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“Simply wanting to have dinner with me and spending time with me is enough, Landen,” she insisted. “This is gorgeous. I’m sure it’s going to be fantastic, and I can’t tellyou how much I love being here with you. But it’s extravagant.”
Of all that she’d said, it was hearing her admit that she loved being here with me that hit me square in the chest. I had to take a moment to allow that news to digest before I could speak. “If you’re happy to be here, that’s all that matters to me, Iris. I don’t want you to worry about a thing, and I want you to order yourself whatever you want.”
“Are you sure?”
I dipped my chin. “Positive.”
She inclined her head with understanding, and for the next few minutes, the two of us perused the menus until our server arrived to take our dinner selections. Once he walked off, leaving us alone with no menus as distractions, I thought it was only fair I was the one who broke the silence this time.
“You know, I can sense you feel some overwhelming gratitude for me bringing you here, but really, I should be the one thanking you for being willing to accept my invite,” I shared.
Iris leaned in my direction, her forearms resting on the table. “Why would you need to thank me for that?”
“Aside from the obvious reason of me having wanted this for a while, there’s the fact that you’re saving me from a blind date,” I explained.
Her brows shot up in surprise. “A blind date?”
I nodded. “One set up by my mom.”
“Oh, that sounds…”
“Terrible?”
She nodded, biting her lip while sending an apologetic look my way.
“Yeah, I know. My mom is devastated over the fact that I’m not in a serious relationship, and she saw me dressed in my suit the day I went to the wedding. It nearly sent her into a tailspin to learn I didn’t have a date for the evening.”
In an instant, Iris seemed to be transported somewhere other than this restaurant. Her eyes became slightly unfocused as she sat back and stroked her fingers through a lock of her hair that had fallen over the front of her shoulder.
“Iris?”
Blinking, her lips parted. “Yeah?”
I wanted to drag my thumb along that bottom lip before I kissed her. “Are you okay?”
She swallowed roughly. “Sorry. I was just imagining you in a suit.”
My muscles tensed. She’d been looking at me like that, thinking about how I might look in a suit? I could have sworn I saw a hint of desire swirling in her eyes the entire time.
Maybe if I pushed things, I could do more than just kiss her mouth. It seemed Iris wasn’t shy at all about sharing her deepest thoughts and desires.
“Did you get a full picture in your mind, or did you need me to model one for you sometime?” I teased.
She narrowed her eyes at me. “At least I don’t have my mom trying to set me up on a blind date.”
I laughed. “No? Then tell me why I had to go to The Steel Pub last weekend just to make sure nobody else scooped you up.”
Iris arched a brow, a hint of a smile playing at her lips. “Because you didn’t do anything to scoop me up before then.”
Now it was my turn to squint at her. She wasn’t playing fair, but I loved that she was playing at all. I should have known it would be just like this with her. She’d always been playful with any conversations we had at the gym, but there was no telling if that would carry through to a date like this. I was glad to know it did.
“And with each day that passes, I’m reminded of what a fool I was.”
As though sensing that touch of despondency in my tone, Iris felt compelled to reassure me. “You weren’t a fool, Landen. Based on what you told me, I think you were being a gentleman.”
I shrugged. “Maybe. But it could have cost me this chance to get to know you better, to see if there’s something worth exploring here.”
Laughter spilled out of her. “I guess. But let’s be honest with ourselves. As you already know, nobody was banging down my door.”
