Page 62 of Designing Love
“Oh.” I clear my throat awkwardly, feeling suddenly self-conscious, mesmerized by her delicate fingers circling the rim of the glass.I can’t look away.“Yeah, I suppose we kind of skipped over some details, didn’t we?”
She smiles softly, reassuringly. “Maybe just a few.”
I run my fingers through my hair, searching for the right words. “Well, for starters… I do freelance IT work. Coding, software solutions, that kind of thing.”
Her eyes widen slightly. “With all the time you’ve been investing the in the Miller House, you haven’t been doing much work it seems.”
“True.”
She smirks. “No contracts? No deliverables?”
I shrug. “I got lucky. Jumped on the Bitcoin bandwagon pretty early, invested wisely, and now… well, let’s just say Simon wasn’t wrong about me having questionable real estate taste.”
Sophia’s lips twitch into an amused smile, but her expression grows thoughtful. “That’s impressive. I mean, not the Simon part. Just… being able to do whatever you want, whenever.”
“Yeah. I guess I’m lucky. But money only solves so many problems.”
Her eyes soften as she reaches for my hand, gently tracing circles on the back of my knuckles. “What problems can’t you solve?”
I exhale slowly. “Loneliness.”
Sophia laughs softly, “Unless you can buy a house to get someone to help you fix it up?”
I laugh.
She nods slowly, eyes focused on our entwined fingers. “My parents died when I was in my early thirties. They didn’t like Daniel, and Sage just told me they left my inheritance with her.”
I squeeze her hand gently. “That must have been a surprise?”
She smiles faintly, her gaze meeting mine. “Exactly. Leaving Vancouver was impulsive. It’s the first thing I did entirely for myself in years. I was worried about money, then suddenly, I didn’t have to worry about it anymore.”
“So, you’re saying we’re both secretly wealthy loners looking for something real?” I joke softly, but there’s a pull now, subtle, electric, something we both feel.
Her laugh breaks the tension, eyes shining brightly. “Seems that way.”
Our server appears, sliding two steaming burgers and crispy fries in front of us. Sophia digs in enthusiastically, groaning in satisfaction at the first bite, and it’s a sound I’d like to hear again. “How does this pub make a burger taste like heaven?”
“It’s probably the heart-clogging amount of butter,” I grin, taking a huge bite of my own. “Delicious, artery-clogging butter.”
She giggles, nudging my shoulder playfully. “Worth every bite.”
We linger over our meal, comfortable silence broken by easy banter and quiet laughter. When the check arrives, I reach for it automatically, but she stops me with a playful glare.
“You paid last time. Let me handle this one.”
I raise my hands in mock surrender. “Yes, boss. Or should I call you my sugar mama?”
Her smile turns mischievous. “Please don’t. You’ll remind me that I’m robbing the cradle.”
“Stop it…” I shake my head. “Does my age bother you that much?”
She looks down. “Maybe not THAT much… but…”
I stand up, take her hand, and invite her to stand up. “Age is just a number, and I’m mature for my age!” I wink at her, leaning in and kissing her cheek.
She chuckles, shaking her head.
After settling up, we step outside into the crisp night air, the faint glow of streetlights casting gentle shadows on the sidewalk. Sophia shivers slightly, pulling her cardigan closer.
