Page 14 of Final Chance At Love (Chance At Love Duet 2)

“I doubt it. Every selfie I got from that crew was distorted. I even got a selfie of only an ear. I didn’t even ask how they managed that.”

We both laughed out loud, and I added, “Be as it may, I want to be them when I grow old. They are doing it right.”

Sitting there, talking about everyday stuff, it almost seemed we were a couple, and our argument earlier never happened.

I smiled stupidly and happily at him. We were both so relaxed, I almost wanted to suggest to him we ditch the loud nightclub. I honestly could not remember having such a good time out at dinner, even before Kristoff.

It was almost nine in the evening when we were done with our dinner. Kristoff glanced at his watch and then asked, “Should we get going?”

I groaned. “I’m going to regret going. I just know it,” I complained.

“Why?” he asked.

“Because it will be way past my bedtime, it will be loud, and my feet are going to be killing me by the end of the night in these shoes.”

He smiled. “You really are a homebody. Don’t worry, I’ll make an excuse and we’ll leave early.”

I smiled back, enjoying how relaxed he seemed.

“How come you never mention your father?” I blurted out.

“Where did that come from?” He seemed caught off guard, which was very unusual for him.

I shrugged my shoulder. “I’m just trying to understand you better, I guess.”

“He left my mother when I went off to college,” he answered my question. “Few years later he died of cancer.”

I reached for his hand. “I’m so sorry. That must have been hard.”

“What about your parents?” He switched it back to me. “You mentioned your parents died in a car accident.”

“Yes, I was in high school.” Even after all these years it made me sad. “But they were crazy about each other. You should have seen my dad when my mom would spend a night away with her girlfriends. And she wasn’t any better. They hated to be apart.”

I smiled at him. “They were really amazing.”

We waited for the valet to bring his car around, and I turned to face him, my hands reaching for his tie. I was aware of everyone’s discreet glances at us, and unsure if I should be so familiar with him in public left my fingers lingering on his tie.

“Don’t worry about them,” he demanded.

“I don’t know how you stand it,” I fretted nervously with my fingers still on his tie. He seemed completely undisturbed by others and ignored him completely.

“Would you mind if we take the tie off?” I asked and added, explaining. “It’s not exactly nightclub material.”

“Not at all,” he answered. I untied it and folded it neatly in my hand just as his valet pulled up.

“I guess we’re as ready as we’ll ever be for the nightclub,” I replied, exasperated, and shook my head.

Kristoff opened the door, and I still held his tie as I sat in the passenger seat. The quirky side of me almost wanted to keep it. I guess I finally understood why my friends in college wanted to keep their boyfriends’ sweatshirts. Back then, I thought it was ridiculous and wondered why they would want a reminder. I opened the glovebox and put the tie in there as Kristoff got behind the wheel.

As he sped down the highway towards the nightclub, we sat in silence till he finally asked, “What are you thinking about, Gemma?”

“Ah, I was just wishing we could ditch the nightclub.”

“Well, we could. Just say the word,” he commented. “I’m eager to take you back home anyhow so I’m on board with that,” he added with a challenge in his voice.

I so wanted to take him up on it too. But I made a promise.

“I couldn’t do that to Betty. She was looking forward to it so much.” I covered my yawn with my hand and glanced at his fancy car’s dashboard. “And I promised Rick.”

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