward her and then follow her down to the reception desk.
I don’t put any thought into who is here; my only concern is how quickly I can get rid of them so I can go and curl up in a ball.
Everyone else has already left for the night, so there are no distractions as I round the corner. Not that I think he’d be possible to miss if there were people in here.
Everett Donnelly is an enigma even in the most crowded of rooms.
“What are you doing here?” I blurt the second my eyes connect with his.
His chin drops in shock a beat before his eyes do the same thing, taking in the length of me.
I’m wearing my black salon-branded tunic and leggings. It’s a million miles from what the women he usually spends time with wear, but he doesn’t comment as he traces the lines of my body back up to my face.
Popping a hand on my hip, I raise a brow. “Finished?”
Sienna sniggers as she tidies up the desk. “I’ll leave you to it,” she says quickly before disappearing out the back.
Everett stands awkwardly before me, his lips pressed into a thin line and his hands behind his back.
“This place is cute,” he finally says when the silence extends a little too long.
“Uh…yeah.” Usually, I’d happily take the praise. I’ve designed this place from the ground up, and I’m beyond proud of what I’ve achieved, but for some reason, I don’t want Everett knowing everything about me yet. I need to know I can trust him before I let him into my life further than he already is. “Did you want something?” I ask when he continues to look around. I’m not sure if he’s really interested, or if he just doesn’t want to focus on me.
“I…uh…” He rubs the back of his neck as he stumbles. “Would you…uh…do you need dinner?”
One side of my mouth twitches up with a smile.
Is he…he is nervous?
“I was planning on eating dinner tonight, yes,” I confirm. “Haven’t quite decided what to have yet, though.”
“Yeah, me too.” I frown, wondering if he heard something different from what I just said.
“We don’t sell dinner. And if you were looking for a mani-pedi, we’re actually closed.”
His brow deepens before he lifts his hands between us. My eyes drop to his fingernails. Yeah, they could definitely do with some TLC.
“I’m not here for that. Can I…can I take you for dinner?” Behind us, there’s a suspicious bang followed by a “fuck,” letting me know that Sienna hasn’t gone far.
“You want to take me for dinner?” I echo.
“Uh…yeah. If you’re up for it.”
“And if I’m not?” I ask, unable to stop baiting him.
“I…um…I don’t really know,” he says honestly. “I just thought it might be a good idea to get to know each other.”
