Page 54 of Lucky
That earns me a side glance.Warm.Curious.Like she’s not sure if I’m being serious or charming, and the truth is, I’m both.“I can honestly say I’ve never brought a woman to an expensive, high-end restaurant for a date before.”
Winnie pauses, a piece of bread halfway to her mouth.“You’re kidding?”
I rub at my jaw and give her a sheepish smile.“I’m not sure if that makes me look good or bad to you.”
She shakes her head as if saying,I’m not thinking bad of you.“I guess I sort of thought…” She looks around at the setting before her gaze comes back to me.“That this is normal for you.”
I look around as well and I see what she sees.The linen’s crisp enough to make a sound when you touch it.The crystal glasses sparkle.The butter is shaped into tiny roses and there’s gold leaf on the dessert menu.All easily affordable for me, so I get where she’s coming from.
“I eat in restaurants like this all over the world.But I’ve never brought a date to one.”
“I’m not tracking why you wouldn’t.”
I lean forward and cross my arms on the table.“You’ve never asked me about my past relationships.I know you were in a serious one and he cheated, but you’ve never shown any curiosity about mine.”
Winnie ducks her eyes and I can’t tell from the candlelight’s glow if her cheeks are red.“I didn’t want to be intrusive.”
“Jesus, Win,” I exclaim with a dip of my chin.“Why would that be intrusive?”
Her face scrunches as she contemplates that.“I don’t know… I guess I didn’t want you to think I’d set my sights on a serious relationship.Or that I was trying to take advantage of you.If I ask about it, you might think I’m plotting.”
Admittedly, that both charms me and feels like a strike to my soul.I don’t think I’ve ever given her the impression that she’s a gold digger or fame seeker.“I’m an open book, so you can ask me anything.And since you seem shy about doing it, I’ll just tell you… I’ve never dated anyone seriously.”
“Never?”
I shake my head.“I’m all about the casual.”
“Oh,” she says.
“Until now,” I say, and her pretty eyes snap back to me.“I’ve never wanted to bring a woman out to a fancy restaurant to spoil her.I’ve never invited a woman to my games or to go out with me after.Please don’t hold this against me, but I played the field and I never went out with someone more than a few times.”
She looks at me skeptically.“A love-’em-and-leave-’em kind of guy, huh?”
“Never love,” I correct her.“Meaning… I’ve never been in love.Not sure if that makes me lucky or not.”
“That’s actually profound,” she says, her hazel eyes locked on me.
“Some would say that makes me skeptical,” I point out.
“I think it makes you discerning and cautious.”
And that right there is the correct answer.I don’t tell her that I’ve never even thought about what a relationship could mean to my world… until I met her.She might think it disingenuous.
“This is pretty far outside your comfort zone,” she observes, fingertips circling the top of her wineglass.“Which makes me appreciate it more.So, thank you for a lovely evening.”
I cock an eyebrow at her.“It’s nowhere near over yet.”
She laughs, soft and tinkling but still reaching my ears over the noise of dozens of voices in low conversation, as if the sound were made for me.It’s happened on a few occasions with Winnie… like I’ve been hit over the head.
“You’re staring at me.”Her lips curve upward, eyes curious.
“Yeah.I’m trying to figure out if this is one of those dreams where I wake up covered in Buttermilk’s fur.”
She snorts into her wine.“You think my rabbit’s fur is dream residue?”
“Pretty sure he shed judgment on me last time.”
Winnie dabs her lips with a napkin, her grin lingering.“He’s actually a good judge of character.”
