Page 119 of The Manny

He waved toward the door. “I can promise you I’m better company than that clown.”

“It’s a low bar.” I gave an uneasy laugh.

“Come on, share a meal with me. I promise not to insult your job, or storm out of the restaurant.”

So he had been listening. I rubbed the back of my neck, tempted to take him up on his offer. I was starving, and there was still half a bottle of very expensive wine. “I guess we could eat together.”

“Awesome.” He turned to Lucia. “Do you mind bringing my meal to this table instead?”

“Not at all,” she said softly.

He met my gaze. “You sure you’re cool with that?”

I nodded. “Yeah.”

Looking even more confident now, he slid into the booth. He held out his hand. “I’m Crispin.”

I hesitated, then shook his hand. “Nice to meet you. I’m Thomas.”

He grinned. “Yes, I caught your name when that buffoon told you to fuck off as he exited the restaurant.”

I winced. “That was a first. I guess that’s what I get for using a dating app.”

“I can’t figure out why you’d need to.”

Grimacing, I said, “I was in a hurry.”

“And that guy was the best of the bunch?”

“Sorry to say, yes.” Groaning, I grabbed for the wine and refilled my glass. “God, I should just give up on dating all together.”

He laughed and gestured toward the wine. “Mind if I join you in a glass?”

“Go for it. I don’t want to drink the bottle by myself.”

“I overheard enough to know it’s expensive. I’ll pitch in.”

“Don’t worry about it. You’re doing me a favor.”

He signaled Lucia for a clean glass, and she brought one over. Now that he was seated across from me, I could examine him more easily. He was really good-looking. His hair was a deep auburn and his eyes the most unusual blue color. He had a mouth made for kissing, and his body was lean but muscular. My pulse picked up as our eyes met.

“This night is so surreal,” I murmured.

“Why?”

“I’ve never had a date run out on me, only to be replaced by a better option.” I laughed.

“I’m glad you think I’m a better option.” He grinned. “And I’m also glad your date was a big baby.”

I sipped my wine, wondering what he wanted from the evening. Did he think I’d sleep with him simply because I’d agreed to dine with him? He was undeniably sexy. Did I want to sleep with him even if it was only a one-off? I’d had one-night stands before. They could be fun if you didn’t have any expectations. Something told me Crispin would be good in bed. He had a confidence about him that made that clear. I’d been looking for a distraction from Jack, and Crispin would definitely be a distraction.

“Wow, this wine is delicious.” Crispin held up his glass, swirling the burgundy tinted wine. “No wonder it’s pricey.”

“Maybe that’s why Dan bailed. He didn’t want to pay his half of the expensive bottle he ordered.”

Crispin smiled. “I could tell you didn’t like him.”

“Really? I thought I was hiding it.”

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