Page 34 of Daddy's Muse
I huffed a laugh. “I don’t know about that. But… thanks.”
“Although you really shouldn’t follow strangers, Colby,” he mused.
My steps fumbled. “But you’re not a stranger… right?”
“I’m glad you see it that way, kaninen min.”
“What was that?” I asked, confused at the switch in languages.
He smiled, placing a heavy hand on my back as we turned the corner and reached a small brick building with warm light spilling through the windows.
“We’re here,” he said.
The sign above the door readLena’s Kitchenin faded gold script. It was the kind of place you could walk past a dozen timeswithout noticing, but I could smell the garlic and fresh bread even outside.
Bodin opened the door for me, and I stepped inside, blinking at the cozy glow. A hostess looked up, and for a second her eyes flickered over Bodin like she was checking him out. He didn’t seem to notice, instead remaining stoic and silent while she led us to a table in the corner. Bodin pulled out my chair before sitting across from me.
I glanced at the menu, trying not to stare at him too openly. “So… how’d you find this place?”
His eyes held mine. “I make it a point to know where the good food is.” Then, almost as an afterthought, “And I like quiet corners. No matter when I come, this place is never busy.”
“Do you come here a lot?”
“Sometimes.” His tone was vague, like he didn’t want to pin down the answer too firmly. Then his lips quirked. “You’re not interrogating me already, are you, Colby?”
Heat rushed to my cheeks. “No, I just… was curious. And um… if you’ve eaten here before, maybe you have suggestions on what to order?”
“I like your curiosity,” he said simply. And just like that, I was blushing even harder, because it didn’t sound like a throwaway compliment—it sounded like he meant it. “Hmm,” he hummed, looking over his menu at me. “I suppose it would depend on how you’re feeling. You don’t like anything too complex,” he stated, like he knew that for a fact.
My brow creased. “I guess… I’m not the most adventurous eater.”
“I think I’d recommend the spaghetti and meatballs. It’s simple, but delicious. There’s also butter noodles on the kids’ menu.”
“O-oh, I don’t… um… spaghetti does sound really good,” I mumbled. The butter noodles did too, but… this felt too much like a first date to order off the kids’ menu.
The waitress came over to take our orders, and I barely registered Bodin ordering for both of us, only realizing it when the girl walked off. I picked at my napkin in thought.
Bodin leaned back slightly in his chair, drawing my attention to his broad, sturdy shoulders and muscular arms. “You were surprised to see me tonight.”
I froze, my hand mid-reach into the bread basket. “What makes you say that?” Not wanting to keep my hand in the air like a weirdo, I grabbed a piece of bread and bit into it, practically moaning at the flavor. “Oh, god… That’ssogood.” I covered my mouth as I spoke, still chewing into the doughy, garlicky goodness.
Bodin chuckled. “I’m glad you approve. And, just your reaction to seeing me. You seemed… frightened for a moment.”
I scrambled for a reply. “Well… um—y-you did say you weren’t a student or a professor, so I just didn’t expect to see you on campus. I wasn’t scared or anything!”
His smile didn’t waver, but there was a flicker—just for a heartbeat—of something sharper in his expression. “Good. I wouldn’t want you to be scared of me, Colby.”
“No, I… I really like talking to you and stuff,” I gulped.
“And stuff?” A sinful smirk spread across his face.
“Yeah,” I swallowed.
“Well, I, too, really like talking to youand stuff.”
I blushed, glad that was the moment when our food arrived.
He didn’t fill the space with meaningless chatter, but he also didn’t let it get awkward. He asked me questions like he was reading down a list of “Top 50 Icebreakers”: what my favorite book was as a kid, whether I’d rather live by the ocean or themountains, who I’d call first if I got hurt or into trouble, things like that.
