Chapter Twelve
Lexi
I was tornon what to wear for my date tonight. I wanted to look nice, but not nice enough to where Gage would get the wrong idea. So I settled for something in-between. I picked something understated that didn’t call too much attention to my body. I picked a sleek, black, sleeveless dress with a small slit up the front.
My hair was set in a side ponytail with soft ringlets cascading over my shoulder. Considering my face had a slight tan from Cape May, I decided to keep my make-up to a minimum. I stared at my reflection in the mirror and sighed. The events of this past weekend really did a number on me. I tried my best to hide the dark circles under my eyes but eventually gave up. There wasn’t a concealer made that could cover up misery.
The chime of the doorbell interrupted my thoughts. I took a deep breath, ran my hands down the length of my dress, and swung the door open.
Gage was standing there in a pair of grey dress slacks with a black button down. He flashed me a mischievous grin that screamed, ‘I like to have fun’.
“Well, don’t you look all kinds of hot?” The sexy smirk he sent my way was tempting, but it didn’t strike anything inside me or set my world on fire. But that didn’t matter; he was handsome and was happy to see me. So, score a point for Gage.
“Well, thank you. You don’t look so bad yourself.” I said, taking in his handsome appearance. He really was easy on the eyes, almost too easy to the point that there was nothing special about his looks. Just another pretty face. He didn’t have a playful smile or a genuine grin that made my body flush with warmth. He didn’t have dark brown hair that matched his eyes so perfectly they made me feel like a one-woman man prize. His dark black hair was slicked back and his silver-grey eyes looked like they didn’t take shit from anyone. I really needed to stop comparing every little feature to Brad’s.
His smirk blew into a full-blown grin when he caught me checking him out. “Ready?” I asked, with a polite smile, eager to get on with this date before I changed my mind.
“I’ve been ready since you said yes,” he replied, reaching for my hand. I glanced down at him with hesitation. This was a date, so this was perfectly normal, right? I slipped my hand inside his and it felt odd. Not anything like when Brad held my hand. Gage’s hand felt uncomfortable and unfamiliar. I silently reminded myself as we walked out of my apartment to push whatever thoughts I had of Brad out of my head, and concentrate on having a good time.
When we arrived at the restaurant, I was caught off guard by how nice it was inside. Sparks was a well-known steakhouse on the lower East Side that had a reputation for being expensive. Gage had gone all out. It also had the less desirable reputation as the place where mob boss Paul Castellano was whacked on their front sidewalk. A little fact I learned as Gage flirted with the hostess while we waited for our table.
A maître’d in a black tux greeted us and showed us to our table. Gage walked around and pulled my chair out for to me to sit. He was really making an effort.
He slid his large frame into the seat across from me and smiled. “I hope you like steak?”
Arching an eyebrow, I glanced around the room noticing the tastefully decorated walls that were lined with expensive paintings and famous patrons. “In case you didn’t know, I’m from the south. It’s pretty much in my DNA.”
The truth was it wasn’t the food that caused me to pause. It was the restaurant. It reminded me of the girl I used to be. The one who always had to worry about which fork to use with the salad and which one to use with the entrée. The one who had to place her napkin in her lap just right, sit straight with her shoulders back and smile, even if she didn’t feel like it. Because that’s what was expected of her.
The waiter approached, disrupting my unpleasant trip down memory lane. He unfolded a big leather binder, which included the wine list and set it down in front of us to look over. “Good evening, my name is Jason, I will be your server this evening. Can I start you both off with something to drink?”
“I’ll have a Hendricks with lime and a splash of tonic.” Gage replied, without even looking at the wine list.
“And you, Ma’am?” The waiter glanced at me.
“I’ll have a chardonnay, please.”
“Would you like to look at the wine we serve by the glass?” The waiter asked.
“No, the house is fine.”
“Very well.” He said, retrieving the wine list and walking away.
“So,” Gage said, resting his hands on the table. “How am I doing so far? Does this meet your approval?”
I wanted to tell him that it was a little over the top but instead I told him. “It’s lovely, thank you.”
“I aim to please.” He said, with a glint in his eye. It was clear that Gage expected his woman to be impressed with his looks and charm. And judging by his outward confidence, it had never failed him.
“I’m pretty easy to please, so you should be good.” I said, with a smile, trying to keep the conversation light.
Gage’s lips pulled up into a grin. “I’m not sure about that, the easy part I mean. I have a feeling you’re going to make me work for every minute I spend with you. But just for the record, I do like my women easy.”
The guy sounded like a total douchebag, but I’m sure he didn’t think so. I ignored his comment and looked over my menu to avoid eye contact with him. The waiter came back with our drinks and took our order.
Gage took a sip from his glass as he looked me over like he was taking stock of a prize heifer at the County Fair. “So, tell me what you like to do for fun?”
I thought that over for a beat. I didn’t consider myself a fun person with an endless list of hobbies. I mean, I liked to cook, and I enjoyed outdoor activities, but those weren’t necessarily hobbies. “I guess if you call traveling and listening to country music fun, then that’s me.”