Page 50 of Love Undecided
"I insist, it's the least I can do."
When we got our drinks, he offered to help me carry everything back to the table, "just to save the other patrons from a potential mojito shower." He said it so seriously I was almost offended. But then he laughed, so I did too.
“My table is this way,” I said.
“Doesn’t matter, beautiful, I’d follow you anywhere,” he said.
I invited him and his buddy to join us since we had a table and they didn't. He introduced himself as Brad and his friend was Ethan.
Brad was an easy conversationalist, funny, quick-witted, and incredibly charming. And, he sat there all night in a stained and wet (which did eventually dry), t-shirt acting like he wasn't bothered by it at all.
He walked me to my car at the end of the night, we exchanged numbers and kissed goodnight. I was looking forward to the kiss most of the night, but I had not anticipated how it would affect me. Brad’s kiss left me shaking, literally. Like he rocked my world.
I’d invited him home with me, and he said no.
“We’re going to have a date first, Kat. At least one, and probably two, before we go home together. But when we do, it will be because you find me as irresistible as I find you.”
“But—”
“Not just sexually, beautiful girl. We are going to talk, and text, and go out, and get to know one another. And you’re going to like it. And when I get up to make you breakfast the next morning, you’re not going to want me to leave.”
“Pfft. Awfully full of—”
He put a finger to my lips to quiet me. Then he kissed me one more time. A soft and lingering kiss that stayed on my lips until long after I’d gotten home.
Sure enough, he’d been right. We had three dates and countless conversations before he came home with me. Our night together was explosive. And the next morning, after he made me breakfast, I never wanted him to leave.
* * *
“Earth to Cookie, you in there, girl?”
My eyes come in to focus and I see Bauer waving his hand in front of me. I feel a ping of sadness for just a moment that it’s not Brad. And that my reality doesn’t include him making me breakfast any longer.
“There you are,” he says. “I don’t know about you, but I’m about fried with all this.” He motions to everything strewn across the table between us. “You wanna wrap this up and grab something to eat?” He looks at me questioningly.
“I’m meeting my girls for dinner in about a half hour, so I’ll just eat then,” I say.
He looks disappointed. And I remember that he’s new to the area and doesn’t really know anyone and that the highlight of his evening will probably be going back to the hotel with fast food and watching pay-per-view. So, in an effort to be a charitable colleague, with no ulterior motive at all whatsoever, I ask, “Would you like to join us?”
He smiles. “Are you asking me if I want to join three hot babes for happy hour?”
“Considering I know what my girls look like, and you don’t, I guess I am.” I attempt an exaggerated wink, but based on the way Bauer looks at me, I’m pretty sure I just look like I’m trying to pop my ear on one side. I may be a sucker for a wink, but if I haven’t mentioned it before, I am not a good winker.
He gathers his stuff together. “Show me the way.” He grins, stands, and motions me out the door.
Remi, Lexie, and I have a standing dinner date once a week, and tonight is it. Even though we got to have dinner together last night, it was an anomaly, but we do try to see one another as often as we can during the week.
