Page 14 of Claiming Her Cougar
Me: Happy to hear it.What’s up?
Liam: I was wondering if you wanted to grab lunch today or dinner sometime this week?I’m out of town later in the week, but I’d like to see you before I go.
Wow.I wasn’t expecting that.I think about my conversation with Valerie, but Liam technically isn’t a coworker, and even if it turns out he works for Morgan Development and not the building service company, he works in maintenance, not the legal department.Our paths won’t cross professionally.
Me: Sure.Want lunch today?Francisco’s again or somewhere else?I’m going at noon.
Liam: Francisco’s works for me.I’ll meet you there.I’m at a property in Atlantic City now.
Me: Sounds good.See you then.Bye, Liam.
Liam: Looking forward to it, Mallory.
“What has you smiling like that?”Daphne asks.
Crap.I don’t want to say anything about Liam yet.There’s nothing to talk about.
“Something stupid my sister sent me.It’s nothing.”I give Daphne her belongings and unpack my few things.Maybe I’ll bring in some pictures tomorrow.I’m finally ready to put down some roots here.Morgan Development is where I want my future to be.I need to remember that’s my priority.Not cute guys who gently carry little gray mice to the woods so they’ll be safe.The messes with Ethan’s and Valerie’s love lives are great reminders that the Carter siblings are cursed when it comes to love.I can’t forget that and sacrifice what I can have in my career here for a crush.
Keep it casual, Mallory.Liam can be a fling, not a forever.
5
LIAM
I wishI had more time this morning for my meeting with Teagan and Jake, but I don’t want to be late for lunch with Mallory.When I texted to see if she’d agree to meet me before I had to travel down to Maryland and Virginia to check our centers there, I didn’t think she’d suggest today.That was a wonderfully pleasant surprise.If lunch goes well, maybe we can meet for dinner one night before I go.
I need to get to know her better.She’s gorgeous, and she seems funny and down-to-earth.Daphne and my family all have positive things to say about her, so that’s a plus.Not that they knew many of the women I’ve hooked up with in the past, but that’s because I knew they wouldn’t like them.Hell, I didn’t necessarily like them all that much either.They were hookups, not relationships.My last attempt at a relationship was in college, and that was enough to make me shy away from anything more than mutually satisfying hookups.
Mallory doesn’t seem like a hookup girl though.She’s so connected to the company and Daphne that we couldn’t just hook up—it would be too messy.
Vegas was a fantasy.This is real life.
So, I’ll get to know her and see what could work.Keep it casual, get together when we can, but nothing serious.No expectations, no demands.She’ll have to understand I have other things in my life that take priority over a serious relationship.Not that I can tell her about those other things until the Paranormal Hockey League is announced and it’s confirmed we’ve been awarded a franchise.I’m still a hockey player at heart, and we’re a superstitious lot.I’m not going to risk anything by talking about it too soon.If it can work at that level, that’s good.If not, well, I guess I’ll travel a lot more and stay out of the office for the next year to avoid any awkwardness before I leave the company.
I don’t see Mallory’s MINI Cooper when I pull into the parking lot.I made better time than I expected, so I’m a couple minutes early.Should I go in and wait for her?Get a table?Wait here in the parking lot so we can go in together?Drive around the block until she arrives?
I don’t know why this is so difficult.It’s not like this is the first time I’ve gone on a date with a girl.Not that this is a date-date.It’s just a friendly lunch.Maybe that’s why it’s trickier.I know how to act on a date, but how do I act with a friend that’s a girl?Daphne is my friend, but I’m not trying to date her.Okay, if she would’ve given me the time of day and taken my flirting seriously, I would’ve tried dating her, but she was always so hung up on my cousin, I knew there was no chance, so no pressure.
I’ve second-guessed myself so long that Mallory pulls in, takes the spot next to my truck, and solves my dilemma.I get out and approach her driver’s side door as she exits her car.
“Hi.Been here long?”she asks, leading me toward the restaurant.
“No, just got here.I was trying to decide whether to wait in my truck or go inside and wait.”I hold open the door for her.
“I’m so glad you were here first because I was stressing over the same thing,” she confesses with a laugh as she walks inside.
I chuckle as we approach the counter.I’m relieved she’s struggling with the awkwardness too.
“Next awkward moment.I’m paying this time.You can get next time.Deal?”I hope there will be a next time.
“Okay, but I’ll cover the tip.”She freezes and flushes.
“Just the tip,” I tease with a smirk.We both burst out laughing.I like that her humor matches my inner twelve-year-old boy.
“What do you want?”I ask as we look up at the menu board posted on the wall.The air is redolent with the scent of garlic as a fresh order of garlic knots is removed from the oven.Mallory’s stomach rumbles, and I wipe my chin to make sure I don’t have drool in my beard.
We look at each other.“Garlic knots,” we agree in unison.
