Page 102 of Slow Burn

THIS WASN’T AN actual date. Not to Georgia anyway. Roman was Anna’s best guy friend, and it seemed more like a demand from her friend, not a romantic gesture from Roman. Besides, she wasn’t ready to date. She was still healing.

But this was the first time out of her apartment, not including work, since she and Elijah broke up, and she wanted to have a little fun.

Georgia wasn’t impressing anyone but herself, so she wore something that made her smile. Tonight, her outfit consisted of straight-leg jeans, a long-sleeve white shirt with lacy sleeves, and a pair of pointy-toe blue stiletto heels.

Casual, but sexy.

And it was all to institute a good mood and confidence.

Georgia wasn’t in the mood to do her hair, but she wore it in a fashionable sloppy bun, and for something whimsical, she put on a sparkly rose gold headband. Just a swipe of mascara and some lip gloss, and she was ready to go.

Normally, she was all about driving herself on dates, but Georgia was comfortable with Roman. It was odd he didn’t offer to pick her up, since they were friends. Sort of. That wasn’t going to get her down. While Roman had asked her out, tonight wasn’t about that.

Not for her.

It was more like her welcome back to the world after Elijah ripped out her heart.

Being on the safe side, she decided to order an Uber. While she didn’t think she’d have more than her standard two drinks, she wasn’t sure if the pressure of being out with another man would make her want another. She wasn’t going to risk driving.

Within twenty minutes, she arrived at Lighthouse. It was her turn at the welcome stand where two hostesses stood.

“Hi there!” The one with pretty red curls greeted her. “Do you have a reservation?”

Georgia smiled at the girl’s enthusiasm. “Yes, under Roman Sanders. It’s for two.”

The other hostess, with long black hair and eye makeup Sophie would adore since it was over the top, wasn’t as smiley. She grabbed two menus and waited for the other girl to tell her what to do.

“Roman isn’t here yet, but he called to tell you he was running a few minutes late,” the redhead informed her. Not ideal, Georgia thought, but it was kind of him to call ahead so she didn’t wonder where he was. Maybe he lost her number or something so he couldn’t text her. “But let Madeline show you to your table.”

She followed the girl with the great makeup to a booth hidden in the corner. With a frown, Georgia realized it was across from the back of the bar, where she originally met Elijah. She sat up tall. No way was he going to let him deter her from having a good night.

Madeline laid the menus on the table and eagerly skirted away, not saying a word.

This wasn’t her first, or heck even tenth, time at Lifehouse, but she still perused the menu while she waited for Roman. She set her phone on the table because if he didn’t join her in twenty minutes, she was going to send him a text to check in and make sure everything was okay.

The server came over and asked what she wanted to drink, and Georgia decided on a water and a Cosmopolitan. Something about wearing pointy-toed heels made her feel like an extra on Sex and the City, so a Cosmo was fitting.

By the time her drinks arrived, Roman was still nowhere to be found.

Georgia picked up her phone and was typing out a text when someone stood at the edge of the table. She glanced up and, wow. Her phone slipped out of her hand.

Roman still wasn’t there.

But Elijah was.

And of course, he looked delicious in jeans and a black sweater, hugging his muscles tight.

“I fucked up.” Elijah took a deep breath. “May I sit down?”

She shrugged as if it was no big deal when she was screaming on the inside. “Sure, but when Roman gets here, you have to leave.”

Immediately, he took a seat so close next to her that she had to scoot down the small booth to give them a few inches of space.

“Roman isn’t coming.”

As classy as she could manage with her nerves all over the place, she took a sip of her Cosmo. “And why is that?”

Elijah licked his lower lip, and even though he wasn’t trying to be sexy, a shiver ran up her back. “I threatened his life if he took you out.”