Page 58 of The Atonement
I forgot what I was planning to say the longer he spoke, all the reasons we shouldn’t do it suddenly fading away. It was just dinner, after all. What was the harm in it? Maybe it would be nice to spend time outside of my own head for once. And I couldn’t deny my curiosity.
I wouldn’t cross a line.
I swore to myself I wouldn’t—
“I can see you’re thinking about it, so the salesman in me has to try and sell you on one final point here: it’s a beautiful night, and a woman like you shouldn’t be so alone. I know you think I’m too young for you, but all I’m proposing is an hour. Food, drinks, maybe a light joke peppered in now and again. If you hate it, feel free to never speak to me afterward.” He lowered his head ever so slightly, so he was closer to my face. “But something tells me you won’t hate it.”
I chewed my bottom lip thoughtfully, then gave a resigned nod. What could it hurt? If nothing else, it would be a nice distraction for the evening. Nothingmore. Matt was a nice guy. It was just dinner. “Okay, fine. You’ve convinced me.”
“Yeah?”
“Yeah.”
He clapped his hands together once. “All right. Do you need to change or anything?”
I looked down at the sweatpants and T-shirt I was wearing, not exactly ready for a hot date. But it wasn’t a date. And, if I changed, that meant accepting that I wanted it to be more than I could allow it to be. “I’m good.”
“Great!” he said, his voice an octave higher than it had been. “Excellent. Let’s go.”
“Let me grab my purse and shoes.” I stepped back, crossing the room to slide into my shoes. I shoved my phone into my purse before checking the mirror long enough to run a comb through my hair. I still wasn’t used to seeing my reflection.
He stayed in the hall, holding the door open but not invading my space without an invitation, which I was not planning to give him.
Once I was ready, we made our way down the hallway side by side. He kept watching me out of the corner of his eye, a wry grin on his lips, and when I’d catch him, he’d look away guiltily.
Even as I went, I felt ridiculous. I didn’t understand my own fascination with the kid. Because that’s what he was—a child. Just a handful of years older than Dylan. So, why was I letting myself be captivated by his frat-boycharm and winning smile? He wasn’t exactly my type. The confidence he exuded, the sheer joy in his personality, was so far opposite from what I’d gotten with Peter. Maybe that was the appeal.
For an hour, with my new hair and my new life, I could pretend to be someone else.
We made it outside into the parking garage, and he held my door open for me, shutting it carefully after I was inside.
On our way out of the garage, he spoke finally, “So, any preferences?”
“Your choice.”
“Fair enough… Are you thinking fast food or a restaurant?”
I pulled my shirt away from my chest, staring down at the small stain near the hem. Why hadn’t I wanted to change, again? “Fast food, I guess.” My stomach growled at the thought. I wasn’t sure how long it had been since I’d eaten. “I’m starving.”
“Fast food it is.” He bobbed his head back and forth, turning right. “So, tell me about yourself.”
“Why don’t you tell me about yourself first?” I pressed.
He switched lanes, the muscle in his bicep twitching in a way that made me wonder if he was flexing. I looked away.
“Well, what do you want to know?”
“What brought you to Nashville?”
“That’s an easy one. Work.”
“What do you do? You’re not in banking anymore, right?”
“You remembered?” He seemed pleased. “I’m a nurse, actually. I worked at a bank to get me through school, and I just graduated. A buddy of mine works at a hospital here. He put in a good word.”
I couldn’t deny the shock I felt. “A nurse? That’s impressive.”
“Thanks. It’s no big deal. What about you? What do you do at the bank?”
