Page 21 of The Blind Date

I didn’t mind his earlier statement about considering standing me up, but I did mind being compared to a mouse!

“Why do you think I look like a mouse?” I poked the tiger through gritted teeth.

“You give off mousey vibes. Quiet and reserved. Kind of squeaky. And when you start speaking, it’s hard to shut you up,” he explained, digging an even deeper grave. “Just like a mouse.”

"Great. First I look like a mouse, and now I also squeak like one and won’t shut up. Do you want to add anything else to the list while you have the chance?” I asked dryly, glaring darkly at him.

It took Cedric a few moments to catch up.

“Wait, no. I didn’t mean it to come out like that." He tried to amend his words, but it was far too late for that now.

"Well, it did, so congrats."

“Are you seriously upset about this?”

“Would you like it if I compared you to a mouse?” I countered, my voice dripping with bitterness.

“You know I didn’t mean it like that, darling,” he tried to appease me, but it was futile. The damage was irreversible. And coming from him, I found that endearment patronising.

“Don’t call me that,” I snapped.

“What?” The smirk on his face told me he knew exactly what I was talking about.

“You know what I’m talking about.”

He blinked innocently. “I don’t. Why don’t you enlighten me?”

“Don’t call me darling.”

“Why not?”

“I don’t like it.”

“That’s too bad because I like it,darling.”

“Whatever. You’re so annoying.”

Cedric’s jaw tightened at my quick dismissal of him. "I don't understand why you're getting upset about this. It’s not like talking to you has been a walk in the park either.”

I didn’t deem his statement worthy of a response, so I didn’t bother giving him one.

Cedric Barlowe had to be the most obnoxious, infuriating man I had ever encountered! Not only was he quick to speak without thinking, but you couldn’t speak to him for longer than ten minutes without getting into an argument or him insulting you. And I wasn’t biased in the least when I said that it was all his fault.

I had tried to make this work because I knew my parents were fond of him already. If they weren't, then they wouldn't have gone to the trouble of checking out him and his parents first. That was the only reason I had put up with him for so long this evening when I could have been out having a good time with my friends.

My parents sure did have terrible taste in men, and I wasn't just speaking of Cedric. Of the ten blind dates they had set me up on this week, I wouldn't consider going for a second date with any of them. While Cedric gave the pretence that he was a little more bearable than the nine before him–especially on the eyes–he was by far the most obnoxious and difficult to put up with. If it weren’t for his good looks, occasional charm, and smart way with words that had intrigued me at first, I would have left without so much as a glance back.

Not looking to waste any more time on him, I gathered my things and moved to get up.

"Where are you going?" Cedric asked when I abruptly stood up. "We haven't even ordered dessert yet, darling.”

"I'm not hungry." I pursed my lips and glanced around in search of our waiter.

I spotted Logan on the other side of the restaurant, tending to another table. I stared at him until he felt my eyes on him and glanced over in my direction. When I mouthed the word'bill', he nodded and held up two fingers, indicating that he wouldn't be more than two minutes. Any other time, I wouldn't have minded the short wait, but none of those times consisted of me sitting across a man as infuriating and insufferable as Cedric Barlowe.

Logan smiled politely as he approached our table, bill and card machine in hand.

“What are you doing? Let me pay for it.”

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