Page 32 of Can't Help Falling in Love
A waitress stopped by their table with a large platter of appetizers. Her bright smile and ease holding the huge dish made Lexi want to ask for pointers. “Ethan thought you might be hungry so he ordered you a Side Tap Platter.” She set it down with plates and napkins, glancing at Will. “Congratulations on the engagement.”
Will gave a tight smile so Lexi thanked her. “I really love your top,” Lexi said.
It was a cute T-shirt with a cartoon graphic of an apple tree, an apple in the midst of tumbling down while sayingI’M FALLING FOR YOU.
The woman smiled. “Thank you! We actually sell them at the bar. They’re really comfy.”
When she walked away, Lexi smirked at him. “I don’t think mostof the women who say congratulations to you will mean it but she might have.”
Will set the beer down. “I’m only looking at one woman right now and I have a proposal.”
Lexi arched her brows and laughed. “Another one?”
He chuckled but she could see from the set of his shoulders, the line of his jaw, that he was nervous or tense about what he was going to ask.
“Go out with me,” he said.
She leaned in. “Iamout with you.”
Will shook his head. The delectable scent of fried foods—cheese sticks, wings, onion rings, chicken fingers—wafted between them, complementing the harvest smells from the beer.
“Most of my family thinks we’re engaged. Lots of others think we’re engaged. I want to date you. I had more fun with you the other night than I can remember having in a long time. Letting the news of the engagement just die out rather than denying it would get my mother to stop foisting women on me.”
She wondered what kind of woman his mother thought suited him. She was pretty sure she wouldn’t be on such a list. “Aw, poor Will.”
He flushed. “Sorry. I don’t mean it like that. I just… Lexi, you’re the first woman I’ve met who I can’t block out. I don’t want to. I think you’re sexy as hell, you’re funny and sweet. I want to get to know you. I know the engagement thing puts an awkward spin on it but it doesn’t change the fact that there’s something between us.”
Lexi sipped the apple beer. She liked that one. “My momhasbeen nagging me to get out more.”
Will pointed to himself, passed her a side plate. “Built-in date, right here.”
Putting a couple of wings, a chicken finger, and some of the fries on a mini plate, Lexi considered his suggestion. She liked him. She liked him a lot and wanted to sleep with him. Most of her life was spentjust trying to get through, get to the next step, or figure out the one she was on. Would it be so awful to date Will under the guise of a fake engagement for a bit? Just see where it went? He’d obviously move on and marry someone his mother chose but didn’t she deserve a bit of fun? Maybe if she went out more, her mother would too.
Will pointed a fry at her before popping it in his mouth. “You’re thinking about it.”
“You’re a hard man to say no to, Will. But you have to know, on paper, andin the papers, we’re not a great match.”
He frowned, added a couple of chicken wings to his plate. “Why’s that?”
“Tell me about the women your mother sets you up with.”
Instead, he ate one of the wings so Lexi did the same. Her nerves were erratic but there was something simple and comfortable about sitting across from him, sharing food and beer.
He set his plate down, wiped his hands on a napkin. “I get that you’re not like them, Lexi, and I won’t lie and say that isn’t part of the appeal. But the truth is, I just like you. We can print a retraction and I’ll still ask you to go on a third date.”
The thought sent warmth through her chest, down to her stomach. “If we date under the guise of engagement, what happens when it ends?”
Will was quiet. He tossed his napkin on his plate. “Let’s talk about what happens next and not think about the end.”
Needing to avoid the intensity of his gaze, she picked up the pumpkin spice beer, smelling it before letting the flavor notes sit on her tongue. “Kind of like pumpkin pie.” She took another sip. “I’m not overly fussy about beer. Not really a wine drinker. I do love a good margarita, though.”
He grinned, his eyes still serious. “Good to know. We could have ordered one of those.”
She smiled back, hoping it hid her nerves. “Nah. Margaritas needchips and salsa, maybe some tacos. We have wings and mozza sticks. Beer is a better match.”
When they’d snacked a little, finished most of the beers, she wiped her hands and set them on her lap. If she really wanted to have some no-strings-attached (at least not real ones) fun, she wanted to do it with a clear conscience and as much of the truth between them as she could.
“Why would you want to date a woman who is floundering? I looked you up so I’m sure your family and you have done the same. There’s not much to go off, but I can fill in the blanks. I’m three classes short of a degree, I work the same job I did in high school, I have a second job I’m not great at yet and am considering a third. Today I put my dad’s tools on Marketplace, probably for less than they’re worth. I hated doing it but I know he’d want me to finish my degree and I can’t pay for it otherwise.” He started to speak and she held up a hand. “Don’t even try offering anything—I can see it in your face. I don’t need charity. My mom has shut down since my dad died. I’m having a harder time getting her out of the house. She spends all day reading romance novels or making little miniatures of scenes she’s read. Don’t get me wrong; they’re incredible. She’s truly talented but it’s another way to block out the world. She ignores the fact that the house needs repairs and won’t talk about selling it. That’s me, Will. That’s who I am. What about that is appealing?”
