Page 20 of Spiral
“Just coffee! Not science.”
He picked up my phone and damn him, even though it had timed out, he knew me well enough to know my code was the girls’ birthdays. Before I could stop him, he was tapping away at the screen, holding me back with his hockey body, and I heard thewhooshof a message being sent.
“What did you do!” I asked as he passed me the phone with his smug I-know-everything expression.
And I stared down at the horror that was the message he’d sent.
“How about a coffee date? Are you free this evening?” I blinked and read it again. “Tonight? He won’t be available on short notice to?—”
An incoming message interrupted my speech, and I handed the phone wordlessly to Oli, who grinned down at the message.
Sure, I know some places. I’ll pick you up at seven, and if you haven’t eaten, we can do Italian food. Or just coffee if you have.
“Girls?” Oli leaned towards Scarlett and Daisy. “Uncle Jamie has a date; you want to dress him up?”
The girls squealed so loud my eardrums hurt. Oli grinned.
And me?
I about died on the spot.
Craig’s SUVpulled up right at seven. It was a couple of years old and nothing as flashy as I expected from a probably-millionaire hockey player with no family to support. Hell, I didn’t know what I was expecting—maybe some low-slung, flashy sports car—but the modest Hyundai was a surprise. I stood by the curb, acutely aware of Oli and the girls peering out from the living room window. Turning to wave at them, to let them know I could see they were watching, I then slid into the passenger seat.
“Hey,” Craig said with a smile.
He was dressed simply, yet every choice accentuated the best of his athletic build. His dark pants, stretched over his muscular hockey thighs, paired with a shirt casually unbuttoned at the throat, offered a glimpse of skin I wanted to taste. As I buckled myself in, I couldn’t help but feel slightly out of place in my carefully chosen outfit. My favorite waistcoat felt a bit too formalnow, even though I had paired it with plain trousers and a pale blue shirt. The subtle elegance of the ensemble usually gave me a comforting sense of preparation, but next to Craig’s effortless style, I wondered if I was overdressed.
“Is this too much?” I gestured at myself.
“No.”
Well, that was a simple answer, but it didn’t alleviate my worrying. Then, there was no more time for questions as we pulled away from the curb, the car humming softly as Craig navigated the quiet evening streets. The silence wasn’t uncomfortable, but my mind raced with all the words I wasn’t saying. If he wasn’t careful, I would end up talking about the weather just to fill the silence.
As if sensing my self-conscious musings, Craig glanced over with a small, knowing smile. “Can I say what I really think?” he asked, his voice smooth, almost cautious but he sounded as if he wanted me to answer. What was he going to say about what? What did he think?
“Okay,” I responded, my voice tinged with a mix of curiosity and apprehension.
He kept his eyes on the road, but I saw his smile broaden. “I think you look perfect.”
The words washed over me with a mix of relief and a flutter of something deeper, something that warmed me more than any compliment had in a long time.
“Thanks,” I managed to say, my voice steady but my heart beating a little faster than usual. “You look perfect, too.”
He smiled briefly, his attention fully on the road as he continued to drive. The ease between us grew, settling into the spaces of the car, and I found myself looking forward to not only dinner but to whatever we called this, a meeting, or a date, or whatever.
“Have you eaten?” Craig asked, his voice casual.
“No, not yet.”
“There’s a Thai place nearby, or I know a great Italian spot if you’d prefer?”
“Whatever you want.”
“I want you to decide.”
Oh, Jesus, that wasn’t one of my good points.Don’t overthink this.“Thai sounds good,” I decided.
“Good choice. It’s not far, just about ten minutes,” Craig informed me, Lady Gaga humming softly through the stereo. The drive was quick, filled with trivial chat about the unusually hot weather and brief mentions of sports, topics that were safe but barely skimmed the surface of what was really on my mind.
