Page 389 of Dark Love

Dahl doesn’t think I’m serious. She will soon. “But I’m the boss. I can take you to dinner Friday.”

“You shouldn’t miss work…”

Why is she coming up with excuses? I want to see her now, or tonight, but I wouldn’t want to let her go. And that would make work even harder on her. Hmmm. “Are you trying to let me down easy, Dahlia?”

“No. No. Nothing like that. I just…”

“Then what is it?”

Her long pause isdisconcerting.

“Last weekend wasn’t real. And I’m afraid… I don’t know. I’ve never met a man like you. And what if Friday you’re different? Or I’m different? And you realize we can’t be friends.”

She’s worried about me not liking her? I don’t bring women back to my place. And I never spend a weekend simply holding a woman in my arms and watching the television. “Dahl, last weekend was very real.” Too real maybe. It should have made me never want to see her again.

There’s silence on the other end. I can’t let her pull away because of fear. “You don’t need to worry. It’s just a meal.” But it’s not just a meal. I don’t date. It’s a waste of time. Yet here I am trying to talk a woman into dating me.

“Just a meal?”

She’s not getting away from me that quickly. “And a movie afterwards.” Which is going to happen on my bed.

“Will you try not to be too perfect? It’s intimidating.”

Good to know I affect you as much as you affect me.

“Ignore that. I didn’t say that.”

Dahlia is cute, even on the phone.

One of my other phones rings. Who is calling me this early? It’s not Payne or anyone close to me or they’d be calling on the phone in my hand. But it’s not a work call either. That’s the other phone.

“Do you need to get that?”

“Probably.” But they can wait.

Her sweet little laugh hits me hard.

The phone keeps ringing. “Where do you want to go for dinner?” Why did I leave that one in the living room last night? I push up and out of the bed.

“I’m not picky.”

“Seafood, sushi, steaks…” Where she asks to go will tell me volumes about her. Is she a fancy girl on dates?

The phone rings again, and I want to throw it into the wall.

“You eat sushi?

“I will if you want to.” It would hardly be the worst thing I’ve ever eaten.

“You’re too sweet.”

Not even a little bit. “That’s not a term I hear often.”

“I’ve gotta go.” Her voice changes. Gone is the soft and sweet. A slight waver replaces it.

“Everything okay?” Is someone scaring her? I don’t like this job one little bit.

“Fine. I just need to get back to work.”

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