Page 16 of Falling for You

“Well, you know my sad story. What about yours?”

“What do you want to know?”

“Whatever you want to tell me, I guess.”

“Hmm. Well, I don’t have much family, either. A couple cousins I keep in contact with here and there, but otherwise basically my friends and colleagues at The Flying Goat are my family. My boss is pretty much my closest friend. I consider him more of a brother, really. Didn’t grow up here. Originally from Indiana, wanted to leave so I went to school up here and never left. I work out of my home as a computer programmer. I’ve designed a few apps, too.”

“That’s so above me. I wouldn’t know where to start if someone told me to design my own app.”

He chuckles lowly and shifts in his seat. “It’s how my brain works. It just comes easy to me, I’m lucky, I suppose. I’ve never really considered it a job because it’s what I enjoy doing anyway.”

“I’m glad you like it, then. Do you ever get, um, lonely or anything? Working out of your home and not seeing people?”

He shakes his head. “Nah. I spend my nights and weekends bartending, gets me out in the public, talking to real live people, and it helps because I can’t sit still for long.”

I raise an eyebrow at him and ask, “So you chose a career having to sit in front of a computer all day?”

He laughs, head thrown back. Strong neck, too, I can’t help but notice. It’s thick and wide with muscles at the base that lead into broad shoulders.

When I got to Balance, I had to sit in my rental car for about fifteen minutes. I needed the time so I could give myself a pep talk before I came inside. I stared at the black entrance door, whispering words of encouragement to myself. I’m sure I looked like a weirdo. I know this isn’t a date but Rex is so far out of my league, it doesn’t even feel like I have the right to be sitting at the same table, much less eating with him.

It wasn’t lost on me that the hostess looked disappointed when I was led to his table. The entire staff was probably hoping he’d been stood up and they could help lick his wounds.

“I figured you’d call me out on it. I can’t help it. I’m a nerd at heart. Love computers. Video games. Technology fascinates me, how it’s always advancing. Every day I can learn something new, so I never get bored.”

“You were one of those kids who had to stand at the dinner table to eat, weren’t you?” I tease.

“Guilty.” His green eyes twinkle as he says it. He doesn’t seem like the cocky type, but he also doesn’t mind attention. Which is so different from who I am. I grew up wanting to stay in the shadows. I didn’t participate in any sports or music programs. For a few months, my mom convinced me to become involved in the community art program and I enjoyed it. But mainly because it was solitary. The best thing she ever did for me was force me to come with her to the salon. I stayed hidden whenever possible and being there, I was pushed into the spotlight in a safe place. The attention I received was never over the top. No one ever made a big deal over the fact that the woman who I called Mom had skin much darker than mine. And eventually, Mom just gave up and realized that I was happy keeping to myself.

“So after all this sugar, will you be wired all night? Have a lot of energy you need to burn off?”

His eyes flare, the bright green turning a dark shade the color of seaweed. Is he thinking I’m offering to do something about all that energy? If he is, he’s looking in the wrong place. The last guy I slept with was married. Apparently.

“Possibly.”

He licks his lips and I bite my lip. I feel like we’re in the middle of a York Peppermint Patty commercial. Staring at eyes widening and tongues and lips… it’s all so oddly sexual and not at the same time.

“I’m not sleeping with you,” I blurt out.

His dark eyebrows kiss his hairline above the rim of his glasses. Glasses that make him so freaking sexy I can’t think straight. Why is that? They’re just glasses. But he wears them so well.

“Was I asking you to?” he asks.

Oh. Right. Of course he wasn’t. I want to smack my forehead for acting like a dope.

“No. I was just… saying, I guess. Wanted to get it out there.”

“Well, now that we know sex isn’t on the table, I guess I can tell you that it was cute when you snorted earlier.”

Groaning, I cover my face with my hands. Iknewhe heard that. How could he not have? It was so embarrassing.

“Can I get you guys anything else?” our servers says out of nowhere.

“Nah, I think we’re good. Just the check?” Rex asks.

“Sure thing. I’ll just clear some of these plates for you.”

“Thanks.”

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