Page 18 of His Sacrifice

“Same question right back at ya, gorgeous,” I countered. Why couldn’t Jada have been some soft-spoken woman who easily went along with the flow?

“I’m opinionated and not afraid to say what I’m thinking. If you don’t like that, maybe this date or whatever it is needs to be over now.” She glared at me and didn’t blink.

“This might sound crazy to you, Jada, but that’s the type of quality I like to find in someone. I wasn’t kidding when I said I always want the truth, even if the truth isn’t what I want to hear.” I turned toward her, and my knee pressed against hers. “And this date is far from over.”

She pursed her lips, and I could tell she was trying to figure out what she wanted to do. “Is this a date?” she asked.

“Yes,” I replied simply.

“So you came into the bookstore to ask me out?”

I tipped my head to the side. “Yes.”

“Why?”

I turned back to my food.

“Creed,” she called. “I don’t think that is a very hard question.”

It wasn’t if the answer wasn’t the one I had. “Your dinner is getting cold, Jada.”

“Your nonanswer to my question is making me start to think some crazy things,” she muttered.

“I’m sure what you’re thinking isn’t at all as crazy as my answer to your why.”

“Maybe I should be the judge of that after you tell me,” she countered.

“Eat your dinner, and then I’ll tell you.”

She picked up her burger and took a large bite. “You’re awfully concerned about me eating.”

“I’m not a fan of waste.”

She wiped the corner of her mouth. “That’s not really something you hear from a person who lives in a penthouse and also has a condo just for funsies.”

I glanced at her. “Yes, most people would think that without really knowing me.” This life I lived now was not one I ever took for granted. “You may think I’ve always had a golden spoon in my mouth, Jada, but you would be very wrong.”

“You do know I’m going to Google you when I get home now, right?”

I chuckled and shook my head. “Go right ahead. The world knows only what I want them to know.”

“Then maybe you could tell me what the world doesn’t know.”

“Finish your food, and then we’ll talk.”

“Promise?” she asked softly.

I glanced at her and nodded.

We finished our food in silence as the sunset over the skyline of Chicago.

The room would have felt uncomfortable with anyone else, but with Jada, it wasn’t.

I didn’t know what it was about her, but even when we were arguing, I didn’t want her to leave. She was feisty and really did say what was on her mind, but I liked it. I wasn’t into people blowing smoke up my ass, and most people did that as soon as they found out who I was.

Jada couldn’t have given six shits that I was a Banachi.

“Another Coke?” I asked when we had both finished.

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