Page 20 of Forever Yours on Christmas Eve
Sev gave her a half-smile, stroking her cheek once more before releasing her and taking her hands. “So, where to?”
“Well,” she began, given they’d discussed this more than once in their text messages. “I do believe we have dinner plans.”
“I believe we do,” he said, fighting a smile. He pushed his bottom lip into his top one, forming a distinguished frown. “To the Second Call, m’lady?”
“Oh,” she said, gasping and placing a hand to her chest as if she were incredibly impressed by his highbrow manners. “That sounds utterly delightful. Do lead the way.”
Turning, he slipped her hand into the crook of his elbow,gallantly. She couldn’t help the giggle that bubbled up inside of her. How he managed to bring this out in her within minutes of being around, she had no idea.
But it was something she was going to enjoy tonight.
The Second Call was starting to fill up as they passed the threshold, but they managed to get one of the last high-top bar tables on the far side of the room.
“So, how was your deployment?” Kelsey asked, placing her jacket on the back of her chair.
“It was… good,” he said noncommittally. “Kinda… warm.”
“Sev,” Kelsey said, watching him shift uncomfortably in his chair. The poor guy reminded her of an ant under a magnifying glass, watching a beam of light head in his direction. “You don’t have to tell me any details. I know about deployments.”
“Most of the time, I’m okay telling people I can’t talk about it and shutting them down. But…” He paused. “The last thing I want to do is shut you down.”
Could this guy be any sweeter?Grinning at him, she reached across the table and squeezed his hand. “Did you like the unit you were serving with?”
“Yes,” he said without hesitation. “Everyone was excellent, no complaints. They all had no problem carrying their own weight.”
“And did you get to show off how good you are at your job?” She still wasn’t sure what the particulars were. She knew if she was meant to know, he’d have probably told her by now.
“I did,” he confirmed, smiling as if he was delighted to have some vague questions he could answer. “I think all the right people noticed, too.”
“I have no doubt,” she said, meaning it. Sev was the kind of guy who struck her as solid. Reliable. He said what he meant, and he meant what he said. So if he did his job, he did it withexcellence. “And in the end, do you feel like you accomplished your mission? The whole reason you were sent?”
A beautiful half-smile rolled up on his lips as he peered at her. “We did.”
“Then that sounds like a successful almost-twelve months,” she said, grinning at him.
A waitress with fiery red hair and a blackSecond CallT-shirt appeared before them, causing a pause to their conversation as she passed out menus and took their drink orders.
“Oh, my gosh, Sev. Last year, we never paid for our dinners!” Kelsey’s eyes popped wide as the young woman stepped away. “I never gave that a thought until now! They’ve probably got our pictures up behind the bar as a couple of dine and dashers.”
Sev started to laugh so hard that his shoulders were shaking. “Don’t worry. I made sure it went on my tab.”
“Thank goodness.” Kelsey thought back to the night they first met, Sev putting her drink on his tab. “That means tonight’s on me, then.”
Sev leaned forward on the tabletop, leaning on his forearms. “Not a chance.”
“Sev.”
“You heard me,” he said, shaking his head, just as the waitress reappeared with their sodas. She knew arguing with him would get her nowhere. And at the same time? It thrilled her to the idea that he’d want to pay, further confirming this was adate.
After putting in their orders, Sev settled back into his chair, fixing his gaze on her. It was something she’d nearly forgotten, and yet recognized the moment she felt it again. His warm, brown eyes took her in, a serene look on his face that said he liked what he saw. It was simple, but still so elemental. Having his attention made her heart pound, probably because she was pretty sure she looked at him the same way.
“So tell me about your year.”
“Oh, gosh,” she said, bringing herself back to the present. “Where to begin?”
“Start from where you are?” he teased, which surprised her just a little bit. He’d remembered her father’s saying just from that one conversation. It made her wonder what else he remembered about her. “How’d the new course of study go?”
“Well, it was definitely a challenge,” she began, giving him a sly smile. “There were a lot of projects. I missed the days when all I had to do was read and write papers. But I’ve always wanted to be an art therapist,” she said cautiously, exacting her words and hyper-studying his reaction. She needed to know what Sev thought.
