Page 13 of Born to Make You Smile

With his hands in his pockets, Gavin glared at me with an overstated nod of agreement, then leaned in close. “He’s very handsome and polite. Andtall. I bet he must drive a convertible.”

I chuckled. “You approve?”

“It's not as if you require my approval, but based on first impressions alone, he seems like the perfect gentleman.” He paused for a beat as he looked me over, brows raised. “By the way, you look stunning. That’s definitely your color. It makes your blue eyes sparkle.”

“Thank you.” My cheeks flushed with warmth.

Eventually, Ethan and I made our way downtown, getting stuck in a bit of traffic on Yonge Street.

“Your boss is a really nice guy,” said Ethan.

“Yeah. He’s great.” I nodded. “By the way, what were you two talking about before I came in?”

“Not much. He asked me about my job, and then he talked about you.”

“Me?” My eyes widened. “What did he say?”

“All good things, of course. How incredible you are. How you’re the greatest thing that’s ever happened to his dental practice.”

“Oh. Well. All right,” I said, my cheeks crimson.

I was a bit taken aback. Sure, Gavin had praised me many times before, but knowing he’d said that to Ethan made my chest swell with a smug sense of pride and honor. I thought about when I first started working for him and how he was in a pinch and needed a temporary assistant. After about a week, he hired me permanently. In his words, I wasthe best assistant he’d ever had.

Ethan scrolled through the satellite radio stations. “What kind of music do you like?”

“I’m good with anything,” I said with a smile, trying to be as compliant as possible.

“You have to have a favorite. What do you put on at home or in the car?”

I shrugged. “Pop. New age. Retro. But I suppose my favorite is ’70s disco and funk.”

It was a little embarrassing that Gavin's taste in music had become deeply ingrained into me as a result of our carpooling over the years.

Ethan chuckled. “Really? That's pretty cool. I think there’s a station here.”

The car was essentially at a standstill, so he had a chance to search through the stations. He stopped at one called “’70s Fever.” A few songs played, and I resisted the temptation togroove out. Then, as if a cruel joke had been planned, “You Sexy Thing” came on.

I laughed to myself, picturing Gavin moving along to the beat.

When we arrived at the restaurant, Ethan graciously dropped me off while he parked the car despite my telling him I could walk. I had my flats on, after all.

“I'll wait for you at the front,” I said before I got out of his car.

While I waited, I couldn't resist texting Gavin.

Me:Guess what song was playing in my date’s car?? : /

He replied right away.

Gavin:Seems you can't escape it :P

Me:I know! It haunts me wherever I go.

Gavin:Haha! ;) But you'd better get back to your suitor.

Me:He dropped me off. I’m just waiting for him to park.

Gavin:Ahh. Very good. Definitely a gentleman.

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