My face lit on fire as Thomas smirked. “I appreciate that, but I’m used to eating alone.”
I shook my head. “Wanting to be alone and having to be alone are two different situations. If you want to be alone, I’ll leave. Just say the word.”
He smiled, then motioned for one of the servers. “Candace, could you bring us two cups of coffee and Creme Brulé?”
“Yes, sir, Mr. Kingsley. I’ll be right back.”
We sat in the ballroom, talking until the building had to be closed. I walked with him to his car, then he dropped me off in front of the hotel. I invited him in for a drink, but he declined. “It’s been a very long day. Another time.”
I smiled and held out my hand. “It was great to meet you. If you ever come to San Diego with Governor Gatlin, let me know, and I’ll get you game tickets.”
He smirked but didn’t respond.
When I got out of the car, I watched him drive away. For the first time in a long time, I felt like my old self. Mason, who said more than a few words. Mason, who was comfortable in his skin. And I wanted more.
Over the following year, I got to know Thomas as his boss and my friend fell in love. We ate tacos and talked about books whenever he had time to spare. We both loved history and dogs. And when my world fell apart, Thomas was there to put me back together.
Chapter 1
Thomas Kingsley
Six Months Ago
I was an hour into aPBSdocumentary on the Axis Powers of World War II when the texts came in. “Hmm. Half an hour. New record.”
I’d been waiting for the barrage of messages to start. It was only a matter of time before Mason sent out the distress signal. I was Batman to his Robin, and when Lennox started introducing him to women at the bar, he’d come up with a coded message plan with animals to deal with the ladies at the bar. The more deadly the animal, the more dangerous the date. Level one meant I needed to call him with a family emergency. Level two meant I needed to get into my car and retrieve him from the clutches of his admirer. Level three meant I needed to actually go inside and make up whatever bullshit seemed appropriate to save him. It was entertaining as hell, but this was the way most of his dates went. My personal favorite was level two. It meant I got to watch him hurry out to my car and jump in the front seat like it was a getaway car. I tried not to be elated every time a date went wrong. I was beginning to think Lennox did it on purpose.
Mason: SOS SOS SOS
I grinned and typed back.
Me: Level?
Mason: 2
Me: Animal?
Mason: Anaconda
Mason: Can you make sure to unlock the doors this time? It looks weird when I have to wait.
Me: On my way
Gathering my keys and my wallet, I headed to my Escalade. Cranking the engine, I drove toward Coronado to The Slippery Squid with a grin on my face.
Twenty minutes later, I pulled up to the door and sent him a text to let him know I’d arrived. Placing my phone down, I turned the radio to his favorite station and started my internal countdown. When I reached seven, the door swung open and spat out the man I’d come to retrieve. When the light washed over him, his eyes met mine as he broke into a smile that made me think about life choices I’d never imagined myself having. It didn’t matter that I was more than a decade older. Hanging out with him made me happy.
Yanking the door open, he slid onto the seat. The air stirred between us as hisAzzaro Most Wantedcologne filled my car. “Hey,” he grinned. “Thanks for coming so quickly. I thought maybe the Governor might still need you.”
I fought back the joke I could make. “No, He’s in for the night. And when you said anaconda, I didn’t have a choice, did I?” He could have said kitten, and I would have come running.
The smile that lit up his face made my day. An explanation was unnecessary at this point. “Want to get tacos? That new food truck we’ve been wanting to try is supposed to be up at Mission Bay. I hear the fish tacos are amazing.”
My smile couldn’t be contained. “Sure, Champ. Whatever you want.”
As I exited the parking lot, I glanced over at the smiling man looking out the window. To look at him now, it would be impossible to know the date ever happened.
“So, what was her name?”
