Page 8 of When I Found You

“Thanks for coming out tonight, man. It was great to catch up,” Peyton tells Ethan as they pull each other into another man hug.

“Absolutely. Maybe we’ll have time before you head back to base to get together for a barbecue or something.”

“Definitely! That, and I’d love to get in with you and work on a new piece I’ve been thinking about for the last few months.”

“You know how to find me. I can work you in at some point before you leave, I’m sure of it.”

“Sounds good, man,” he says to Ethan, then pulls Cam in for a side hug. “And it was good to see you again, Cam. Congratulations on getting this guy to settle down.”

“Good night, guys!” Cam tells both of us.

“Night, I’ll see you next week for that eval,” I call to Cam’s retreating back.

I sink back down on the barstool and grab one of the glasses of water a server dropped off to us a little bit ago. I’ve only had a couple drinks over the past few hours, but I still feel like I should drink some water before I go. I don’t live far, so I took an Uber over. I didn’t want to have to worry about driving after enjoying my time tonight.

“Does your dad live far from here?” I ask Peyton, remembering he said earlier that he stays with his dad when he comes to town.

“About ten minutes away or so, depending on traffic. How about you, are you far?”

“Nope, about a five-minute drive.”

“How are you getting home tonight?” he asks.

“Uber. I didn’t know how much I’d drink and wanted to be safe.”

“I can drop you off, if you’d like. I’ve only had the one beer, as I knew I’d be driving.”

“Sure, that’d be fine,” I say with a smile.

“You ready to go now?”

“If you are.”

“I’m actually starving. Would you want to go hit up a diner somewhere and grab a bite to eat? I’m not sure what my dad’s got in the fridge, so it’s probably best if I grab something before heading back.”

“I could go for some late-night greasy food.”

“Then let’s get out of here, I know just the place,” Peyton tells me as he sets down his glass of water. I follow his lead, grabbing my purse and lightweight jacket I brought along, not knowing how the weather was going to be once the sun went down this evening.

“Where are you taking me?” I ask as we settle into his truck.

“The Diner.”

“Yum. I haven’t been there in a long time.”

“One of my favorite places to go when I come to town, that’s open late.”

We makeit to The Diner and grab a table up on their sixth floor. This restaurant is like no other place I’ve ever been to. All six levels boast a different dining experience. The first floor is a coffee shop that has lots of pastries and to-go items, while the second floor is an upscale restaurant. The third, fourth, and fifth floors are main dining rooms, all offering different types of food.The sixth floor is a seafood bar and, late at night, offers greasy diner food as they cater to the late-night bar crowd. The floor has breathtaking views of Downtown Nashville, so it tends to be a popular place.

We put in our orders with the waitress after she brings us each a glass of water.

“So, we’ve already discussed the basics, where we’re from and what we do for a living. I want to know more about you,” I say, reaching for my glass.

“What do you want to know?”

“Everything,” I say on a little laugh. “Tell me…” I think of what I want to know. Peyton has intrigued me all evening and I feel like I could talk to him forever. “What do you like to do for fun?”

He rubs his hand along the back of his neck as he thinks over my question, before running his fingers through his hair and dropping his hand down into his lap. He blows out a breath before answering me. “Damn, I haven’t really thought about what I like doing. I guess, when I have downtime, I enjoy hanging out with friends. I’m pretty handy and enjoy helping out with remodels. I’ve been known to hit up a batting cage to hit some baseballs around.

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