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“Co—”

“Water, please. Two bottles. Thank you.”

The waiter taps on his device and disappears with a bow.

Connor leans back in his chair.

I pout. “I wanted coffee.”

“You had enough coffee for one week.”

“How do you know?”

“Your fingers are shaking, your leg hasn’t stopped trembling, you’ve been fidgeting with your hands the whole time we were walking around, and your eyes are… beautiful but red. You have caffeine jitters. How many cups did you have this morning? Five?”

“Four.”

“What about the energy drink?”

“Alright then, Mr. Know-it-All. Let’s see how well you think you know me. What else can you tell me about myself?”

A slow grin spreads across his face, revealing dimples that send a strange flutter through my stomach. Damn him.

“Well, for starters, you prefer your coffee black, no sugar. Unless it’s from the coffee place around the corner, then it’s a vanilla latte. Your morning ritual involves reading the newspaper cover to cover, followed by a brisk yoga session. Your guilty pleasure TV show is The Bachelor. Your favorite flower—”

“Okay, okay! Stop.” How does he know these things about me? “You’ve made your point.”

“I am dedicated to my work.”

“What has that to do with work?”

“I check everyone. The waiter who served us, for example. He isn’t a regular. He’s taking the shift over from his sister when she’s ill.”

I’m not anyone special, then.

“Can I have my phone back now?” I don’t like this.

Connor regards me with that infuriating half-smile of his. “What’s the magic word?”

I hold back rolling my eyes. “May I please have my phone back now?”

“Hmm, I don’t know. I’m rather enjoying this little date of ours.”

My mouth drops open in indignation. “This is not a date!”

“It’s not?” He feigns confusion. “Two people sharing a meal together, learning more about each other. Sounds like a date to me.”

“You stole my phone and are holding it for ransom, so I’d come to lunch with you. How on earth could you construe this as a date?”

Connor shrugs. “Technicalities.”

I shake my head. “You are unbelievable.”

“Why thank you, I do try.”

“That wasn’t a compliment.”

“Are you sure about that?”

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