Page 46 of Curvy Girl Summer

“So, when you said you hadn’t been on a date in a while, did you mean since she… passed?”

“No, no, no. I’ve been ready to date for about a year now. But over the last couple of months, I realized I’m ready for something more.” Scooping my hand from midair, he ran his thumb over my knuckles. “Particularly, I’m looking to explore this connection with you.”

My face flushed. And even though his fingertips were no longer brushing my skin, his touch lingered.

For the next forty-five minutes, we sipped and talked and laughed. Brayden was an engaging storyteller. He’d married young, and life had taken them on two separate paths. He said they were happy, and the relationship was strong until her undiagnosed medical condition seized her heart. He took time to work on himself, and then he dipped his toe into the dating scene. He recounted his attempts to date over the last year and his newfound commitment to finding the right woman.

“I believe in intentional dating,” I told him, nodding in agreement. “No games. If there’s mutual interest, compatibility, and both people want the same thing out of the relationship, there’s no reason it shouldn’t be a successful pairing.”

“Exactly,” he agreed.

“Do you feel like you’re being intentional?”

“I do.” He reached out and touched my hand again. “Especially as I get to know you better.”

“You two still doing okay?” Ahmad asked, interrupting the moment.

Brayden let go of my hand and faced our bartender. “Can we get another round?”

Ahmad glanced at me and my still-full glass. “Okay. Would you like to switch it up?”

“No, two of the same,” Brayden answered for the both of us.

Ahmad looked at my glass and then at me. When I nodded, so did he. “Another round, coming up.”

Brayden focused his attention back on me. “The drink is helping my nerves.”

“You’re nervous?”

“Hell yeah. It’s been a while since I’ve been on a date with someone and really cared that it went well. I always want the women I take out to have a good time, but with you… with you, I care if you want a second date.” He gestured to me. “And also, you’re fine as hell.”

I didn’t even realize I was grinning until Ahmad placed our drinks in front of us and I caught a glimpse of myself in the mirror.

“Well, rest assured, I am having a great time, and a second date sounds incredible.”

“What’s your favorite type of food?” he asked, picking up his fresh glass.

“Breakfast,” I answered honestly.

A hearty laugh burst out of him.

My jaw dropped. “What?” I wondered.

“I was thinking you were going to saysoul food, Haitian food, Italian food, Mexican food,something specific. But you saidbreakfast.”

“Why is that funny?” I asked indignantly.

He took a gulp of his drink and then grabbed my hands. “It’s not funny. It’s unexpected. Just like all the other things I’ve learned about you.” He looked down at his hands encircling mine before meeting my eyes again. “You are completely unexpected.”

Heat radiated from where he touched me and swept up my arms. “Unexpected in a good way?”

He leaned forward like he was preparing to kiss me. “Unexpected in the best way.”

“Brayden,” a woman roared, startling us apart.

I looked over and quickly located to whom the voice belonged. With brown skin contrasted with honey-blond hair, the tall, curvy woman was beautiful. And had it not been for her narrowed eyes, crinkled nose, and raised upper lip, that beauty would’ve been the first thing I noticed about her. But as her shoulders rose and fell rapidly, I couldn’t stop focusing on the waves of fury that emanated from her.

Brayden dropped my hands, and I looked between the woman and my date.

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