I look at Ainsley, and she not so subtly nods her head.
“The bar works, thanks.”
We head to the bar and get ourselves situated before I look over at Ainsley again. She looks awe-struck and so damn excited it’s infectious.
“Oh my gosh, I don’t even know how to act. I mean, there are nice restaurants in Austin, but I never had time to actually go to them. This is unreal,” she rambles out.
A smile so big that my cheeks start to hurt spreads over my face. Dinner was a fucking great idea.
Chapter 20
Ainsley
This is like meeting a celebrity for me, and I just know I look like a damn lunatic right now. I pull out my phone and snap pictures of the menu and the kitchen you can see from the bar, immediately sending it to Larkin. My phone pings with a message from her.
Larkin:
Holy shit! I’m so jealous right now. Theo says to get the octopus because he saw it on a show and everyone said it was their favorite dish.
Me:
Sold! I’ll take pictures of everything and send them to you guys.
Larkin:
Yes! But also enjoy your work trip … with Ledger.
I put my phone down and feel my cheeks heat with embarrassment. Did I forget Ledger was even here for a moment? Maybe, but now I feel bad and wonder how I could ever forget about his presence. Especially when thoughts of what he looks like in only a towel pop into my head yet again.
Snap out of it, girl! We’re supposed to be here forbusiness.
I clear my throat, glance up, and see Ledger watching me with a warm smile on his face.
“So, what looks good?” I ask, skirting around how that look makes me feel and all the tension radiating between us.
“It’s tapas, so I figured we’d get a little of everything.”
“Right, of course, duh.” I feel so off-kilter right now, I genuinely don’t know how to bring myself out of it.
I can’t tell if it’s everything that happened in the hotel room, or if I’m so sexually starved it’s officially affecting my social skills. Either way, I need to figure it out ASAP because Ledger has the capability to consume me if I let him.
“Hey.” He pauses until I meet his eyes. “Just breathe. There’s nothing to prove here, nothing to be embarrassed about. Be excited, geek out over the menu, order as much shit as you want to. I’m along for the ride, Ains.”
My shoulders slump, and I let out a self-deprecating laughter. My heart? It beats so hard in my chest over him knowing exactly how I’m feeling. And it scares the hell out of me.
“I don’t know what’s going on with me. I think you make me a little nervous.” This might be the most honest I’ve ever been with him. I need a tiny bit of control, though.
“Well, if it helps, you make me a little nervous too.”
I snort. “Yeah, right. Look at you over there, cool as a cucumber.”
“You want honesty?” he asks.
Nodding my head is all I can do because I feel desperate to hear what he has to say.
“I feel like I’ve been out of my depth with you since day one. I’ve been awkward, made all the wrong decisions, and jeopardized a lot more than the best assistant ever. The crush I had on you in high school feels like child’s play now. I wanted to get your attention, and I did but in thewrong way. I know I did everything possible to not have your trust, but I want to go out on a limb here and lay all my cards on the table.”
He waits until I nod again, telling him wordlessly I want to hear more.
