I was getting a pretty good buzz going, and I was feeling happy. I was happy to be here with him and I was happy that we had chosen to have dinner. Yeah, he’d “tricked” me into it, but not really. It was everything I’d wanted in a date. David was funny and interesting, and he wasn’t afraid to steer the conversation toward “naughty” topics. I liked that a lot.
“Does that mean you’d like to come over after dinner?” David asked carefully. I thought about it for a minute. I’d spent the entire day looking at houses, and I was exhausted. My realtor was going to show me apartments tomorrow since I hadn’t been able to find a house I liked. We both agreed that I might be happier renting for a while before making a big purchase. Lauren and I had been together all day, and I knew she was probably tired, too.
“Maybe,” I said slowly. “I was thinking that it would be weird to explain to Lauren and Felix, but I’m guessing they might like having some time to themselves.”
“They might,” David agreed.
“I don’t really want my brother to know I’m sleeping with you,” I told him.
“Understandable,” David said. He didn’t seem offended, and I was grateful for that. David and I didn’t exactly have a future together. He was my brother’s best friend, and I was here for the weekend. I mean, yeah, I was moving to Kansas City, and I’d be around a lot more, but that didn’t mean David and I were suited to be in a relationship. I didn’t even want a relationship.
His story about Debra had just solidified my own feelings about love. Love was something you did when you were ready to lose yourself. It chipped away at your soul, taking little pieces of yourself until there was nothing left.
Sex, I could do.
Dating? Maybe not.
“Will you excuse me?” David said. “I need to use the restroom.”
I nodded, and he stepped away. The waiter came back, and I ordered another glass of wine. Then I pulled out my phone to send Lauren a message.
ZOEY: Hey, I’m going to go hang out at David’s after dinner. We’re going to watch a movie. I may just end up crashing there. Don’t wait up.
LAUREN: Sounds like fun! What movie?
ZOEY: Something new. Apparently, he’s got a secret passion for chick flicks.
LAUREN: HAHAHAHAHA, who knew????
I left it at that. I didn’t know if David liked chick flicks, but it was something most guys wouldn’t admit either way, so it was a safe thing to text. When he came back, he saw me sipping on my wine, and he smiled.
“Is it safe to assume you’re getting buzzed?” David’s words were gentle and held no judgement. If anything, he seemed amused that I was so relaxed during our date. I had to admit that I was a little amused, too. I wasn’t the type of person to just let my guard down so wildly. Not like I had with him.
I nodded, smiling. David was making me happy, I realized. This was the kind of date girls wrote home about. Our conversation was just easy and comfortable. He was
handsome and he didn’t have a problem paying for everything. He was treating me like I was important, and yeah, I was putting away the wine.
“It’s safe to assume,” I finally said. It was definitely safe to assume that I was getting a little bit buzzed.
“Is it also safe to assume you’re ready to head back to my place?” David sounded slightly hopeful, but I also knew that he wasn’t going to be upset if I changed my mind. He was so different from many guys. He wasn’t going to be angry or hurt if I did something like changed my mind. He wasn’t going to be bothered or upset if I said I didn’t want a date after all.
“I promised Lauren that you and I were going to watch a movie together,” I told him. I raised an eyebrow.
David only laughed.
“We can watch a movie, Zoey. We can do whatever you want.”
“What I want is to get on my knees for you,” I told him boldly.
“Um....”
We both looked up to see our server again. He was holding out the check, and his hand was shaking.
“Thank you so much for coming in tonight,” he whispered. “I’ll be your cashier whenever you’re ready to pay.”
He darted away, horrified, and this time, I was the one who blushed.
“Remind me never to eat here again,” David chuckled, and he pulled out his card to pay.