There’s something in her tone that makes me feel like she thinks Decatur is a dump.
“I’m gonna go use the ladies’ room,” Caroline says as she stands. Blake stands up with her and leads her out of the booth by taking her hand. They’re called manners, and the guys I’ve dated in the past didn’t have them.
As soon as she’s out of earshot, Blake leans in and says, “I thought she was gonna lose it over the whole motorcycle thing.” He laughs.
I let out a nervous giggle. But underneath I can’t help being concerned that Blake, with such a vastly different upbringing than Caroline, has only stuck around for two reasons: her money and a job at Daddy’s company. I have no reason to think the worst of him, but I know how hard I’ve worked to get ahead and earn my own money. Sometimes I wonder what it would be like to take the easy way out. But regardless, the worst part is that I’m flirting with him. “It does beg the question, why’d you bring the motorcycle if you knew she didn’t like it?”
He smirks. “Well, sassy, that is because I was already down here when she texted me to meet you guys.”
“So that’s how you got here so quickly.” I sound like an idiot.
“Yep.”
“What were you doing down here?”
His eyes crinkle at the corners. “Aren’t you nosy? I was at a gallery showing for my friend. He’s a painter.”
“Oh, that’s right. Caroline said you went to art school in New York.”
“I did. I should have stayed there, but CC wanted to be close to the Crompton compound. I couldn’t leave her here alone with those animals.”
“Seriously? Is her family that bad?”
“Well, you’ve met Diana.” He pauses for a moment, looking thoughtful. “Actually, they’re not bad people. I was mostly kidding. Her dad was good to me…to us, when my mom got sick. I didn’t have a father to help us out.”
I want to tell him I don’t have a father, either, but I don’t want it to seem like we’re clicking even more than we already are. I don’t know how Caroline would react to that, and I don’t want to jeopardize this job and a potential friendship.
He continues speaking while he stares down the bottleneck of his beer. “Ben, Caroline’s dad, took on that role, in a way. But Ben can be controlling and Caroline doesn’t know how to stand up to him. I do. Diana’s actually not bad. I make jokes about her, but she’s probably the most normal one besides Caroline. After all, she introduced you two.”
“Thanks, I think.”
He nodded, straight-faced. “It’s a compliment.”
I can feel my face flushing bright red just as Blake stands up to let Caroline slide back into the booth. Even though he was teasing Caroline and throwing compliments my way, he still seems innately protective of her.
“That bathroom was filthy,” Caroline says.
“Are you ladies about ready to go or should we grab one more drink?”
“It’s up to you guys. I’m cool either way.”
Caroline seems to assert herself more when Blake is around. “I’m ready,” she says.
We all stand up, and Blake takes Caroline’s hand and motions for me to walk ahead of them. “After you,” he says, his voice low and smooth. I’m instantly turned on. I’m frozen where I stand.
Caroline is looking at me like I have two heads. “Go, Hayden, we’ll follow you.”
I don’t understand why I’m incapable of moving at the moment. I feel like all the blood is rushing to my head—and someplace else. I look to Blake…bad idea. He’s wearing a sexy smirk. He motions again for me to walk, but this time he winks, too. I nearly fall over. Instead, he takes my hand and leads both of us out of the restaurant.
I’ve never been that girl: the damsel in distress or the lust-struck type. But my degree of swooning and ogling just now was borderline criminal.
Blake turns to me on his right and cocks his head to the side. I’m looking up at him and he’s staring down at me. He’s at least six-one, thin, but built. His proximity is intoxicating. I inhale. He smells like man: sandalwood, moss, earthy, but there’s a hint of cigarette smoke, too.
“Little too much wine?” he asks.
“Something like that,” I reply, though the truth was that I was drunk off his good looks and smooth voice. I blame my hormones.
Chapter 5
