God, tonight’s date had to go well! She needed a damn orgasm.
She hurried to the host and gave her name. She shouldn’t have been surprised that he led her and Connor to two tables next to each other, but she was.
“You’re not serious.”
Connor grinned, unfazed. “It’s cozy. Almost a double date.”
She sighed and scanned the QR code on the table with her phone, which gave her access to the restaurant’s menu. Their dates wouldn’t arrive for another five minutes, and she’d rather study the food and drinks in detail than continue talking to Connor.
The Galette was a French restaurant that focused on savory crepes and colorful cocktails, but they only used premium ingredients, which resulted in rather steep prices.
Rachel hoped her date would pay. She was all for equal rights, but she was also all for money in her bank account — and there wasn’t much left.
Connor sat on the chair almost across from her, apparently giving his date the more comfortable spot on the cushioned bench. She didn’t like the idea that he was doing it on purpose, simply out of politeness, but she wasn’t paying attention to him anyway, so it didn’t matter.
The waiter came over to take their drink orders. Connor ordered whiskey without ice, and she…
“I’d like a Gin Buck.”
The waiter blinked, confused. “A what?”
“A Gin Buck. It’s a cocktail.”
“Um, okay, but…” He frowned. “It’s not on the menu.”
She smiled pleasantly. “I know. But I’ve been craving a Gin Buck all day. It’s my drink. You have gin on the menu. You haveginger ale on the menu. And I bet you have lemon juice too. That’s all a Gin Buck needs. I’ll take it with Hendrick’s though, not Bombay. I know Bombay is cheaper, but you can either raise the price of the cocktail or rest assured that I’ll leave you the best Google review of your career. For your kindness, your flexibility, and your fantastic cocktails — not to mention the extremely good-looking staff!”
The waiter turned pink, but ultimately nodded and headed back toward the kitchen.
“Wow,” Connor murmured, “you ordered something that wasn’t on the menu.”
She raised her eyebrows. “I know what I want,” she stated. “In men, that trait is attractive, but when women do it, everyone wrinkles their noses.”
He frowned. “Did I wrinkle my nose?”
Well…no. He looked more impressed, but that confused her, so she quickly looked away.
Why should you justify being strong?His words echoed in her mind, constricting her throat. Yes, why? Why did women do that automatically? Apologize for beingcomplicatedeven when a man didn’t bat an eyelid for doing the same thing? She’d spent her life trying to live up to other people’s expectations. Maybe that was why it was so easy for her not to be nice and thoughtful around Connor, like everyone expected of her. He had absolutely no expectations of her. God, the man confused her!
“Can I ask you something?” he asked without waiting for her answer, confusing her further. “Why did Matt call you Perfect Rachel during the quiz the other day?”
She pulled her hair back into a ponytail and gave him a quick sideways glance. “Because…that was my nickname.”
His eyebrows shot up. “Who hated you so much as to give you such a horrible nickname?”
She blinked at him in surprise. “Horrible?”
“Yes. Horrible and inaccurate. What teenager wants to strive constantly forperfection? Are you seriously saying you never received detention for starting fights with your classmates?”
She laughed reluctantly. “What? No! I was…an angel. I was a leader and at the top of my class. My middle name isresponsible.”
Now Connor laughed. “Bullshit.”
“Yes!”
“Yeah, sure, you’re smart. You don’t have to convince me of that. But the rest…” He snorted and narrowed his eyes at her. “I don’t believe you. You’re a troublemaker. You thrive on provocation.”
“Only when you’re around.”
