Ben
Ben turned to give Avery a moment to collect herself. He’d startled her; at least, he hoped that’s why she panted. He signaled a server in a black apron for a drink, first pointing at Avery’s glass and then his chest, and pulled out a chair.
Avery stood staring at him for a moment before she too sat down. She was prettier than her photo let on. Perhaps she did that on purpose to weed out men like his father who were only after a beautiful face.
“I see you’ve already ordered.” He tugged on his tie. If he’d been thinking past the court room, then he could have been here in time. But his dad had gotten the better of him, drawn him into trading disownments. His father hated him. It wasn’t a surprise, but it was a blow.
“Yeah.” She wiped her mouth with her napkin. “I, uh, didn’t think you were coming.”
His neck warmed. He hadn’t meant to put her on the spot. The server appeared with a water glass and a notepad. He glanced over the menu. His stomach was still sour from the sneer on his father’s face. “I’ll have a side salad with ranch.” Something light ought to help settle things. Then he could order real food. Like her burger and fries.
The server exchanged a look with Avery. It was one of those that said,Are you sure about this?Avery nodded.
“Do you know her?” he asked.
Avery brushed away a stray lock of hair. “We just met tonight.”
He narrowed his eyes, trying to get a read on this woman. Either she was lying, or she was the world’s friendliest patron. He couldn’t find a nervous twitch, so he dropped it. Laying his napkin in his lap, he sipped his water. After several moments of silence, he chuckled uncomfortably. “I hate first dates.”
“It’s no picnic for me either,” she muttered, picking at her food.
“I didn’t mean—”
She stood up, setting her napkin on the chair. “Excuse me. I’m going to wash my hands.”
He stood, holding his tie back from the table, and once she was gone, he sat back down with a soft grunt. Their server came by to top off their waters. “I’m afraid I upset her by being late,” he explained.
She hissed through her teeth. “It certainly puts you in the hole.”
He loosened his tie, took off his jacket, and rolled up his sleeves. Feeling a little more like himself, he was ready to give this another shot.
* * *
Avery
Avery held her phone between her shoulder and her cheek as she washed her hands. She’d used the excuse that she needed to freshen up as an opportunity to call the babysitter, Evelyn, but she didn’t feel right lying to anyone, so she actually had to wash them. “About the only thing going for him is that he’s better-looking than his profile picture.”
“I told you not to go.” Evelyn didn’t believe in holding back.
“I know. You can rub it in when I get home.” Avery glanced behind her in the mirror to make sure the door was shut. “Call me in ten minutes. If it gets worse from here, then I can say my sitter needs me.”
“Oooh, that’s a good idea. Okay, remind me and I’ll text you.”
Avery patted her hands dry with excessive force. “I can’tremindyou, Evelyn. I’ll be at the table. The point is for you to text me first so it doesn’t look like I’m trying to get out of the date.”
“Honey, my show is on. If you want me to remember something, you’re going to have to help me out.”
For the love of all things caramel.“Okay, I think I can preset a text to send at a certain time.” She said goodbye, figured out the preset, and checked her hair. She looked good. Calm. This was just another evening, and it would be over soon.
* * *
Ben
Ben glanced at the skinny hallway where the bathrooms were located. It’d been a few minutes since Avery disappeared—longer than necessary. Was she avoiding him, passive-aggressive about him being late? Was he reading too much into all this? Probably.
If he could just shut off his brain, he’d be much … cooler. He took another long pull form his water glass. He’d almost drained it. At this rate, he’d be the one in the bathroom.
His phone vibrated on the table. He snagged it and read the message from his brother.Talked to Herb. He says you’re on a date. How is she?
