Page 71 of Out to Find Freedom

“Um, okay.” She nodded.

Shifting her out of the way, I closed her door and locked the car. Taking her hand in mine, which dwarfed hers, which I fucking liked, we made our way into the restaurant.

The maître d’ stood behind his little desk at the front. “Hi, how may I help you both?”

“Table under Warden.”

“Right this way, sir.” He led us to a table in the corner near the window. Before he could, I pulled out Emmie’s chair. Once she was in and I was seated, the guy said, “Your waiter’s name is Steven. He’ll be along shortly to take your drink order.”

“Thanks,” I said and picked up a menu. This type of place wasn’t my usual. I preferred a pub or bar meal, but I wanted to take Emmie somewhere special for our first date.

Hell. First date.

I presumed there’d be more. No, I wanted there to be more.

She glanced over the menu to me, smiling. “What do you think you’ll have?”

“Steak,” I answered automatically. “You?”

“Hmm, I’m not sure yet.”

“Hello, my name’s Steven. Can I get you and your father a drink?”

My fingers dug into the menu. Emmie’s eyes flashed wide at me. She turned to the waiter. “It’s funny you presume he’s my father when we look nothing alike.”

“I’m sorry, miss. Your uncle?”

I ground my teeth together and dropped the menu to fist my hands so I didn’t reach out and grab the kid. He looked sixteen and was staring down at Emerson with doe eyes.

Just as I was about to fucking say something, Emmie did. “Wrong again. This is our first date, and I’d like many more with this man, so if you’re going to continue to serve us, do it without speaking before Ryan shoves his fist down your throat.” She’d said it so damn calmly, I snorted from shock. She faced me. “Unless you’d like to go elsewhere?”

I shook my head. The punk wasn’t going to ruin this for us. “No, but if the dickhead doesn’t stop staring at you like that, or if he does anything to our food, I’ll be bashing his head into the table,” I told her with a smile, making sure to use the same calm voice she had.

Emmie smiled over at me. I glanced up at the kid to see him gulp and nod. “Two Cokes and some water. We’ll order when you come back.” He nodded again and quickly disappeared. “Fuckin’ arsehole.”

Emmie’s hand slid across the table. I caught a few people looking at us. Probably wondering who we were to each other. Still, I took her hand, and then she said, “I know you’re uncomfortable about our age difference, but I need you to know I don’t care what they see when they look at us. They can think what they like. I just want you to be comfortable to be seen with me at your side.”

“Baby doll, I am comfortable. Like having you across from me already. They can think what they want and I’ll damn try not to let it get to me, but it’ll take time.”

She nodded. “I can accept that.”

I chuckled. “Good to hear.”

She sat back, slid her hand from mine, and picked up the menu again. I watched her read it and wondered once again what she saw in me.

“Why me, Emmie?”

She pulled her eyes up to me slowly. A blush took over her cheeks. “Sorry?”

“I’m older, and I know it’s got nothing to do with money. Just don’t get why you’ve picked me.”

The dickhead arrived before she could answer and silently placed the drinks on the table. He straightened and took out a pen and pad. Emmie made her order, and then I gave him mine. Then he left.

Emmie reached for her water and took a sip. Her hand shook a little and I wondered if it was because she was nervous about answering. She cleared her throat, a throat where the heat had spread to. “It was only you since the day you moved in.”

I jerked my head back in shock. “What?”

“I saw so many that day, helping you move in. A lot of the men from the Hawks, but….” She took another sip. “Um, when I saw you, all I could focus on was, well, you. No one else registered to me.”

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