It’s subtle, but it feels like the air thickens around us when I say his name. His eyes change from a bright green to a deeper forest color. The shift in the air has my thighs clenching and my stomach cramping. I stiffen in my chair, my hand crushing the phone in my hand, reminding me of the question I asked Sterling and the reply I still haven’t looked at yet. I’m conflicted. I desperately want to glance down at my phone, but I don’t want to take my eyes off Mr… Asher. Even saying his name in my head gives me shivers.
“How long have you lived in the Atlanta area?” Asher asks, bringing me back to the moment.
I take another sip of my wine before replying.
“All my life, actually. My parents moved here before I was born.”
Bringing up my parents causes a sharp pain in my chest. I rub my sternum to try to relieve some of the ache.
“Are you okay?” Asher inquires, concern evident in his voice.
I give him a sad smile.
“Yeah. It’s just…” I stop and take a deep breath. It’s always hard talking about my parents. I have no idea why I am now, with Asher.
“They’re both gone, and it’s still painful to think about them,” I tell him honestly.
Surprising me, Asher reaches across the table, places his hand over mine and gives it a gentle squeeze. Even through the seriousness of the situation, the warmth of his hand on mine has my body heating up.
“I’m sorry for your loss,” he voices quietly.
An odd sense of comfort washes over me with his words. “Thank you.”
His hand remains on mine, his fingers rubbing circles on the back of my hand. I watch the movement, unable to tear my eyes away. I don’t know what’s happening, and I’m not sure I want it to stop. Asher has always made me nervous, but my body is so aware of him. I like his touch on me.
The waitress comes back with our food, breaking the spell. I pull my hand back and immediately feel the loss. When I look up at him, he’s looking at me with the same expression he did earlier today. It’s the same look of desire I thought my mind conjured up, except this time, it s
eems to be more profound.
Dazed at what has transpired between us, I look away from him and down to my lap. Needing a distraction, I bring my phone to life to sneak a peek at Sterling’s message while the waitress places our food in front of us and refills our drinks.
It’s a simple one-word reply.
Sterling: Yes.
My head automatically lifts to look around the room, noticing several more tables have been filled since Asher showed up. However, each table now has a couple, who are in their own worlds, talking in hushed conversations. No one is looking our way, and nothing looks out of the ordinary.
How can he stay hidden so well?
Is he watching right now as I sit here with Asher? Is he angry I’m having dinner with another man? I want to text him back, but know that it would appear rude for me to do so.
“Is there a problem?” Asher asks.
Feeling guilty for looking for one man while I’m having dinner with another, I stop my perusal of the room and focus back on Asher.
“No. Sorry,” I mutter.
We sit for a few minutes in silence as we both start eating. The quiet should be uncomfortable, but it’s unexpectedly not. This is my first time at this restaurant, and I have to admit, it’s very good.
“What do you do for fun, Poppy?” Asher inquires after putting his fork and napkin on the table beside his plate.
I wipe my mouth with my own napkin and set it down in my lap.
“Fun? Well, I enjoy reading. And taking walks in the park down the road from my house. I always bring a few pieces of bread to feed the ducks while I’m there.” I think for a minute, not really sure what he wants to hear. My life is pretty boring, so I wouldn’t really constitute what I call fun something he would enjoy. “I also like going to the drive-in theater. It reminds me of when my parents took me as a kid. We’d go and watch two movies in one night.”
Asher watches me as I talk, taking in every word I say. I like that’s he seems so interested in what I have to say.
“What about you?” I question, more than a little curious about him.