Page 30 of Glitter

Surprisingly, Henry didn’t stop until we got to the restaurant. He parked and was out his door to open mine before I even had my seatbelt undone. He helped me out, then offered his elbow to walk me inside.

Guess my abhorrent living conditions hadn’t put him off then. Huh.

“Welcome toThe Majestic. How may I help you this evening?”

The sound of a young woman broke me out of my thoughts, and I turned from Henry to find a tall blonde standing at the host podium, her hands clasped loosely behind her back.

“Hello,” Henry said, a small tense smile gracing his lips. “We have a booking for two under the name of Porter.”

The host tapped at her tablet, her long fingernails clacking at high speed. “Certainly, sir. I have you listed for a booth at the rear. Is that still acceptable?”

He exhaled in relief. “Yes, please.”

“Wonderful, sir. Right this way, please.” She removed two leather-bound menus from the console and led the way through the relatively busy restaurant until we arrived at a slightly darkened booth away from most of the guests. She waited for us to sit before handing us both a menu. “Your server will be along soon to take your drink order, unless you wish to request something now?” Once again, she clasped her hands loosely behind her back and looked at Henry, then me, with an open and patient expression.

“If I could please get a coke to start?” I asked her, and she bowed her head before turning to face Henry with an expectant look.

“Same, please.” He’d opened the menu but wasn’t paying that much attention to it. Rather, he was gazing at me with a look that seemed to combine heat, curiosity, and anxiety.

“Of course, sirs. I will let your server know.” She bowed her head again before straightening. “I hope you enjoy your time atThe Majestic.”

“I’m sure we will,” Henry responded quietly, even though he was holding my gaze steady.

Why was he keeping his eyes on mine? He’d never seemed to do this when we were eating lunch with Amy. He would always look at the person he was talking to. Why was this situation different?

I waited for the host to leave before I leaned forward slightly and reached my hand across the table towards him. “Is everything okay, Henry?”

He swallowed hard, enough for me to see his Adam’s apple bob through his dense beard, before shaking his head slightly and admitting softly, “Um, I’m not good with crowds in unfamiliar places.”

I tilted my head to the side and looked around us. There wasn’t anyone close to us, but the middle of the restaurant was bustling. The chatter wasn’t loud, but it was constant. I looked back at the way we were seated and realized that because of the seat I’d chosen, I’d forced him to sit in the one opposite, so Henry had full sight of everyone in the restaurant, while my view of the rest of the restaurant was far more limited.

I shuffled out of my booth seat and motioned him to get up. “Let’s swap seats, pocket bear.” I stilled at my potentially callous assumptions. “Unless you want to go? I don’t mind if you’d rather leave.”

His eyes widened, and he quickly shook his head even as he moved to get out of his seat. “No, I don’t want to leave. This is a date. I want you to enjoy yourself.” He steadily rose and grasped my forearms, looking up at me with affection. “I want to be here with you.” He cast his eyes nervously around the room. “I admit that I wasn’t expecting it to be so busy on a Sunday night, though.”

I chuckled and leaned down to give him a quick peck on the lips, one hand palming his cheek. “As long as I’m with you, I don’t mind where we are.” I maneuvered him to the other side of the table before we both sat down. “Let’s try this seating arrangement. If it doesn’t work, we can always ask for our meals to go.”

His shoulders lost their tension as he visibly relaxed, his anxiety finally easing. “Okay.”

I smiled at him, happy that we could both start relaxing, then looked down at the menu that he’d left open on the table. My eyes widened. “Uh, Henry?”

“Yes?”

“I can’t afford this,” I said, gulping as the anxiety he’d been feeling moments ago now rushed through my system. My fingers curled into fists that I then tucked under the table while I read the menu, the prices taunting me. Why had I agreed to this? Should I have told him earlier that an outing at a fast-food place would be better suited? Maybe I could convince him to leave now—

“Angel, I never expected you to pay for tonight.” Henry’s soft voice carried over the table, his hand reaching over the table and resting next to my menu, palm up. “I asked you on this date. This is my treat for you.”

My heart thumped loud and hard at his words. I’d heard them once before, and as soon as we’d eaten, my date had dashed out the door, leaving me to foot the bill. On an instinctual level, I knew Henry wasn’t like that, but my brain was crying out,what if?I gingerly placed my still curled fist into his palm where he tickled my wrist, trying to ease my worries. My eyes frantically jumped around the room.

“Blue,” he said sternly, forcing my focus entirely onto him. Once he had my attention, he held my gaze for a moment before calmly saying, “I’m paying. It’s okay.”

My brow furrowed slightly as I let out a shaky breath. “Okay…” I wasn’t convinced, but I had to trust him, right?

“Good evening, sirs,” a voice said, capturing both of our attention. Our promised server had appeared and was now placing our drinks on the table in between us. Once they were down, he stood upright, his hands clasped loosely behind his back. “Would sirs like to hear this evening’s specials, or would sirs like some more time?”

I stared at him, blinking hard. What to do, what to do… “Um...”

Henry coughed quietly, drawing both my attention and the server’s. “We probably need some more time, but I have a favor to ask, if I may?”

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