Page 28 of Nutcracker with Benefits
I put my face in my hands. “I can’t believe I said that out loud.”
Nash puts his face in his napkin again, and he’s trying so hard to control himself that his eyes are welling.
“To be fair,” I whisper across the table at Nash. “In all my years of saying that, I’ve never been at the table with someone who I’ve actually put in my mouth.”
“Obviously, I don’t take you out to good enough meals.”
“How about this? That was the best thing I’ve ever put in my mouth under six inches.”
Nash finally pulls the napkin down, and his smile is huge and contagious. As it fades, it shifts into something that makes my heart flutter—charmed. “I’ll take the compliment.”
“Anyway,” I say, “I think that first course was worth the visit alone. Duck’s always been my favorite.”
“They certainly started out strong.”
Nash and I smile at each other. This evening may be the most different thing we’ve ever done together. When I’ve seen Nash in the past, it’s been family gatherings or lazy weekends in my dorm room or galas where Nash has work obligations. This feels more like a date. But here we are laughing our asses off and sharing jokes. I shouldn’t have doubted that this would be any different.
“I was wondering.” I rest my arms on the table and lean forward. “Why did you pick tango lessons today? And the ballet? I’m a little surprised we didn’t just spend the entire day pigging out.”
Nash mirrors my pose. “I hope this doesn’t come across as selfish, but I wanted to do some things for you and some things for me.”
“I would never, ever think you are selfish, Nash.” I hold his gaze, so he knows how much I mean it. “But dancing? For you? I had no idea you were interested in it.”
“I used to watch Dancing with the Stars, which, of course, my parents would never allow, so I watched behind their backs. And then last year, Heartly had spare tickets to the New York City Ballet, and I’d never been. I saw The Nutcracker and was blown away. The grace of and strength of the dancers is inspiring, and seeing a performance like that was so outside of my wheelhouse. Although Ioann, the dancer in Central Park, is slightly better. He has more flare. Anyway, I’ve never been graceful or athletic. I certainly didn’t grow up attending any kind of arts program.”
Nash’s gaze has wandered over my shoulder and into the distance as he’s talked, and now he brings it back to focus on me. “I understand now that being well-rounded or not is a choice. And I don’t have to choose to not be anymore,” he says, relaxing back into his chair. “I’ve got season tickets now.”
“That’s amazing,” I say. “You’re lucky to live in a city that has such a great arts scene. And to be able to find something you enjoy as a hobby is really important.” Nash’s investment in the company and the city grows stronger every time I visit. Every new thing I hear about is noble—but also tethering.
Nash grins. “I might have been helped along by Uncle D. Seeing him trying to find hobbies in his partial retirement has been very entertaining.”
“For the record, I think you are a fantastic dancer.”
Nash’s grin turns dirty. “You definitely demonstrated your appreciation.”
I blush. The next course is set down in front of us—a Sichuanese variant of hot and sour soup. I lean forward and inhale the aroma, closing my eyes.
“Let me ask you something.” I pick up the soup spoon that was delivered with our bowls. “You seem to know places I want to visit, places I’ve never been. What about you? Where do you want to go?”
10
Nash
I think about my answer. I know she wants something concrete, but the truth is I’d go anywhere, as long as it was with her, but that feels like cheating. I think it over while we sip our soup. The ginger and chili peppers warm me from the inside out, a pleasant feeling in winter.
“Is it that hard to think of one place you’d like to go?” Clara asks, concern knitting her eyebrows together.
“It’s just hard to pick one place,” I say, but I don’t think she believes me. “How do you pick?”
“I don’t have any difficulty picking where to go next. I want to go everywhere. I can’t make the wrong decision.”
“Everywhere is worth going, right?”
“Exactly. I’m not saying that I spin the globe and pick a location with my finger, but I read blogs and watch videos and do research.” Clara’s gesturing with her hands, the soup cooling in front of her while mine is almost gone. “Sure, I’m picking things based on the region I’m already in and what food opportunities there are, but people eat delicious food everywhere. Sydney is so full of interesting restaurants and chefs who are classically trained, but then I read about Javanese food and a Michelin-starred street hawker stall and Malay dishes I’d never heard of before, and something just pulls me, you know?”
I don’t, and Clara sees it in my face and frowns.
“When was the last time you went out of the country for fun?”
