Page 29 of Moonstruck at Midnight
And how could I forget about that?
We walked to a nearby Italian restaurant. Aaron and Caleb followed behind a safe and casual distance away.
“Does it bother you?” I asked Thomas regarding my bodyguards.
“Of course not,” he replied firmly. “I know what happened, Billie. My parents told me somethingabout it. But we don’t have to talk about any of that unless you want to.”
He turned to look at me, and I nodded in appreciation. I didnotfeel like talking about it.
Not today.
We took a seat at a cozy table in the indoor dining area. The night was a bit chilly to sit outside on the lovely terrace. Candlelights that had dripped on themselves over time decorated the small restaurant and created a romantic atmosphere.
Caleb followed us inside, and once we were seated, he stood a few feet away with his back against the wall. I cleared my throat, trying to get his attention. Was he planning to stand there the whole time? He ignored me.
“Caleb?”
“Yes, Miss Murphy,” he replied, keeping his bodyguard stance firmly in place. He was rooted to the ground. He didn’t seem like he was going anywhere. I excused myself and walked over to talk to him.
“Would you like to take a seat at the table?” I asked sarcastically in barely a whisper. Caleb snorted and met my gaze with a slow blink. “I would like some privacy.”
“This is your first date, right?”
“Um, yes.” My reply came out more like a question.
“I think it’s best if I stay just to make sure everything goes smoothly.”
“Smoothly?” I looked over my shoulder and saw Thomas waiting like a normal non-menacing person. I didn’t see the imminent danger he saw. “Is this protocol or—”
“Of course,” he replied without looking at me.
“Suit yourself.” I shot a fake smile at him and huffed my way back to the table.
“I’m sorry about that. I was—trying to shoo him away,” I explained as I took a seat. “I’m afraid it won’t be possible.”
Thomas laughed and turned to look at Caleb for a second. “Don’t worry about it. He looks like a statue. I don’t think we’ll even notice him there.”Speak for yourself.
I took a deep breath. I didn’t want Caleb to ruin my first date with Thomas, and the fact that my last meal had been brunch at noon with CJ wasn’t helping my overall state of mind. But a small glass of wine could help me relax.
A young and spirited server approached us to take our drinks order. That’s when I remembered this wasn’t Paris and I couldn’t order wine. I was miffed. “Ginger ale, please,” I ordered instead.
Thomas laughed. “You’re so adorable when you’re mad. One more year and we’ll be able to order wine for you too.” One whole year. He’d pictured himself with me in a year.
That didnotmiff me.
The bubbly server came back after a few minutes with our drinks and a basket of bread and butter, grinning at Thomas.
“I think she likes you.” I teased, grabbing a piece.
“And I think I likeyou,” he replied, tucking my hair behind my ear, “but Ilove—that you’re eating bread with butter because I love it too.” He grabbed a piece from the basket and buttered it.
My conversation with Thomas flowed naturally. He told me about his life at Princeton and how much he loved rowing crew. I told him about the Summer Intensive Photography Program at Parsons that I wanted to sign up for and how excited I was about it. But I’d been waitlisted. The school told me someone could cancel at the last minute, so I was hopeful.
We ordered our food. Thomas gave me a quick kiss on the cheek and excused himself to the restroom. The sensation of his lips on my cheek lingered on and drew a smile on my face.
Caleb followed Thomas’s every move with his eyes, then approached my table.
“Don’t you want to SOS it and call it a night?” He teased with a crooked smile.
