Page 19 of An Adventure For Aster

She laughed at his attempt to make a joke. She could tell she embarrassed him.

“But you’ve seen me at my job. We’ll leave it at that. Why don’t we change the subject? You know I’ve been here my whole life other than college. I know where you’re from and why you’re here. I even know some of your friends.”

“You do,” he said. “I feel as if I’m at a disadvantage.”

“Don’t feel that way,” she said. “Most of my friends are my family now. All those I had in my younger years have moved away or are a couple now. Being the lone single one stinks at times.”

“I don’t think guys feel that way as much as women, but in this case, it seems I’m in the same boat as you.”

“So that is why you agreed to this date?” she asked. “We share that?”

“I agreed because I’m attracted to you,” he said seriously. “I know you are to me too.”

“You know that, do you?” she asked. Was he flirting with her? She couldn’t tell, but there was this deep look in his eyes that made her body let loose an involuntary shiver.

“I do,” he said. “I bet you teach your students not to lie. Right?”

“That is right,” she said, picking up her wine and taking a healthy sip.

“Are you attracted to me?” he asked her simply.

“That would be affirmative.”

“Then we are on the same page,” he said.

Their food arrived much faster than she wanted it to, but she’d take it as a boon so that she could gather her thoughts.

After a few minutes of silence while they ate, she asked, “What do you do for fun? Do you have hobbies?”

He coughed on his French fry. “Fun? I’m not sure the last time I had fun.”

“I’m trying not to be insulted that you aren’t having fun on this date. I’ll have to take that as a challenge and think up some good activities and adventures.”

“Activities and adventures?” he asked, smirking at her. “Like a fire truck project.”

She laughed. “I do love a good challenge,” she said. “Are you up for it?”

“I’ve got nothing else better going on in my life,” he said.

She wasn’t offended he said that because he smiled quickly and then dropped it.

At the end of the night, he’d brought her home and leaned down to give her a kiss. Just a light one on the lips.

She wasn’t sure she expected him to be a gentleman and almost wished he wasn’t.

“You mentioned you didn’t have plans this weekend?”

“No,” he said, leaning back. “You know how to reach me if you come up with something fun.”

He gave her another kiss and walked away from the door to her apartment without even waiting to see if she wanted to invite him in.

It was a good thing because she was more tempted than she’d ever been in her life.

7

HIS NEED FOR ORDER

Aster stepped out of the small shower in Zane’s little cottage by the water. He dried his hair and body, then wiped the steam off the mirror.

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