“No time like the present.”
I cock my head to the side. Is this man serious?No time like the present?
“Come on. You are wearing walking shoes. Let’s do this.”
“Can I at least finish my drink?” I ask.
“Yeah. Sure. The night is young.”
I almost spit my drink. Does he only speak in clichés? “Did you just say that?”
“What?”
“The night is young? That’s such a cliché,” I inform him.
“It’s going to take a lot to impress you, isn’t it, Miss Valentina, um—what’s your last name?”
“Almonte. And are you trying to impress me, Rory . . . ?”
“Dennis,” he says. “And, yes. Maybe I am trying to impress you.”
I bite my lip as I lock eyes with him, and his jade-green eyes darken. The third drink is plunging me into tipsy territory, and I push it away. As I stare deep into his eyes, I realize even his eyes have freckles.
“What are you looking at?” he asks.
“Your eyes have freckles. These little flecks of brown swimming in the green.”
“Ah, that.” He takes another swig of his beer. “Yeah, my mom used to tell me it was poop.”
“What?” I almost yell as I ask, my eyes wide with surprise.
“Yeah, when I was a kid, she had me convinced the little pieces of brown were tiny flecks of poop floating around my irises. Said it was because I was so full of shit.” He smirks and drinks from his beer bottle again.
I throw my head back with laughter. This man is funny. “Your mom sounds like a badass,” I say.
“She really is.”
We are both laughing and relaxed. I don’t remember feeling this way with anyone on a first date. “I don’t think I’ll be finishing my drink after all,” I say. We both stand, and I press my hand to his chest. It’s firm, and my body heats at the feel of it. “Rory,” I say with a breathy voice.
“Yeah?”
“If we go out tonight, I hope you understand I intend to take you to bed before the date is over. Don’t leave with me if you are not interested in that.”
His eyebrow arches, and he pushes his glasses further up his nose so he can better look at me. His jaw slackens, and I know his brain is misfiring. I walk out of the bar without looking back but hope he is right behind me.
I step into the warm night and take a deep breath of air. Not even three seconds pass before Rory is at my side.
“Sorry,” he says. “You kind of caught me off guard there.”
“You’re here, so I take it you are interested?”
He nods. “You’re very forward, aren’t you?”
“Not really, but I don’t have any time to waste,” I say plainly because it is the absolute truth.