Page 13 of How He Got the Girl
“I’ll give you as many as you desire.”
My heart thumps. “Don’t make promises you can’t keep.”
“I only make promises I can deliver on.” Griffin rubs my thumb before settling our clasped hands on my leg. We sit in comfortable silence for the remainder of the short drive.
I’ve already been vulnerable enough with him that I know he has the power to break my heart, so I hope he’s being honest right now. Otherwise, I’m in for a world of hurt.
Griffin, ever the gentleman, drops me off at the door while he parks the car. I step inside and pull out my phone, shooting a quick text to Daisy to let her know where I am.
ME
Girl, the date has been amazing! He just took me to Wings and More for dinner. If you could pick me up from here later, that would be great!
Immediately after I hit send, my phone screen goes black. Shoot. I knew I should’ve charged the battery this morning, but I wasn’t expecting this date to last the whole day. Hopefully, she got the message. If not, I’m sure Griffin wouldn’t mind dropping me off later.
The chime above the front door rings as Griffin steps inside, shaking snowflakes from hisbrown hair. He smiles as he moves to my side and speaks to the hostess, who seats us immediately at one of the few available tables.
The restaurant has a fun, farmhouse vibe with red-and-white gingham picnic tablecloths and galvanized decor on the tables and walls, giving the place a rustic charm. If how packed it is in here is any indication of the quality of the food, I think I’m in for a delicious meal.
Griffin orders a platter of sticky honey wings for us to share that he swears will leave me never wanting to eat another flavor of wings, along with fries and Dr. Peppers.
My heart warms. He remembered my favorite drink. “You’re a good listener.”
He grins. “It’s not a McDonald’s Dr. Pepper, but I hope it’ll do.”
Our food is delivered in record time. My stomach grumbles again when I behold the giant stack of wings. “These smell amazing.”
“They are.” He picks up a flat, and I do the same. It’s not exactly the kind of food I’d usually pick to eat on a first date, but Griffin makes me feel like I don’t have to worry about getting sauce all over my face and fingers. “Bon appétit.”
I take a bite, and my taste buds instantly go wild. It’s sweet from the honey but has spicy notes that provide just the right amount of heat, followed by the tang of vinegar.
“Perfect, right?”
I answer him by finishing off that wing and grabbing for another.
Griffin smiles. “This is my favorite place for a reason.”
“Is it where you take all your dates?” I dive into my next wing.
“You’re the first girl I’ve ever brought here. Well, aside from my mom and Granny.”
I raise an eyebrow. “Really?”
“You act like I’m a player.” He frowns. “Truth is, I’m always onto one thing or the next, and I’ve never made time for dating.”
“So this is where youwouldtake all your dates.”
“Only the special one.”
His word choice doesn’t go unnoticed. He didn’t say he’d take the specialoneshere, just the specialone. As in, a singular person. From the way his eyes sparkle when he looks at me, there’s no question that he’s referring to me.
There he goes again, saying things that make me think of a potential future with him—this guy I just met but feel inexplicably drawn to.
To avoid all my confusing emotions, I grab a few fries, dipping them in ranch before shoving them in my mouth.
Griffin laughs a full-belly, eyes-crinkling laugh. “You’re truly something else, Mallory.”
I finish chewing and narrow my eyes at him. “Is that supposed to be a compliment?”
