Page 22 of Just for Fun
I lean back against the seat, taking him in. This is the most bizarre first date I’ve ever had. But then, I remind myself that his is not a date. Also to note, I haven’t been on a date in so long, I wouldn’t even know how to act. Exhibit A would be the current situation I found myself in.
“I don’t drink alcohol,” I finally say once I catch on what he is referring to.
He looks shocked. “Ever?”
“It’s not my thing,” I shrug. “Besides, it’s not attractive when a girl drinks herself under the table.”
The woman my father cheated on my mother with was a drinker. She thought it was funny when she scared me and Owen with her antics when she had a good buzz. Had I been older then, I would’ve understood right away that the fact that our father never intervened when that happened was a red flag that would eventually lead to him not showing up for us anymore.
“Yeah, you’re right,” Kyle agrees with me. “And I apologize if I put in an uncomfortable position.”
I move a little from side to side, clearly uncomfortable. “You didn’t.”
Kyle doesn’t buy it for a second, which only makes me feel like I am being put on the spot. The waitress is back to our table by now, and I pray that he won’t want to discuss with her my lack of drinking alcohol.
“I’ll have an iced tea,” Kyle tells her without taking his eyes off me. “What would you like, Zara?”
My face turns red when all the attention is on me. I clear my throat, which is something I seem to be doing a lot of tonight.
“I’ll stick with water, thank you.”
“One iced tea coming right up,” the cheerful waitress announces before turning around to leave.
“I thought you wanted a real drink,” I murmur once she’s out of earshot.
Kyle smiles at me, but this time, he’s not flirty, just… genuinely nice.
“I want you to be comfortable more,” he says.
If this was a real date, I’d be falling in love right about now.
EIGHT
Kyle
Zara Bray is justas plain as the picture suggested, and there is noifabout it. However, and that’s a big however, I freakin’ love her personality. She has this spark in her eyes when she gives me shit that just makes me want to tease her and not stop.
“I didn’t expect you to order a plain chicken sandwich at this restaurant.”
She looks down at her plate, like she is surprised that I commented on her food.
“This is what I always get when I eat out.”
The tone of her voice implies that I should’ve known that already. Considering we met for the first time less than an hour ago, it is my turn to be surprised that she’d expect that from me.
“You should try the steak sometime.” I point at my own plate. “A little variety won’t hurt you.”
My tone sounds a bit off putting even to my own ears.
“I’m really sorry,” I tell her. “It is none of my business, and we all have things we like or dislike, right?”
Zara’s eyebrows raise in surprise. She wasn’t expecting me to apologize. Her lips tremble ever so slightly, like she is trying to fight back a smile. In the end, she gives in, and I watch in fascination as the corners of her lips lift, transforming her face in a way that makes my heart beat harder against my ribs.
She is actually beautiful, and I am not sure how to process that. I should be ashamed of myself for only noticing the most superficial things about her, like the fact that she has no makeup on, or that her hair just hangs around her face, obviously not styled. There’s also the fact that her outfit is even plainer than my first impression of her, kinda baggy from what I can tell.
Zara pushes the plate away from her, then rests her forearms on the table, like she is about to speak in a business meeting. But the smile is still on her face, so I will take it as a good sign.
“Now that our stomachs are full, we should talk about this dating business.”
