Page 22 of Fierce-Hyde

“My phone is on silent,” he said. “I won’t be tempted to even look at it. Only my parents’ number will go through in case of an emergency. You know, like when you asked me before.”

She laughed. “Thank you for that. The truth is, everyone does it now. It’s like we can’t disconnect from any electronic and I find that it hurts communication with everyone. Kids don’t learn how to interact face-to-face anymore. It’s easier to look at a device, type a response, and then stress that someone might have taken it the wrong way.”

“I’m guilty of that,” he said. “Not taking something the wrong way, just replying quickly without thought and theother persontakes it the wrong way.”

Most likely a woman, she figured.

“It happens to us all. I try to keep my phone texts to a minimum. I’m one of those rare people who wants to talk on the phone.” She laughed. “You should see the look on your face.”

“Sorry,” he said. “I’m not a big one for talking on the phone. In person, sure. But the phone? Not so much.”

“I don’t do it much,” she said. “I won’t get on and talk for hours or anything like that. If I’m making plans with someone and we are confirming information, that is a text. If I’m concerned with my text getting misconstrued, then I’ll call.”

“So you’re not one of these women who wants to sit on the phone and talk to get to know someone.”

“No,” she said. “That is what dates are for.”

“Person?”

Hyde moved to the server to get their drinks and brought them over.

“Thanks,” she said.

“I’m good with what you’re saying.”

“What’s that? That I’m not my Aunt Jane and have to schedule an hour call every Wednesday night with friends?”

He laughed. “Definitely that. I’m not much for talking on the phone for several reasons. I can’t stand going out in public and seeing people walking around the store talking and you have to wonder if they are talking to you and then you see they have earbuds in.”

She felt the smile fill her face. “The worst is when they are walking around the store with their phone on speaker in the cart or on top of their purse and you can hear the entire conversation. I don’t understand that at all.”

“I have to say I haven’t witnessed that.”

“I have a few times and just walk by shaking my head. I don’t need the world to know my business.”

“The same,” he said. “If we are starting over and putting the past behind us and forgetting what an asshole I was.”

“And me a little bit of a witch,” she said, interrupting him.

He held his fingers up in a pinch. “Just a little.”

She laughed. “I should apologize too. I know Raina told you this and I have too. But it’s not like me at all. I reacted to you, but I could have been the bigger person and wasn’t.”

“Apology accepted,” he said. “So we can say this is a date now or am I pushing?”

“Not pushing it,” she said.

8

COOL CONFIDENCE

Somehow Hyde was getting a second chance when he wasn’t sure he was going to walk away with his skin intact the first time he tried to apologize to Tori.

They’d had a drink while they waited for their table. Then they were seated and he was on his second beer. It’d be his last too.

She’d switched over to club soda.

Their appetizers were just brought out.

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