“Baby steps,” Harlow said from the backseat.
The rest of the drive was silent except for the radio. A song by Joan Jett inspired foot tapping from the sisters. I memorized everything about Winnie. How she pulled at her long fingers. The little waves in her long dark hair. How she bit her full bottom lip.
When we arrived at the restaurant, Harlow took Winnie’s hand and hurried ahead of me. I ran around them to open the door.
“Ah, he’s a gentleman,” Harlow said and Winnie grinned behind her hand.
Once seated, I tried to care about the menu, but my mind was on Winnie.
“Here’s the deal,” Harlow said to me. “Winnie doesn’t order for herself. Can’t do it. I would do it, but I’m not her date. You’ll need to be all macho and order for her.”
Winnie frowned at Harlow, but I could see she was only partly embarrassed. I sensed she was happy to have her sister helping with the date.
“What does she want to eat?” I asked Harlow while looking at Winnie.
To my shock, Winnie held my gaze while Harlow explained the order. No way could I look away when my obsession focused on me. We stared at one another until the waitress appeared.
“Do you like your work, Dylan?” Harlow asked after we ordered.
“Sometimes. I don’t love all the managing stuff. Being a boss is a pain, but taking orders is worse. I like the hands on stuff better.”
“What about it do you like?” Harlow asked, looking completely uninterested in my answer.
Winnie cared though. I even wondered if these questions were agreed upon before the date.
“When I was a kid, I spent hours building with LEGOs. I liked taking things apart, figuring out how they worked, and putting them back together. These days, my favorite jobs are fixing up a broken down house. I have a few I bought and am renovating now. I’m thinking about keeping one to live in since my apartment building is filling up with college idiots.”
“Fascinating,” Harlow mumbled while checking her phone. “Winnie, did you play with LEGOs as a kid?”
“I don’t really remember,” she whispered. “I have a bad memory.”
“I can’t spell for shit,” I said and Winnie’s eyes lit up.
“Spelling is overrated.”
“Childhood memories are the same way.”
Winnie smiled like I was magic. Hell, if I didn’t feel the same way about her.
“Heartwarming,” Harlow said, standing up. “I’m going to pee.”
“Should I go too?” Winnie asked, alarmed.
“No, just hold it.”
Winnie frowned until Harlow winked at her and walked away. Returning her gaze to me, she exhaled uneasily.
“I’m sorry my dad made us have a chaperone.”
Winnie was clearly lying, so she’d seem normal. I didn’t give a crap about average especially when the alternative was this beautiful creature.
My fingers tingled, desperate to feel her skin against mine. Reaching across the table, I placed my hand over her bruised one. Winnie’s gaze locked onto mine and I waited to see if she freaked.
“The girl I was with was a friend. You need to know I meant it when I said I’d wait.”
“I have no right to worry about who you’re with. We’re not together,” Winnie mumbled, likely thinking of Sera.
“If I saw you with someone, I’d go fucking nuts. I’d want to tear his head off,” I said then added, “We’re on a date, so that means we’re together now, right?”
Winnie nodded, yet her expression was filled with uncertainty. Once her eyes focused on me, she whispered, “I like that you’d be jealous if I dated another guy.”
Nearly leaping across the table to kiss her sexy pink lips, I forced my ass to remain in the chair. Spooking Winnie wasn’t an option when I was so close to getting what I needed.
Whatever Winnie saw on my face both freaked her out and made her smile ever so slightly.
“I have bad taste in women,” I blurted out and Winnie’s smile faded, thinking I meant her. “Every girl I liked was either a super bitch or clearly off-limits. You’re the first good woman I’ve ever cared about and I’ll wait however long it takes for you to be ready.”
Winnie’s expressive hazel eyes lit up like a kid on Christmas. The emotions I saw calmed me in a way I didn’t think possible.
She remained bright-eyed after Harlow returned to ask more childhood-related questions. I doubted Winnie heard my answers. I sensed she was repeating the last sentence in her head. I know I was and I meant every word.
Chapter Five ~ Winnie
Even feeling guilty Harlow was stuck playing interrogator for me, I wished the date would never end. My sister made the best of the situation while I enjoyed the sound of Dylan’s voice. He could read the phone book in his deep voice and I’d never get bored.
Eventually, we finished eating. With our curfew approaching, Dylan drove us home.