Total pages in book: 40
Estimated words: 38053 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 190(@200wpm)___ 152(@250wpm)___ 127(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 38053 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 190(@200wpm)___ 152(@250wpm)___ 127(@300wpm)
But I still want to know so much more. I want to know all the things, mainly I want to know all his stories. About his life. What he was doing before coming back to fulfill his father’s dream.
Mainly, I want to know what his own dream is.
Chapter 16
Harrison
Iplace my hand on the small of February’s back, leading her into The Mad Vine. This restaurant is one of my favorites. The farm-to-table, gluten-free menu is the best I’ve ever had. I’m sure February will feel the same.
As we wait to be seated, I watch her take in the restaurant. The dark wood chairs and floor give a cozy feeling, which is exactly what I want for tonight.
“This place is great,” she says, lifting her gaze toward me.
“Well, look at this.”
I turn toward the familiar voice and grin. “Paxton.”
“Hi, February. How are you?”
“I’m good. How are you?”
He grins at me before turning his attention to her. “I’m great. Heading home tomorrow to have Pad Thai with Hartford.”
“You have a girlfriend?” she asks, surprised.
“No, definitely not. Hartford is my best friend. We always have a Pad Thai and beer night when I get home from my work trips.”
“Are you ever gonna go for it with her?” I ask.
He slings his arm around my shoulders and grins. “Nope. But how about you guys? What’s going on here?”
February blushes as I push him off me. “We’re having dinner and I see our table is ready.” I slap his back as the hostess grabs our menus. “We’ll catch up soon.”
We walk away, listening to his laughter, and I shake my head. February is like a skittish animal, ready to dart at any moment. His innocent question could be the catalyst for her to dash off to the restroom and never return.
I’m all in with this thing between us. However, she just needs a little more time to realize she is too.
I draw her chair out and she gracefully takes her seat as the hostess places our menus down, telling us our waitress will be here soon.
My gaze lingers on her blue dress, which is the perfect match for the captivating color of her eyes. She’s breathtaking, and I feel like the luckiest fucker in this joint with her on my arm.
“Sorry about Paxton. He’ll say anything to avoid talking about the feelings he harbors for Hartford.”
She peeks at me over her menu and says, “Is that true?”
I shrug, picking up my menu. “He had a thing for her years ago but never acted on it. She friend-zoned him. Maybe he moved on, but I personally don’t think so.”
“His face did light up when he was talking about her.”
I nod with a grin. “Exactly.” Hoping that helped relax her from his questions, I glance down at the menu. “Have you ever eaten here before?”
“No, I’ve always wanted to, though.”
The waitress takes our drink orders and when she returns, we place our order. As she walks away, February grabs my attention. “So, what did you do before you came back to fulfill your father’s dream?”
I lean back in my chair, taking a sip of my beer. “Nothing exciting. I did sales for an insurance company. It was boring as hell. It was an easy decision to walk away.”
“Why did you stay if it was so boring?”
“It was good money and it just kind of became routine. It was easy and the hours, well the hours sucked, but it was a job,” I say with a shrug, enjoying her company. I don’t know what it is about February, but our conversations always flow so effortlessly.
With a subtle tilt of her head, she studies me with a curious gaze. “That doesn’t seem like you.”
“What do you mean?”
“Doing something boring that you didn’t enjoy. It’s just not a side of you I’ve seen.”
A soft chuckle escapes me, and I find myself crossing my arms in a playful gesture. “No, it’s not a side of myself I liked. I’m all about grabbing life by the horns and living it to the fullest. My father always told me not to settle, and I was settling. Big time. I’ll never do that again.”
The waitress drops off our food and we take the opportunity to enjoy it in silence. It's the kind of quiet that wraps around us like a cozy blanket, not a hint of discomfort in the air.
It’s just how my parents used to eat dinner. It brings a smile to my lips.
“This is delicious.”
I nod as I finish off my meal. “I told you, it’s a great restaurant.”
“You said you’ll never settle again, so what is your dream?”
I put my fork down and stare at her. Her eyes shimmer with genuine interest, and her lips gracefully curl into a radiant smile.
Would it be wrong of me to tell her she’s my dream? Just staring at her right now makes me imagine things. Like long-term things.