Page 20 of Evergreen Desires
"Hey, I was thinking too. Jake, would it be okay if I take you on a date? How about dinner and drinks, maybe tomorrow night?"
His question caught me off guard. I turned my head to look at him, and I saw a hint of fear in his eyes. Leaning up a little, I gave him another quick kiss on the cheek, watching the fear melt away.
"That would be nice,” I said with a slight smile. “I would like that."
Beau beamed. "Good. I would like that too. I don't want to rush you. I know you're coming out of a difficult relationship. I'll wait as long as I need to."
"Thank you, but I was just trying to figure out how to catch my brain up with my heart. I really do like you, and I hope I can get there."
"Okay, tomorrow night it is," Beau said, his smile wider than I’d ever seen it.
CHAPTER 18
BEAU
“Damn, I forgot they only have valet parking here," I announced, feeling frustrated as we pulled in line behind another car, eyeing the valet standing at the metal podium.
"Yeah, but it's free. You can't be too worried about them dinging the Jeep somewhere," Jake said, smirking at me.
"You'd be surprised how many young kids don't know how to drive a stick shift. They'll either stall it out, grind the gears, or rev the engine before popping the clutch. It might be old, but I'm still fond of my Jeep." The valet approached the driver's side as I opened the door to step out. "It's a stick, do you know how to drive it?" I asked skeptically.
"Got you covered. I'm one of the rare few who actually learned on a manual transmission," he replied confidently.
"Glad to hear you were taught the right way, then," I said, passing him a few bills. "We're planning a nice evening, so no need to keep it right up front," I added with a smile,stealing a glance at Jake. He blushed slightly, then quickly looked away.
"Enjoy your evening, sir. I'll take care of it," the valet assured me, hopping into the Jeep and driving it towards the parking lot.
As I strode towards the sidewalk where Jake was waiting, I found myself admiring him in his button-down blue shirt, neatly tucked into his denim jeans. He looked like a dream. He wore a leather belt and tennis shoes that seemed slightly out of place, but then I remembered that those might be the only shoes he had. I made a mental note to find out his shoe size and surprise him with a few new items for his wardrobe. If he'd let me. But for now, I’d just see how tonight goes. "You look amazing."
"Thank you, but stop it now. You've said that twice since we left the house," Jake responded, nervously adjusting his glasses. "You know, I'm really looking forward to this evening, where we can learn more about each other. But no promises about anything."
"I get it," I reassured him, gently guiding him towards the front door, my hand on his lower back. "You already know more about me than just about everyone else." I held the restaurant door open for him. "I'm also looking forward to getting to know you," I whispered softly in his ear as he passed through.
Jake smirked again, and I felt my heart do a cartwheel in my chest. Maybe he really will fall for me.
The hostess took my name and led us to a private booth in the back of the restaurant. It was the perfect spot—tucked away in a corner with few other patrons nearby. It was private enough that we could have a conversation without worrying about others overhearing, yet still immersed in the atmosphere of the restaurant.
"So, what made you pick Thai food?" Jake asked, looking genuinely curious.
"It's one of my favorites. The Thai place in Armsville, while passable, isn't the best. Plus, this one also has a nice little lounge next door, in case we're still talking by the end of the meal," I said, winking at him, hoping to elicit that smile that's a mix of embarrassment and passion. It worked. "Besides, I did promise drinks." I know I couldn’t get drunk, but I wanted Jake to have a good time, and if that meant having a drink or two alongside him, then that was what I'd do. "Please order appetizers, drinks, and dessert. Anything you want. We're in no rush, and if we're a little late to work tomorrow, that's fine. I'm sure the boss will understand." I cringed, noticing that my own voice was filled with a mix of excitement AND nervousness.
"You don't need to try to impress me. I promise, you're impressive just as you are," Jakes said reassuringly, though he stumbled a bit over the words in his nervousness, his eyes wide by the time he got the words out.
"Stop being nervous. You have nothing to be nervous about. We're just getting to officially know each other. I have no hidden agenda. I hope you've seen that I'm pretty much an open book," I said, even though I knew that wasn’t entirely true. But we'd cross that bridge when we came to it. "You can ask me anything."
"Okay, let's decide on food, and I'll think of some questions," Jake agreed, opening the menu.
"Deal," I said with a smile, feeling a sense of anticipation building. After the waitress came over to take our orders for drinks and appetizers, we settled into what I expected to be an enjoyable evening full of laughter, good food, and a deeper understanding of Jake. Perhaps, just perhaps, we'd also take another step forward in our relationship.
Our relationship.
CHAPTER 19
JAKE
“Okay, so now that we're past the pleasantries, let's move on to some harder questions," I said, feeling emboldened by the drinks.
"Okay," Beau shrugged, seemingly open to the challenge.
