Page 38 of Love in Fine Print

“So you grew up in the city?” he asked as he cut into his filet mignon, which he’d gotten prepared to the perfect temperature of medium well.

Even though I knew my stance was a controversial one, I could never trust someone who ate meat that was still bloody. I’d had to sit through too many dinner meetings with men who hacked into bloody slabs of beef and then shoved it into their mouths like cavemen; it was off-putting, to say the least.

“Yes.” I cleared my throat, doing my best to pay attention to the conversation. “I was here until I was sixteen. Then I went to college.”

His eyes widened slightly as he finished chewing and then swallowed. “Sixteen. Wow, that’s impressive.”

That was just one more attribute to be placed into the pro column of Dr. Neil Gannon, he didn’t speak with his mouth full.

Again, it might be PTSD from having to endure so many dinner meetings with blow-hard old men who thought what they had to say was so important it didn’t matter if their mouths were filled with food when they said it, but I truly appreciated anyone who had the manners and decorum to finish chewing before speaking.

“Not really. I just wanted to leave home, so I came up with a plan to graduate early when I was fourteen.”

“Itisimpressive. A lot of fourteen-year-olds want to leave home, and they just run away.”

“Education has always been important to me.” Because it was important to my dad, he’d always told me that an education was something no one could ever take away from me and was adamant that I attend college. As a kid, I never really thought about his militant stance on higher education. But now as an adult, I wonder if it was because he never went to college. His dad passed away when he was a teenager and he’d had to start working to help his mom pay the bills.

He'd apprenticed for a carpenter and ended up being a highly sought-after furniture restorer. He’d had a successful business until my mom worked him into an early grave. I remember how much weight he lost the last few years of his life. At the time, I was only a kid so I hadn’t really paid much attention, but now I realized how exhausted he must have been.

“Me too,” Neil smiled. It was a nice smile, but it didn’t make the heavens open. “My parents always said they just wanted me to be happy, but I think that if I hadn’t gone to school, it would have really disappointed them. Or maybe not. My brother is an artist and he dropped out his senior year of high school, and I think he’s their favorite.”

“I doubt that.” I couldn’t imagine Neil not being any parents’ favorite. Come to think of it, I couldn’t imagine him not being an in-laws favorite either, which begged the question. “So, why are you single?”

Typically, I only asked people questions that I already knew the answer to, but in this case, I had no idea what the reason was. I was genuinely curious.

He grinned with self-awareness. It was clear to me that I wasn’t the first person to pose that question to him…maybe not even the first person to ask him that today.

“Do you want the default response or the real answer?”

“Both.”

He stared at me, and I saw a little twinkle in his blue eyes. “The default answer is that I’ve been too busy with school and my career.”

“And the real answer?”

“The real answer is, I don’t like to settle.”

I’d seen that particular trait play out in some of my clients. Most men who didn’t settle were used to getting their way and they wanted someone who was perfect. Then, when they came to the realization that, news flash, there were no perfect people, including the woman they’dnotsettled for, they ended up divorced.

But Neil didn’t strike me as that sort of person. Maybe he was like me. Maybe he just really didn’t want to spend his life with someone who had traits he found unpleasant. I definitely couldn’t fault him for that.

My phone buzzed, and I saw Trevor calling. “I’m sorry. I need to take this.”

He nodded in understanding. “Of course.”

I stood from the table and walked through the dining area. I’d heard all the buzz about Method when it opened, but I had to admit, I’d doubted it would live up to it. It had. The food was excellent. The atmosphere was both upscale and welcoming. The staff were friendly and accommodating. The music was loud enough to be enjoyed but not so loud you couldn’t have a conversation with the people at your table.

When I made it to the hallway, I answered the phone. “Hey.”

“What’s wrong with him?” Trevor spoke over my greeting.

“Who?”

“Your date.”

My brow furrowed in confusion. “Who said there was anything wrong with him?”

“Wait, do you actually like him?”

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