tears.
I tilted my head to the side. Why the hell is she about to cry? I grabbed her arms and she pulled away. “Are you all right?”
“Not here, not now. Just call me when you are ready to meet.”
“Will do.” I wondered what was up, but I shook it off.
I had a job to do.
By the time I made it back down to the hotel lobby after the stalking session, Carly was waiting for me. “You ready?” I asked in a murmur.
“Yeah.”
I offered her my arm, but she shook her head. I had a feeling the so-called date wasn’t going to go well. I guess my gentleman side wasn’t as gentlemanly as I thought. I would have to work extra hard to take that dip I desired. Jackson pulled up to the front entrance. “Jackson, take us to Cath’s, please.”
“No problem, Ms. Reede.”
“What’s Cath’s?”
“Just a casual burger kind of place. I have a craving for some good fries. Plus, I haven’t eaten dinner yet. Have you?”
“No. Sounds good.”
The ride was quiet. There was a lot of hand fidgeting, clothing adjustments, and long glances out the window from both sides of the back seat. Definitely wasn’t the same car ride that we had the first time around. I would’ve really liked to know what was going on. She was tough, and I hadn’t been able to crack her.
When we pulled up to the restaurant, she opened the door and jumped out before Jackson or I could say or do anything about it. Ironically, the cold that radiated from her body chilled me.
She headed right for the door without even glancing back at me. Yes, it was already proving to be a fun date. “Christ, Carly. Let me grab the door at least.”
“I’ve got it,” she snapped.
I grabbed her arm. “What the hell is going on? You are cold-shouldering me so much, I feel like I’m cruising through Antarctica on the bloody Titanic.” I realized my voice sounded a little harsh. I couldn’t let my anger sneak out. I needed to control it better because that side of me wasn’t pretty. She looked at me with a quirked brow and her eyes traveled to my hand clutching her arm. I let go and stepped back.
“Just a bad day, I guess. As a matter of fact, it’s been a bad couple of months. I apologize.”
Implication heard. “Right,” I muttered. She turned away and went toward the hostess.
Once we were seated, the hostess asked for our drink order. “I’ll just have water,” Carly said as her baby blues darted around the menu.
“I’ll take a pint of Guinness.” Promptly, the hostess walked away and I sat forward, leaning my weight on my forearms. I just looked at her. “Carly…” I reached for her hand.
She swatted at my hand like it was a bug. “Stop.”
“If you don’t want to be here with me, why the fuck are we here?”
“Because,” she snapped with indignation.
“Carly, that’s not an answer for a grown woman.”
“Who do you think you are?! My father?!” she loudly snapped at me. Must have been female problems.
She was really grating on my last nerve. “Keep your voice down,” I growled. I could have an attitude, too, but mine was a little more dangerous than she understood.
Her eyes spoke volumes when I saw the fire engulf them. She was angry as hell. “I will speak in whatever tone I damn well feel like because I am a grown woman.”
“What is your issue? You knew I wasn’t looking for a relationship.” I shoved the menu away because my appetite was dissolving. I was so pissed at the way she was speaking to me. I had a notion to stand my arse up and walk right the fuck out of the joint.
“I know!” We felt a presence at the end of our booth because we both looked that direction at the same time.
The waitress looked a little stunned. “Sorry to interrupt. Um…may I take your order?”
“I will have the California Turkey Burger with extra pickles,” Carly murmured.
“And for you, sir?”
“Uh…” I hadn’t even glanced at the menu yet because I was too busy trying to figure out what the fuck was going on.
I tilted my head to the side. Why the hell is she about to cry? I grabbed her arms and she pulled away. “Are you all right?”
“Not here, not now. Just call me when you are ready to meet.”
“Will do.” I wondered what was up, but I shook it off.
I had a job to do.
By the time I made it back down to the hotel lobby after the stalking session, Carly was waiting for me. “You ready?” I asked in a murmur.
“Yeah.”
I offered her my arm, but she shook her head. I had a feeling the so-called date wasn’t going to go well. I guess my gentleman side wasn’t as gentlemanly as I thought. I would have to work extra hard to take that dip I desired. Jackson pulled up to the front entrance. “Jackson, take us to Cath’s, please.”
“No problem, Ms. Reede.”
“What’s Cath’s?”
“Just a casual burger kind of place. I have a craving for some good fries. Plus, I haven’t eaten dinner yet. Have you?”
“No. Sounds good.”
The ride was quiet. There was a lot of hand fidgeting, clothing adjustments, and long glances out the window from both sides of the back seat. Definitely wasn’t the same car ride that we had the first time around. I would’ve really liked to know what was going on. She was tough, and I hadn’t been able to crack her.
When we pulled up to the restaurant, she opened the door and jumped out before Jackson or I could say or do anything about it. Ironically, the cold that radiated from her body chilled me.
She headed right for the door without even glancing back at me. Yes, it was already proving to be a fun date. “Christ, Carly. Let me grab the door at least.”
“I’ve got it,” she snapped.
I grabbed her arm. “What the hell is going on? You are cold-shouldering me so much, I feel like I’m cruising through Antarctica on the bloody Titanic.” I realized my voice sounded a little harsh. I couldn’t let my anger sneak out. I needed to control it better because that side of me wasn’t pretty. She looked at me with a quirked brow and her eyes traveled to my hand clutching her arm. I let go and stepped back.
“Just a bad day, I guess. As a matter of fact, it’s been a bad couple of months. I apologize.”
Implication heard. “Right,” I muttered. She turned away and went toward the hostess.
Once we were seated, the hostess asked for our drink order. “I’ll just have water,” Carly said as her baby blues darted around the menu.
“I’ll take a pint of Guinness.” Promptly, the hostess walked away and I sat forward, leaning my weight on my forearms. I just looked at her. “Carly…” I reached for her hand.
She swatted at my hand like it was a bug. “Stop.”
“If you don’t want to be here with me, why the fuck are we here?”
“Because,” she snapped with indignation.
“Carly, that’s not an answer for a grown woman.”
“Who do you think you are?! My father?!” she loudly snapped at me. Must have been female problems.
She was really grating on my last nerve. “Keep your voice down,” I growled. I could have an attitude, too, but mine was a little more dangerous than she understood.
Her eyes spoke volumes when I saw the fire engulf them. She was angry as hell. “I will speak in whatever tone I damn well feel like because I am a grown woman.”
“What is your issue? You knew I wasn’t looking for a relationship.” I shoved the menu away because my appetite was dissolving. I was so pissed at the way she was speaking to me. I had a notion to stand my arse up and walk right the fuck out of the joint.
“I know!” We felt a presence at the end of our booth because we both looked that direction at the same time.
The waitress looked a little stunned. “Sorry to interrupt. Um…may I take your order?”
“I will have the California Turkey Burger with extra pickles,” Carly murmured.
“And for you, sir?”
“Uh…” I hadn’t even glanced at the menu yet because I was too busy trying to figure out what the fuck was going on.
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