Page 11 of Gone for You

I can’t help but feel her walking into The Goat last night is a bit serendipitous. Whatever it is, I can’t fight it. Last night, I watched as she laughed and talked with her friends, making sure the birthday girl was having a good time. A few guys approached her and she brushed them off with barely a glance in their direction.

I want to stand on my chair, spread my arms around me and announce to the few people in the diner that this woman is here to see me. Make sure everyone’s aware what a lucky son of a bitch I am that she walked into my bar last night.

Instead, I stand from my chair and pull out hers as she walks over to our table. When she’s beside me, I bend low to kiss her cheek. The action surprises both of us. I freeze, lips a breath away from the cheek they were just pressed against. I lean back, my head coming up to meet her stunning golden brown eyes. “Sorry, that was…” I rub the back of my neck and she shrugs, like it’s no big deal that I just kissed her cheek.

“Hi,” she whispers.

“Hi back.”

We’re standing inches apart and looking at each other like a couple of goons.

“Wanna sit?”

“Yeah,” she says quietly, shrugging off her coat and draping it over the back of her chair.

Our server comes over immediately, probably standing back waiting for her to sit. Much like earlier when she greeted me, she’s carrying a carafe of coffee and lifts it.

“Yes, please,” Liv says, turning over her cup.

“I’ll be back in a few to take your order, menus are on the table,” she says.

I watch carefully as Liv fixes her coffee, a little bit of creamer and one packet of sweetener. Takes a sip, sets down her cup, smiles at me.

“Thank you for meeting me.”

“Thank you for inviting me.”

We each grab a menu, and open them up, placing them on the table in front of us. Head bent, I stare at it like it’s the first time I’m seeing the options, not the thousandth. I glance up at her just as her eyes dart to the table where her open menu sits. I smile when I see her bite her lip, embarrassed that she was caught staring at me, and duck my head.

She’s not just beautiful.

She’s… “You’re adorable,” I murmur. Our heads are downturned, eyes meeting each other over the table. I want to reach across, hold her hand. Her cheeks turn a rosy pink and she lifts a hand to touch the heat. Embarrassed. Cute.

“Thank you,” she whispers. “You’re…”

“Have you decided?” our server asks, interrupting what she was about to say. I want to growl at her to go away, wanting to know what she thinks of me. Then again, I’m not stupid. She wouldn’t be sitting here right now, blushing at my compliment or looking at me the way she is if she thought I was a troll.

“I think we need another minute,” Liv tells her.

“Sounds good, I’ll be right back.”

I close my menu, not even sure why I was looking at it in the first place. I knew what I was getting before I arrived.

“Looks like you know what’s good here.”

“Their omelets and hash browns are incredible. But their corned beef sweet potato hash is pretty damn good, too. I tend to alternate between the two.”

She slaps together her menu and puts it away, cupping her hands around her coffee cup. Lifts it to her cotton candy pink lips, they pucker as she blows on the hot liquid then takes a sip.

I chuckle lightly and she winks.

Amber walks over. “Looks like you’re ready?”

As soon as I’ve placed my order of my omelet with ham, mushrooms, and cheese with a side of hash browns smothered in sausage gravy, Liv gushes. “Oh my gosh, that sounds so good! I’ll have the exact same and we’re also going to share a stack of pancakes, a plate of bacon, maybe a couple pieces of that mushroom and spinach quiche because that sounds really good to me, too, and he said the corned beef hash is too good to pass up so bring that and one of those giant cinnamon rolls, right Eth?” I nod, giving her a toothy smile. “And can I also get a glass of tomato juice? Did you want juice or just your coffee?”

My smile won’t go away. “Orange juice would be good.”

She’s been watching me as she orders enough food for ten people, amusement dancing across her features.

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