I watch his expression for a moment while he stares out the window. “You must have found that satisfying on some level,” I say.
“On every level imaginable.” He looks at me again with an infectious grin, and I smile in return. “But I worked hard for it,” he adds. “When I first started at Dal, for my undergrad, I took classes I actually found interesting.”
“What was your major?”
“Psychology.” He points at Kevin. “And now I have better friends, like that guy, who’s super competitive, which rubbed off on me. I’d never met anyone who was competitive in the classroom before. Only in sports.”
I nod with understanding.
A waiter comes by to check on us. Nate tells him he can bring the bill anytime, and I’m a little disappointed that the night is coming to an end. Then I wonder where Becky is. I spot her on a stool at the bar, talking to Kevin.
I return my attention to Nate. “So you enjoyed the path to law school,” I say because I want to keep the conversation going. “But now that you’re there, it’s not what you thought it would be, and you don’t want to disappoint your father. But maybe he’d be pleased to see you following your passion.”
Nate shakes his head exaggeratingly. “Oh no. He’s been grooming me to follow in his footsteps since I was ... I can’t even remember.”
“What does he do?” I ask.
“He’s a criminal lawyer and has done very well for himself—big house, fancy car. But he wants the same for me, and the truth is most restaurants fail.”
I feel bad for Nate, because I know how good it feels to love your work. “Can’t you just tell him that you don’t need a fancy car and you’d prefer to go to work every day and love what you do? Maybe he’ll surprise you and understand.”
Nate scratches the back of his neck. “I highly doubt it.” He stares at me for a moment, and I feel a strange fluttering in my belly. His eyesare wistful. “Did your parents ever give you trouble when you told them what you wanted to do?”
I feel a little guilty answering the question. “No, they were very supportive. Especially my dad because he runs his own business, and he was keen to help me out with that side of things.”
“What kind of business?”
“He’s a plumber,” I reply. “And he, too, has done very well for himself. Big house and fancy car. That is, if you consider a Chevy Silverado fancy.”
Nate laughs. “Beauty is in the eye of the beholder.”
“Always.”
The waiter comes by with the bill, and Nate thanks him, then reaches into the back pocket of his jeans for his wallet. He counts out a few bills and drops them onto the table.
I catch Becky in my peripheral vision, walking toward us. “Mark’s out front,” she says flatly.
My stomach drops. I’m not sure what’s happening here. Or maybe I am. I’m feeling slightly infatuated, and it’s a shock to my system because I haven’t felt this way in ages and ages.
But how can this be anything but superficial when I’ve only just met the person sitting across from me?
I regard Nate with a tilt of my head. “Gotta go.” I begin to slide across the leather bench. “Thanks for sharing your nachos.”
Nate slides out of the booth as well. “My pleasure.”
He’s a gentleman. Polite and respectful. I feel another tug in the pit of my belly, followed by a wave of dread, knowing that I’ll probably never see this man again.
“Well ...” I sling my tote bag over my shoulder. “This was fun.”
Becky starts to back away, and I wonder why she’s so impatient to leave. “It was nice meeting you.”
I have no choice but to follow her, until Nate calls after us. “Wait a second!” I stop and turn, and he approaches. “This probably soundslike a line after that jerk came on to you, but can I call you? Maybe we could have coffee sometime.”
Trying not to sound flustered while my cheeks are flushing with heat, I say, “Sure. You have my card.”
Nate smiles and starts to back away. “Get home safely.”
“You too,” I reply and follow Becky out of the bar and across the casino floor to the main entrance, where Mark is parked outside at the curb. I open the back door of his black Volkswagen Jetta and climb in.
