She took a steadying breath and put on a fake smile, before looking back up atDominick.
"No answer?" heasked.
Harmony shook her head. "What about you?" She tipped her head toward the phone in hishands.
"Oh, I wasn't messaging Morgan. I texted my roommate trying to figure out…" His voice trailed off, and he shook his head like he'd said more than he intended. "I didn'ttexther."
"Do you think we should…" Harmony's voice alsotrailedoff.
Dominick smiled shyly. "See wherethingsgo?"
Seriously? That was not what she was thinking. Harmony had just been about to suggest they go home and wait to hear back from Morgan. What was the point of going on a date you weren't supposed to, after all? And Harmony was convinced, more than ever, that she was supposed to bewithPax.
She looked down at her phone—still no response from Morgan. What was she doing? When Harmony lifted her gaze back to Dominick, his expression about killed her. He looked so hopeful, and she didn't want to be the person to steal the small amount of joy he hadtonight.
Harmony plastered a smile on her face. "Might as well,right?"
His entire body relaxed with her words, and she wasn't sure if she felt better at his relief or like the worst kind of person for giving him false hope. She glanced around and spotted the waitress a couple of feet away. Harmony lifted her hand to callherover.
The waitress came to the table quickly with the same bright smile as before. "I see your date made it. Can I get you something to drink?" sheaskedhim.
"Just water," he answered, looking down at the menu in frontofhim.
The waitress started to walk away. "Excuse me," Harmony calledafterher.
Sheturned. "Yes?"
"I'd also like a gin and tonic." She cleared her throat. "Adouble."
After checking Harmony's ID, the waitress walked off to get their drinks. Harmony looked down at her phone once more. Still no message back fromMorgan.
"So…" Harmony started. "What doyoudo?"
Dominick cleared his throat and played with the watch around his wrist. "I'm, um, a full-timestudent."
"It must be nice to have all thatfreetime."
He chuckled. "Yeah, well, my parents wanted to make sure I focused on my studies while at college. If I don't maintain the grades, I'm off to community college. It’s a lot ofpressure."
"I work at a coffee shop, and it takes up so much time." She felt a small tinge of jealousy. She’d love to only worry about making good grades. If Harmony had more free time, she probably wouldn’t need Morgan’s help in finding a date. She imagined herself going out dancing, sitting at a coffee shop studying instead of working. A cute guy like Pax would walk over and smile. She’d smile back. They’d laugh and hititoff.
"You must work all the time.” Dominick’s voice interrupted her daydreaming. “Anytime I've gone into the coffee shop, you'rethere."
She couldn’t stop the smile that touched her lips. Work was her life—that and school. But Dominick made it sound like he was in the shop all the time. If that was the case, why didn’t sherecognizehim?
She decided to ask. “Why haven’t I noticed youbefore?”
Dominick flinched at the words, and she instantly regretted herbluntness.
“Maybe because you’re never working the register?” he asked. “You’re too cool to talk to everyone whocomesin.”
“What’s that supposed to mean?” she asked, feelingdefensive.
“Nothing.” He shook his head. “I just notice you always hide behind the espresso machine, and never work the register. And when you put the drinks on the counter, you usually get back to work instead ofchatting.”
He was digging the hole deeper, and he must have realized it because he quickly added, “Not that there’s anything wrong with that, of course. You don’t have to likeeveryone.”
Harmony narrowed her eyes, but nodded and let it go—fornow.
