Page 93 of Hesi-Dating
"Maybe it's for the best. She seemed like too much for you to handle."
My chest tightened with an instant need to snap at him. Instead, I focused on smoothing my uniform. Walt hovered as if waiting to be asked for advice. I didn't really care to hear whatever pearls of wisdom he itched to deliver, but it seemed important for him to have his moment.
"What would you do?" I asked.
"Go out with her. See what she wants. I mean, she'sJoley." He walked off.
I didn't know what the hell to do. I had a date tomorrow night with a woman my neighbor across the highway set up for me. Maybe after that I'd see how I felt.
ChapterThirty-Nine
JOLEY
"Tell me about you. What do you do? Who are you?" Ben said from across the table. "All I know for sure is you're Dr. Hardin's sister."
"Do you know her from the TV show, or have you met her for real?" We were at the same restaurant where I'd first met Seth, which was distracting the hell out of me on this first date. I'd almost gotten past the constant onslaught of Seth memories. A friend of Amber's suggested I go out with this guy. She'd warned me Ben wasn't ready to settle down and perhaps never would be. In my book, that was perfect. I wasn't ready for anything serious right now. Might never be.
"Amber and I met a couple times in social settings. Not on a date or anything." Lightly bearded with piercing brown eyes, Ben was a home run on multiple levels. He struck me as the kind of guy who would do a yoga meditation in the morning, join a save-the-whales demonstration for lunch, and end the day with dinner at the governor's mansion. I wasn't exactly clear if he had a job. He'd said he inherited well and pretty much did whatever the hell he wanted—except he had a conscious. Might just be bullshit.
"So back to you." He leaned forward with his chin on his hand, staring at me.
"I'm not that interesting."
"I beg to differ. You're wearing this beautiful, stylish outfit with a bracelet that tells me you supported East Coast turtle rescue work."
I shrugged. "I like turtles. Them beaching to lay eggs fascinates me."
"I volunteered with a turtle rescue group a few summers ago in North Carolina. You know they…"
I zoned out when I shouldn't have. His adventures were interesting. He'd probably be decent in bed, but I didn't want the hassle of a hookup with him and all his do-gooder vibes. My gaze shifted over his shoulder to find a familiar head of dark hair.
A blue gaze met mine. No surprise in them, which meant he'd already noticed me.
My mind went dizzy as I catalogued Seth's date from the back. She had fluffy, curly brown hair. Her outfit was conservative and buttoned up to her neck. She was tall—she might have a solid six inches on me. Reluctantly, I admitted she was pretty and probably more his type than I ever could be.
I met Seth's gaze again. He hadn't stopped staring at me. His eyes darted to his right and up in a silent meet-me-upstairs signal. The restaurant had a waiting area upstairs with a second bar and a wrap-around balcony that overlooked the restaurant.
I nodded at him.
Ben wrapped up his discussion of what happened to a turtle nest.
"Wow. That's sounds like quite an adventure." I hoped that didn't come off fake-sounding. "Would you excuse me for just a moment while I visit the ladies' room?"
"Sure. You want me to order you anything if the waiter returns?" This guy was good. Some might say a keeper, but I wasn't sure anyone could "keep" him. He seemed like a free spirit.
"Order me a Coke and an appetizer. Choose something that sounds good."
I navigated through bodies to the upstairs. As I was on the final steps, a hand gently touched my back. I jumped but relaxed when I realized it was Seth.
The upstairs was loud with music and talking. So many people were packed in around the bar that I suspected this was more a meeting place than a waiting-for-seating location. We found a corner.
"How's your date?" He didn't look judgmental, angry, disdainful, or like a man in need of closure. His stare seemed to say I was the only thing that mattered to him in this sea of sexed up people around us.
"How's yours?" I swallowed to break his intense scrutiny of me and leaned over to look down and get a front view of his date who was currently on her phone. "She looks nice."
"Sheisnice. She's a middle school teacher. Everything about her is nice. My neighbor across the highway fixed me up."
Although it felt like ripping out a piece of my soul I said, "She might be perfect for you."
