“Besides, I figured you might have a little more burn time before you’ll have to race home to let Junie out. And you gotta eat, right?”
I shake my head. “I’m not in a rush for once. Harriet said she’d let her out for me.”
“Well, if I’d known that, I’d have told you to pack an overnight bag,” he says with a wink.
And just like that, I realize that Dax has seeped into my weekdays. As though that invisible barrier we’d constructed that kept our weekends from being anything real has crumbled just enough for me to see this other Dax—the kind who goes to work every morning and serves our country the way my brother does.
And I like what I see… at the same time it scares me.
“So… do I have to beg for details?” he asks.
As I tell him about the interview, people stop us as they pass, shake Dax’s hand, and thank him for his service. It’s a little like being on the arm of a superstar, I imagine. He really wasn’t kidding about Savannah loving their Rangers. Damn, it’s nice… and sexy as hell.
Is this what I gave up when I said I’d never date a military guy?
When I’m done telling him about the interview, he asks me a question I didn’t expect.
“So how did you feel when you were in there?”
It gives me pause. “How did Ifeel?”
“Yeah.”
“Well, I guess I felt like the paycheck would be a lot better than unemployment.” My tone is joking.
“No, I’m serious. I see how happy you are in the diner every time I go in there. You love the energy of it. The people. The rush.”
It’s amazing how well he reads me, for a guy I’ve only been dating for a matter of weeks.
No, wait. I’mnotdating him.
Yet here I am, dressed up and going to dinner with him. And it’s even a weeknight. What else do I call this?
“So,” he continues, “did the atmosphere there have a good vibe to it? Did it make you happy to think of yourself working there?”
We arrive at the restaurant, and he opens the door for me. As he speaks briefly to the hostess and we’re led to a table by the window, there’s just enough time for me to really ponder his words.
How did that place make me feel? I almost hate to answer the question, even in my head.
I felt small when I was there.
I felt anxious, as they walked me down windowless corridors to meet others at the firm.
I even felt annoyed when I met the director of the team and saw that the window offices with the best views were, of course, saved for the people who made the most money at the firm. I always hated that. Hated the endless quest for a slightly better window while, looking back, I think it’s the people who are making less who should get the better view simply because they have to do the same amount of work for less money.
Yeah, I felt annoyed by that.
After the hostess hands us our menus, I finally answer him. “I felt… unsettled. Like I was taking a step backward even though I’d be making more money than I am at the diner.”
“Hey.” He takes my hand the moment my frown touches my lips. “I didn’t mean to ask you something that would bring you down. Right now, you should just be feeling proud. Whether you get the job or not, you proved you can do this—step back into consulting if you want. Now, you just get to decide if it’s what you want.”
I sigh, adoring the feel of my hand in his. “Right now, all I want is to enjoy tonight. This is—just a really wonderful surprise, Dax.”
He grins. “Does that mean I can convince you to spend the night tonight? I mean, Harrietdidsay she’d let Junie out.”
I laugh. “Well, I still have to open tomorrow morning. But I can come home late.”
“Good because not only is this place five stars on Yelp, it’s also just a half block from my apartment. I’d love to show you where I live.”