“Definitely,” I say with a smile, and I freaking mean it. I’m fine. Great, actually. I have a handsome guy sitting across from me at a nice restaurant and my hair looks fabulous. Life can’t get much better than this.
We figure out what we want to eat, opting to sharing a few plates, and then we start asking each other questions. The usual first date thing.
“I’m from central Washington,” he says when I ask where he grew up. “In a small town called Wenatchee.”
Never heard of it. “Do you like it there?”
“It’s okay. It snows in the winter and can get one hundred plus degrees in the summer, so that kind of sucks. But the Columbia River is right there, and I like the downtown area. There are cool restaurants and shops.”
“That sounds nice.”
The waiter appears, a friendly guy in all black, and he takes our drink orders. I can actually feel my purse buzzing against my shoe like it’s an actual call, and I want to check my phone again, though I’m afraid it’s stupid Jordan.
No way am I going to answer the phone and talk to him while out with Cade. That sucker knew I was going on a date tonight. It’s like he’s purposely trying to sabotage my evening.
“Have you ever been to Washington?” Cade asks after our server delivers our drinks and takes our dinner order.
“No.” I shake my head, reaching for my glass of wine. “I’ve barely been out of the state.”
“Really? Well, I guess I get why. Everything you need is here in California,” Cade says. “I like to travel, though, so…I’ve been lots of places. Moved around some, too.”
“How long have you lived here?” I ask.
“Almost a year. I was working at another physical therapists’ office, but it wasn’t what I really wanted. I was settling while waiting for a spot to open up at a place with a sports medicine focus, and luckily enough I found Atlas.” He smiles.
I smile in return. “More like we were lucky to find you.”
“How about you? Where did you grow up?”
“Oh, in central California. I moved here for college—went to San Jose State my junior and senior year.”
“Went to community college first?”
I nod. Take another sip of my wine, which is crisp and delicious. Not too sure if I wa
nt to get overly liquored up tonight. Girl has to have some limits.
My phone starts incessantly buzzing again and I kick my purse, wishing I could send it flying. But I can’t. And I swear Cade can hear/feel it too, because he sends me a concerned look, and I finally give in to see what’s up.
It’s not just a call from Jordan, he’s trying to actually FaceTime me.
Un. Real.
Grabbing the phone, I clutch it in my hand with the screen against my palm as I rise to my feet, sending Cade another one of those apologetic smiles. I hope this isn’t a habit I’m going to start. “I really need to take this. Give me a minute and I’ll be right back?”
“Everything okay?” he calls after me as I leave.
“Everything is great. Don’t worry,” I tell him as I move through the restaurant. I hit the answer button just as I walk out the front door, and I glance at my phone, watching in disbelief as Jordan’s handsome face fills the screen.
“Why are you FaceTiming me?” My greeting is rude, but I don’t care. The past twenty-four hours has been filled with nonstop Tuttle and I’m kind of over it.
Well. I should be over it…
He raises his dark brows and I allow myself to really drink him in. His hair is cropped close on the sides but longish on top, and currently a bit of a mess. There’s dark stubble on his face, giving him a bad-boy air, and his eyes are as blue as ever. He’s wearing a plain black T-shirt that stretches across his broad chest and shoulders, and I’m instantly annoyed. It’s so unfair that he’s somehow gotten better looking over the years.
“Why so hostile?” he asks, sounding genuinely surprised.
I glance around, thankful no one is nearby. “I told you I was going on a date.”