Page 71 of One Good Puck
She chuckles. “What?”
I let my gaze run along the length of her dress before looking her in the eye. “That’s not a dress you stay in and wear while you eat leftovers on the couch. That’s a dress that deserves to be taken out.”
A beautiful smile pulls at Abby’s lush mouth. Her cheeks flush. “Gavin, you don’t have to take me out to dinner.”
“I know I don’t have to. I want to. Will you come have dinner with me?”
She bites her lip, a teasing look flashing in those mesmerizing green eyes. “Okay.”
Abby glances around the dining area of Se’bon. “This is where Sophie and Xander had their engagement party, right?” she asks.
“Yeah.”
“It's so different when they’re serving dinner,” she says.
Her eyes glitter as she takes in the sleek, minimalist decor in the dimly lit space. The color scheme is earthy. Warm hues of brown and gray and cream set a cozy tone. All the tables are made of dark wood. At the center of the restaurant is the open kitchen. A dozen chefs and cooks in white coats cook and plate meals.
“It’s my favorite restaurant in the whole city,” I say.
A server stops by our table and pours us glasses of water. Abby takes a sip and then glances at the far wall.
“Oh wow.” She smiles as she gazes at the half dozen paintings hanging around the restaurant. “They have so many prints of Monet’sWater Liliesseries.”
I glance around. “Oh yeah.”
“Monet is one of my favorite painters,” she says, her eyes still fixed on the artwork. “I went on a road trip to Chicago with my parents when I was a kid, and they took me to the Art Institute of Chicago. There was a collection of his paintings featured there. I stood there for hours looking at all of them. I was mesmerized. My parents practically had to drag me away.”
I chuckle. “Really?”
She laughs. “Yup. I wanted to paint like him. I loved the look of those thick brushstrokes in all those bright, pastel colors,” she says, looking at the paintings again. “I just adore how his brushstrokes make the images in the paintings come to life. Even in the prints, the texture of the paint is evident. Almost like the flowers and the greenery pop out at you.”
When she looks at me, she flashes a flustered smile. “I sound like such a nerd.”
“No, I love it. It’s cool to see how passionate you are about art.
Her expression turns warm when she looks at me. The server drops by and hands me a drink menu before walking off.
When Abby opens her menu, her pretty green eyes widen. “Um, wow. These prices…” She gnaws at her bottom lip like she’s unsure.
I reach over and rest my hand on her arm. She looks at me.
“Don’t worry about that. This is on me.”
She tilts her head at me. “Gavin, come on.”
“I’m serious. Tonight is my treat.”
She hesitates, but I shake my head before she can say anything.
“You’re my friend, and I want to take you out to dinner. Will you please let me?”
She lets another cute, shy smile break free. God, that smile. It makes me weak every single time.
“Okay. Thank you,” she says softly.
I open up the wine menu. “How about some wine?”
“That sounds amazing.”
