Page 6 of Moonshot

“No, just my mom and me. My dad left when I was young too. But my mom never remarried.” I notice she’s slowed down on eating as she’s appearing to push the food around her plate now. She is thin, so maybe she doesn’t eat much. “I think about it sometimes. It would’ve been nice to have a sister or a brother. Emmaleigh is lucky to have you.”

“Did your father remarry?”

“Yep. I saw him some after the divorce, but once he started having kids with his new wife, he kinda forgot about me.” She shrugs, reaching for her water. I hope I haven’t stepped into something painful with this line of questioning.

Trying to assure her I understand some of our shared histories, I push forward. “Yeah, I never saw my dad again after he left. All I have left of him is memories of playing catch in the yard. I think I got my love of baseball from trying so hard to impress him one day.”

“What do you mean?” she asks, putting her fork down.

“Ah, it’s silly. In my naïve young head, I thought if I played really well and grew up to be a big baseball star, he’d see me and want to know me again.” I watch as she puts her delicate hand over mine and wonder why on earth I’ve shared something like this with her. On a first date, no less. But Ava is the kind of girl you can just relax and be yourself with. There’s no pretense. She’s kind and open. There’s no judgment from her as she looks at me with those ice blue orbs. “I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to get so heavy on a first date. Over lunch, no less.”

“No, Mick. Is it okay ifIcall you Mick?” she asks timidly.

“Ava, you can call me anything you want, pretty girl. This has been the best lunch I’ve had in years.” I can’t control my grin. Hell, I hope I’m not scaring her with my over-the-top enthusiasm.

She laughs in agreement. “Me too.”

We continue to make idle small talk. She shares how her mother had her in the pageant circuit as a child and preteen.

“I didn’t mind it when I was young. Then it just felt like a great big game of dress-up. But as I got older…”

She shares how she was able to put away a sizeable nest egg for college with her winnings but begged to stop participating as it seemed to exacerbate the dumb blonde image she was trying so hard to avoid. It didn’t matter that she excelled in school. All of the people in her social circle had decided her academic achievements were awarded to her based on her looks, not her merit. Her face falls a bit with this reflection, and the unfortunate enlightenment makes me sad. Judgment based on your appearance can cut like a knife regardless of whether you’re considered attractive or not. I’d never contemplated this before, having assumed attractive people were merely fortunate for having good looks.

Attempting to change the subject and bring us out of the deep conversations we’ve fallen into, I share how I’ve been coaching little league baseball as a way to stay connected to my dream after my injury and career plans went up in smoke. I leave out how my team is a hot mess and will likely not win a single game this season. We’ve had enough depressing talk for one lunch.

“So, there was no way to fix your shoulder, so you could play again?”

“It was a labral tear. They tried twice to repair it with surgery, but it just never felt right afterward, and my hitting suffered. I knew if I kept pushing, I’d cause more damage, so I stopped playing.” I deliver this information as if it wasn’t the worst thing to ever happen to me. “Man, I’m just giving you my whole sob story today. I bet you’re quite impressed with me now, huh?” I reply sarcastically.

“Are you kidding? I love how open and honest you’ve been. I’m surrounded by arrogance and superiority all day. You’re a breath of fresh air, sir.” She winks, and I almost choke on my bread. Her pale skin has a beautiful pink blush to it, and her tranquil eyes are like staring into the sea.God, this woman. She’s simply incredible.

Looking down at her watch, I notice the wince and quickly turn to make eye contact with the closest server. “I’ve got all of this, Ava. Why don’t I get you back to work?”

“What?” she stammers.

“I knew you’d have a short window of time to eat, so Luigi told me he’d pack everything up, and I could come back to settle up after I’ve dropped you off.” I watch as she stares at me, mouth ajar.

“Mick. That’s the nicest thing anyone’s ever done for me.”

“Well, that’s sad. You deserve to be treated like a princess.” I have to stop myself before I call her Elsa by mistake. “It’s really nothing. I’d be willing to do a lot more than this if I could get another date with you.” I grin, hoping this date has gone as well as it appears.

“I’d love to go out with you again. But you certainly don’t have to go all out. Just spending time with you has been great.”

Attempting to mask my pride, I turn to make eye contact with Luigi as we stand. I reassure him I’ll be back momentarily before walking Ava to the car.

“Thank you so much for everything, Luigi. It was so good,” she advises as she rubs her flat belly. My eyes drop down the length of her as she speaks with him, and I can’t help but imagine what she’d look like with only a bra and panties, performing that same motion. My dick twitches, waking me from my inappropriate thoughts.There will be plenty of time to consider that in the shower later.

As we buckle up, I consider my options. I’d love to take the return trip slow or maybe go the long way to work so I can make this date last a little longer. But I know I have to get her back to the office quickly. She’d said Joanie was already covering for the additional fifteen minutes she took. I don’t want to put her in a difficult position.

There’s no conversation between us on the trip back. Yet we appear to be sending morse code as we continually look at one another and grin. Please tell me she’s feeling this too. This is more chemistry than I’ve ever felt with anyone on a date. But then again, those are usually just a means to an end for me. As much as I’d love to sleep with Els- I mean, Ava, getting to spend time in her realm was more satisfying than any physical connection I’d had with a woman in a long time.

As I pull up in front of the office doors, I take a quick look around before opening the car door for her. As she steps onto the curb, I lift her hand, placing a chaste kiss over her knuckles. I want to be a gentleman, but it feels almost vital that I ensure she knows how attracted to her I am. As I drop her hand, I notice the same electricity is present, making my lips tingle. Hell, I might need medical care if I ever fuck this girl. If the spark between our superficial touch is this strong, I’m afraid being inside her might be deadly.

“Thanks for a great lunch date, Mick.” Ava beams up at me. God, I want to reach down and cup her face. Kiss those sweet, pink pouty lips.

“It was my pleasure,” is all I can say as she walks back into the office.

As I head back to Luigi’s, my cheeks begin to hurt under the strain of my intractable smile. I can’t help myself. I know I’m going to get grilled by Luigi upon my return, but I don’t even care. I really want to take a chance with Ava. If I fall, it’d be worth it. Right?

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