Page 43 of Wilder

He expected her to shoot down the idea, but she just shrugged and said, “Maybe.”

“Do you want to grab a bite to eat before we head back to Serenity? I know a great little place that has good soups and sandwiches.”

“Sure. I kind of feel like I worked up an appetite, though I’m not sure how, since all I did was stand up and hold handlebars.”

“It’s all the fresh air.”

Wilder guided the car out of the parking spot and drove to the small restaurant. It was a place he’d visited plenty of times over the years, and they’d never let him down.

There was no problem finding a spot to park, since it was early for the dinner hour.

“This is a restaurant?” Alexandra asked, skepticism high in her voice once again.

She was going to think he only took her to places that were a bit on the rundown side. If she did, he hoped she learned not to judge places by their appearance.

“Yep. This is it.”

When they reached the entrance to the building, Wilder pulled the door open, then held it for Alexandra. She glanced up at him as she walked through the door, then turned her attention to the interior of the restaurant.

Its exterior had a bit of a rundown appearance. With it being so close to winter, all the flowers that were usually in the planters at the front were gone. Inside, however, it was cozy and inviting. At least it was to Wilder.

The sign just inside the door said to seat themselves, so Wilder let Alexandra decide where she wanted to sit.

They’d barely sat down at the table when a waitress approached them with menus and a smile. She told them about the specials for the day, then left to get their drinks.

“What do you recommend?” Alexandra asked as she looked over the large laminated one-page menu.

“That’s a trick question. I really like their cream of tomato soup, especially when combined with their grilled cheese. But I also love their beef vegetable barley with a roast beef sandwich.”

She nodded, then returned to perusing the menu.

When the waitress came back with their drinks, she asked if they were ready to order.

“Do you need a few more minutes?” he asked Alexandra.

“I think I’m ready,” she said, then looked up at the waitress. “I’ll have the cream of tomato soup and half a grilled cheese sandwich.”

“Good choice. That’s one of my favorites,” the waitress said with a smile, then turned to Wilder. “And what can I get for you?”

“I’ll have the beef barley soup and the roast beef sandwich. The whole thing.”

The waitress chuckled. “Sure thing.”

After she left them, Wilder relaxed back in his seat, searching for a topic of conversation. There was lots he wanted to talk to her about, but he felt like her life was a bit of a minefield. Since they didn’t know each other very well yet, he didn’t want to make her uncomfortable by asking questions that she didn’t want to answer.

“How do you know Marty?” Alexandra asked.

Wilder would have liked to learn more about her, but as long as there wassomeconversation, he’d take it. As they waited for their food, he told her about how he and Marty had met and how their friendship had grown.

“Do you have a lot of friends?”

“I suppose I do,” he said. “I consider anyone I’ve had positive interactions with a friend.”

“So, I’m a friend?” Alexandra asked, her expression unreadable.

“We’ve spent time together, and I’ve enjoyed getting to know you. So yes, I consider you a friend.”

He thought she might smile at that, but instead, her gaze momentarily dropped to her glass of water. “But this isn’t a date, right?”

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