Page 3 of She Likes It, Hey Micah
“Hi.”
I clamp my mouth shut, turning to face the guy who approached without me noticing. He has his hands in the pockets of his jeans, head bowed, eyes soft, and there’s a curve in his red eyebrows that speaks of his nerves going berserk right now. Huh. For a guy this good-looking, he is way more nervous than he needs to be. That’s winning him some points, though he might have lost a couple for approaching me before his date has even driven away.
He blinks, glancing at Kinley before giving me a soft smile. “Sorry to interrupt, but I…” He swallows. “I couldn’t help but notice you watching my terrible date.”
“Ow!” I glare at Kinley, who kicked me under the table, and then I smile at the guy. “I wasn’t watching,” I say, which is a total lie. “You were just in my line of sight. Was it terrible?”
He chuckles. “I think it was over the minute I told her I was a preschool teacher.”
Awww. That’s so sweet! Definite points for that one. “What’s wrong with being a preschool teacher?”
Shrugging, he bumps his toe against the foot of our table and looks around the shop instead of at me. “That’s what I asked. And she had plenty of responses. Uh, I know this is pretty bold of me, and maybe a bit jerky considering I was just on a date, but you’re really beautiful, and I was wondering if you’d be interested in going out sometime?”
Kinley kicks me again, which I don’t especially appreciate, but I suppose it’s better than having to give her money for always being right.
I smile at the guy, wondering how this would play out in our future retellings if we ended up together. He was on a date, I was late for work, and fate decided to bring us together by making the only free table in the shop the one that gave me a clear view of his table in the corner.
“She’s free tonight,” Kinley says with another kick.
I kick her back, but she’s right. “Yeah,” I say, shaking myself out of the fantasy. “Uh, I could meet you at La Bella? It’s a restaurant.”
He grins, face turning bright red at the same time because he probably didn’t expect me to agree. “Okay! Yeah, yeah, that would be great. La Bella. Tonight. Perfect.” He’s halfway to the door before he pauses and turns back. “Uh, I’m Nate, by the way.”
“Micah.”
“Could I get your num—”
“Meet you there at seven?”
He nods and then wanders through the door looking dazed as he nearly runs over an old woman on her way inside.
“Told you,” Kinley grumbles, sliding off her chair and tugging my arm to get me to follow. “It’s like you’re a magnet for men, but only the good ones. How do you do it?”
“Guys ask you out all the time,” I argue. She tells me about it constantly, and I don’t think she ever goes a shift without someone hitting on her.
Rolling her eyes, Kinley leads me outside and heads right, knowing I won’t go to work unless she walks with me part of the way. It’s not that I don’t like my job—I love my job—but there are days when I really don’t want to deal with my boss.
Today is one of those days.
“I get creeps asking me out,” she says. “Married convicts with bad breath and leering eyes.”
I frown. “Have you ever actually come across a married convict with bad breath and leering eyes?”
“It’s the principle of the thing, Micah. You have to acknowledge that you are uncommonly lucky in dating.”
So she says, but I’m not so sure I believe her. Yeah, okay, guys approach me all the time, and I go on enough dates that I gave up meal planning years ago because too much food went to waste. But does that really mean I’m lucky? Because to me, luck would include one of those guys actually sticking, and so far that has yet to happen. I can’t remember the last time I went on more than two dates with anyone. I can draw them in, but they never stay.
There must be something wrong with me.
“Hey.” As we reach the crosswalk where Kinley generally leaves me to walk the last block alone, she squeezes my hand and gives me her stern, girl-power look. “Today’s the day.”
“Sure,” I reply, though now that I’m this close to the office, I’m not so sure she’s right.
Kinley squeezes harder. “You’ve been talking about this event for a week, Mic, and Lila would be stupid to ignore your ideas. You’ve been her assistant for two years, and unless you put yourself out there, how is she supposed to know that you wouldslayif she let you plan your own events? You can’t hide in the shadows forever.”
I hate that she’s right because it means I don’t have any excuses. I love excuses. They’re so fun to hide behind.
I take a deep breath, reminding myself of the affirmations I said in the mirror this morning, telling myself that I am confident and strong and fearless. I say them every day, but they’re not always easy to believe. Maybe they would be if I could finally get that promotion I’ve been hoping for since my first day at Ember Events.
