Page 6 of This Thing of Ours

She decided she wasn’t giving Derek a fair chance, and she made a promise to her reflection—she would do everything in her power to make this date a success. Derek would fail or succeed on his own merit with no self-sabotage from her.

She took extra care selecting the perfect outfit, wanting to look her best—black skinny jeans and her softest cashmere sweater with a low vee that highlighted her better-than-average cleavage.

She looked at the time and saw it was a quarter to seven—fifteen minutes until she was supposed to meet Derek. She spent five of those precious minutes debating whether to contact Leo. In the end, she made the call, taking the smart and safe route, though she knew Derek wasn’t a threat.

She ended up ten minutes late, but if Derek was upset when she finally rushed into the restaurant, he didn’t show it. In fact, the look on his face was half-happy, half-awed and a one-hundred percent confidence booster for her.

“You look beautiful.” He took her hands giving her a kiss on the cheek before turning to the hostess, letting her know they were ready for their table.

“I’m sorry I was late,” Gabby said once they’d been seated at an intimate table for two.

“It was worth the wait.” Derek smiled.

Gabby fiddled with her napkin, opening it, placing it on her lap, repositioning it, until Derek, calling her name, grabbed her attention.

She snapped her head up.

He was still smiling. “Do I make you nervous?”

She tucked her hands under her thighs, giving him a tight smile. “I probably shouldn’t tell you this, but I don’t go out on dates.”

He leaned his elbows on the table, his smile turning into a smirk. “Then I guess I should feel special.”

“Don’t.” At his frown, she quickly backtracked. “I mean… um… it’s just…”

He started laughing. He had an infectious laugh, and she couldn’t stop her lips from tipping up in response.

He held up a hand. “Please, say no more. My ego can’t handle it.”

She found herself giving him a real smile. Maybe the whole dating thing wasn’t such a bad idea, after all. “Well, how’s this for an ego booster. So far, I’m not hating it.”

She didn’t get an answer. Instead, he flipped open his menu, smirking while he scanned its contents.

Gabby wasn’tanauthority—not by a longshot—but so far as she could tell, the date was going extremely well. She was also forced to admit she was having a good time. Derek was smart and had a quick wit—making her laugh on several occasions—and never let the conversation lag.

Being smart also meant he was perceptive, so it wasn’t a surprise when halfway through their meal, he leaned forward and said, “There’s a guy, dressed in a suit, standing against the wall, staring at you.”

Gabby took her time chewing before she swallowed, trying to think up a plausible explanation.

In that time, Derek continued talking. “At first, I thought he was an employee of the restaurant, but seeing as he’s not mingling with other diners and hasn’t taken his eyes off you since he’s arrived, I’m now thinking, he’s here for you. Add that to the other guy in a suit who picked you up from class, and it makes me wonder.”

Gabby took a sip of her water, washing down the bite of food that had lodged in her throat. “And what are you wondering?”

“If I even stand a chance.”

Gabby set down her fork. That wasn’t what she’d expected him to say. “What do you mean?”

“I’m just a guy.” He held up his hands, spreading them wide before placing them palms flat to the table. “At college on a free ride because I got good grades. And from the look of things, I’m guessing, you’re more than just a girl. And that makes mewonderwhat I’ve got to offer someone like you and whether I stand a chance of you falling for someone like me.”

Gabby blinked, absorbing his words and finding herself not liking them. If not for the fact she was half in love with someone else—someone who more than likely didn’t even remember she was alive most of the time—Derek’s words would be way off base.

She had no problem sharing that fact with him. “I’m going to let your comment slide because it’s the first stupid thing you’ve ever said to me, and I think everyone deserves a second chance. I’m also going to let it slide because you don’t know me very well yet, and for all you know, I may just be that shallow of a person—which if youdidknow me, you’d know I’m not. I’m further going to let it slide because after spending a little time with you, I’ve discovered you’re smart and funny, and I’d hate to think you’re either, A, insecure or B, a dick. Please tell me you’re neither.” She picked up her fork, looked down at her plate, and stabbed an asparagus spear, popping it in her mouth and aggressively chewing while glaring at Derek.

“No, I’m neither of those things, and after hearing that little speech, I hope you’ll allow me to extract the foot from my mouth long enough to apologize.”

Cutting him some slack, Gabby replied, “We’ll go back in time five minutes and pretend like it never happened.”

He gave her a probing look. “So, I guess that means I should ignore the guy in the suit and not ask you about him?”

---