Page 48 of Had To Be You

She scoops a forkful of the chocolate and raspberry cake and raises it towards me. “A toast.”

I sigh, taking a forkful too. “To breaking my rules.”

“To living on the edge.” We clink our forks together and eat the chocolate cake. Admittedly, it’s incredible, rich and decadent. But I’m not tempted to take another bite. The next taste I will have will be from Ellie’s lips.

“So?” she asks expectantly. Her eyes lower to the half-eaten cake on the table between us.

I set down my fork, then take a swill of my Old Fashioned. “The cake was good.”

She nudges the plate closer to me. “I promise you it’s not going to kill you.”

I laugh, and then she asks me her next question, catching me off guard. “You live to work. Have you always been this way?”

“Would you believe me if I said I have?”

“I wouldn’t doubt a word you say to me. I know you’re a straight shooter. I also believe you would never lie to me.”

Lifting my glass, I swallow the liquor, enjoying the burn against the back of my throat. “I’ve always felt I had something to prove and I learned at a very young age that I’m a lot like my father. I think I started out just wanting to make him proud and from there it moved to never wanting to disappoint him. I remember visiting him in his office, watching him work, and wanting to be just like him. He has always believed in me and I guess, in a way, that has fueled me to work hard every day to prove him right.”

“Did studying come easy for you?” she asks, reaching for her glass, taking a drink.

“In a way it did. I’ve always been determined. I believe determination is a necessity in getting what you want.”

Ellie considers this, leaning forward in her seat. “I admire that about you, Liam. I appreciate your passion too.”

“I’m passionate about you, Ellie. That reminds me. I have something for you.”

I reach into the inside pocket of my jacket for the crossword puzzle book I selected for her, a shiny bow stuck to its cover.

“You bought me a gift?”

“I did. I think you might like it.” I hand her the book, watching her eyes brighten and a look of happiness flash over her face.

“The (Almost) Impossible Crossword Book,” she says, briefly looking up at me, then back at the book.

“It’s a rare first edition,” I point out. “I hope you don’t already have it. I noticed a stack of crossword books on your coffee table and it was obvious you really enjoy them.”

She looks up at me again. “I do and I don’t have this one. How did you find this?”

“It took a little digging, but I managed.”

“It’s incredible. I love it, Liam. Thank you,” she says, leaning forward in her chair, reaching for my hand.

“You’re welcome.”

Ellie shakes her head, then pins me with a stare. “I really had you all wrong when I first met you.”

“Is that so?” I have to admit that I’m curious. I want to know her initial impression of me, and how it differs from now.

She takes a drink, then sets the glass down and runs her finger around its rim. Her eyes never waver from mine. “It is. I saw your serious side and I took it for stand-offish. The confidence you ooze, I assumed that was arrogance. I didn’t realize you were attentive and thoughtful, and possessed all these other amazing qualities that I didn’t take the time to see.”

“I get it. I’m pretty sure I did the same,” I offer, but then realize she deserves so much more. “But I think they were all excuses, so I didn’t have to admit to myself how I really felt about you.”

“What do you mean?”

“I mean, I knew you were different from the minute I met you. I was insanely attracted to you, but I just knew you would be so much more than one time, and one time is all I’ve ever allowed myself. So, it was easier to tell myself you were too wild and spontaneous.”

“I was wildly attracted to you, too. Right from the start. I used to wonder if you felt that zip through your chest like I did every time our eyes would meet.”

---