Page 21 of Oh Boy!
Devouring my own brunch—a superfood pancake—I frown.
Between bites of steak and eggs, Nathan explains, “Surely you remember him! One of the other artists from Thursday night. I introduced you and Rupert to him, but I don’t think you talked to him that much. He was all over the place.” And then, Nathan gets animated and raises his hand high above his head. “Super tall guy.” Oh,thatguy! “He was lured here by its name.” The crease between my brows deepens. “Yeah, Virgil’s calligraphy sidekick is a petite young woman named Veronica; her nickname’s Tiny.”
“What were the odds, right?” I take a look around, my eyes trained on the proudly displayed name. “Tiny’s! Ironic, if you believe in signs, that is.”
“Do you?” He deposits his fork beside his plate, and his onyx eyes strip me bare.
I gulp and reach for my coffee to stall. “Why do I feel like this is a test? Did I say something wrong?”
“Au contraire. Tu as raison.” Nathan’s French is flawless… “Do you believe in signs?”
Not that I’m fluent enough to judge, but I’ve visited Paris with Rupert several times, and there’s no trace of an American accent. “You’re bilingual?”
“Are you trying to butter me up, or are you skirting my question? You know I told you that you’re right, right?” He winks and makes quick work of his food.
I gladly recount my trips to Paris, especially our stay atL’Hôtel du Petit Moulin, which is almost as tiny as this restaurant and prestigious nonetheless. He reluctantly shares a bit about his French ex. We discuss concepts like kismet, soulmates, and the like before he insists on paying for brunch since I traveled “all the way from Chelsea.” His words, not mine.
On the walk to his place, his hand reaches for mine and his thumb strokes my hand. Waiting at a crosswalk, he eventually says, “I may be the least romantic guy on the planet, but I do believe in soulmates… and just so we’re clear, this isn’t my way of getting into your capris. I mean every word. You see, there’s this legend that’s really famous amongst calligraphers, and it got me into thinking that soulmates are real. Not that you need someone to complete you. That’s not it.” His free hand splays over his heart; it draws my attention to the Phi sign on his black tee-shirt, and I make a mental note to ask him about it later. “Thank God, we’re individuals!” His hand digs in his pocket for his phone. “Soulmate, as in somewhere, deep down, you know you’ve found your person. That person doesn’t make you whole; they make sense. As much as I hate to admit it, I also consider Virgil my soul brother, you know. It feels like we met in another lifetime and just clicked in this one.” He shrugs. I shoot him a sideways glance as a small smile flashes on his face. This time, my eyes are drawn to his enticing mouth that I long to kiss again.
I let him lead the way, a satisfied grin on my reddening face. “That’s quite a heavy conversation for a first date.” My shoulder bumps his.
He stops in his tracks and pulls me closer in a swift move. “Not heavy, but very serious… Why don’t we save it for later?” His free hand runs through his jet-black hair. “My mistake!” I can feel the pounding of his heart and revel in his proximity. I nod, unsure of what he means. His murmured words come next. “Now, is this a date, Sally?”
“Oh, come on!” I raise my eyes to meet his, tightening my grip on his hand. “I know I’ve sent mixed signals, but I know what I want. I made up my mind, and I won’t break, Nathan.”
In the middle of a busy street, parents with strollers mind their own business, hipsters on bicycles weave in and out of traffic, and teens argue about video games. Who cares? All I taste is the tequila on Nathan’s lips. All I smell is his subtle cologne mixed with his unique essence. All I experience is a turning point in my life.
At last.
