Surprise dances across Cole’s expression. His perfectly rounded lips part slightly and he tilts his head to the side. “Good,” he says quietly, almost like he can’t form a coherent thought. The thought of that sends a surge of power through my body. It makes me feel like I’m on top of the world, knowing I’m the one who threw his brain off kilter now.
“I’ll be back in a few to get y’alls order for food,” I say with a sweet smile, leaving the conversation at that and heading back to my other customers. Cole looks at me like he wants to say something else, but instead he clamps his lips together and nods at me with a smile.
My footsteps are light and it feels like I’m floating on a cloud when I walk over to the other people, taking their ordersand getting their food and drinks. Whatever that was with Cole induced a lightness in my chest, like I can conquer anything. My confidence is palpable—like a drug induced high—and I busy myself with my work, spending the rest of the evening tending to the customers.
Cole leaves me alone, but his gaze never wavers. It never wanders as he watches me. And that alone feels like another hit of ecstasy.
I don’t realize the time and two hours pass before the bar starts to slow down a bit. Cole and Austin already paid their tab and the two of them are saying their goodbyes as they rise from the bar. I meet Austin’s gaze and he throws his hand up to wave at me. I look at Cole and he simply smiles and nods before the two of them turn around and head toward the exit.
“When’s the wedding?”
Remi bumps her shoulder into mine and I duck my head, laughing softly. “I am never doing that again.”
“Touche,” Remi laughs as she stands next to me. “But when’s the first date?”
I’m silent and don’t bother looking at her as I grab a glass and begin to fill it with ice. The silence stretches between us and I know it’s only a matter of seconds before Remi disrupts it.
“Ella.”
“Remi.”
“You didn’t do it, did you?”
I lift my head, turning to look at her. “I’ll ask him next time.”
She abruptly grabs the glass from my hand and clicks her tongue at me. “Nope. You go out there right now and don’t come back until you have plans with him.”
“Excuse me?”
Remi sets the glass down, grabs my shoulders and spins me around to face the exit before giving me a gentle push. “Youheard me. You had one thing you were supposed to do tonight, now go be a bad bitch and do it.”
I grumble under my breath, cutting my eyes at her over my shoulder before heading out of the bar. Stepping out on the pier, I move to the side for a couple coming in when I see Cole halfway toward the parking lot.
Dammit.
My steps momentarily falter and I start to second guess myself. Remi is right. It’s time for me to be a bad bitch and do the things I want to do without letting my fear control me. I’m not able to push the nervousness away, but I’m able to swallow enough of it that I break out into a light jog down the dock.
“Hey, cowboy!” I call out to him, hoping the sound doesn’t get carried away by the valley air.
He turns around, looking a little surprised as he sees me jogging in his direction. His lips move as he glances at Austin and looks back to me. Austin says something back and smiles before he continues his walk toward the boat.
“Hey, El,” Cole says gently as I come to a stop in front of him. “Is everything okay?”
I’m a little breathless, both from the physical activity and the way he’s looking at me right now. “Yes. Well, no.”
His eyebrows pull together. “What’s wrong?”
“I wanted to ask you something before you left and I didn’t get the chance to. Not because I didn’t want to but because it got really busy and it’s been a long time since I’ve done this. Actually, I don’t know if I’ve ever done this before.”
I instantly want to cringe at the word vomit that just spewed from my mouth in rapid succession.
Cole reaches out and grabs my hand, giving it a gentle squeeze as his eyes search mine. His expression relaxes and there’s a tenderness in his gaze, in the way his lips lift. “You don’t have to be nervous, El. You can always ask me anything.”
I let out a ragged breath and mentally collect myself. I have to get the words out or I’m sure I’ll never work up the courage to do it again. “I’ve been meanin’ to text you about goin’ out sometime and well–would you like to go out with me?”
The smile on his lips is slow as it blisters across his face. “Are you askin’meon a date, Ella Daniels?”
“What?” The shock is apparent on my face and a blush quickly blossoms across my cheeks. “No, not a date. Just dinner.”
