He laughs and I follow as we walk arm in arm down the driveway.
“God, I love your car,” I say aloud as I climb in. He has a 1968 Dodge Charger that he restored with his dad. It’s candy apple red with tan interior. Every part of this car screams Liam. It’s sexy, mysterious, loud, and yet it fits him in some odd way.
“You match,” he muses as I settle into the seat. “Robin’s been good to me. She never lets me down,” he says as he grips the wheel. “We have an understanding.”
“You named your car?”
“And this surprises you? She’s my baby. You wouldn’t not name your child, would you?” Liam asks completely serious.
“That’s stupid.”
“No, it’s not.”
I laugh and buckle my seatbelt, “Yeah, it totally is, and why a girl? Why not name the car after a guy?”
Liam smiles and backs out of the driveway. His hand glides over the dashboard as he speaks of his car. “Same reasons ships are named after women. Ships have personality and character. They protect us on the seas and bring us home. They mirror what is beautiful about every woman. Willful, strong, protective, and faithful, and Robin is no different.”
“I think I’ve heard it all.”
“Well, I could say it’s because it’s not the initial expense but the upkeep that will kill you.” His mouth curves as I roll my eyes. “But that might be considered sexist.”
“Might?” I retort.
I try to fight laughing or smiling. I try but fail.
“See, I can always make you smile.”
“And at the same time make me want to punch you.”
Liam chuckles and pulls into the parking lot at the Lynnhaven Fish House. Which is one of my absolute favorite restaurants in Virginia Beach. “It’s a gift—at least that’s what my mother says.”
“She’s biased.”
“Natalie?” Liam asks slightly apprehensively. I look over and he sits with his hand on the door. “I’m glad you agreed to come out tonight.”
Not that I had much of a choice, but of course I did. I could’ve told him no and gone home to Aarabelle. There were a hundred other things I could have chosen, but instead, I put on a dress and went blindly with him. “Me too.”
“Stay here,” Liam requests and exits the car quickly.
My lips widen in approval as he opens my car door a few seconds later. He extends his hand and I place my palm to his. I don’t know that I’ve ever had a date be so chivalrous. No. I will not compare. I need to be here in the moment.
“Thank you,” I say and kiss his cheek. “By the way, how did you know I love the Fish House?”
“Lucky guess,” he says but I sense there’s something more to that.
We enter the restaurant and are seated at the window overlooking the bay. It doesn’t matter that my house backs up to this view, I’ll never tire of it. The way each wave brings new water to the sand, washing away the footprints we leave and giving everything a new chance. It’s . . . hopeful.
Once we order and get our wine, Liam grabs my hand that’s resting on the table. “You okay?”
“I’m great. Why?” I ask, perplexed.
“You’ve just been quiet.” He looks out to the ocean and then back to me.
I smile tentatively and flip my hand over so we’re palm to palm. “Is this weird for you? I mean, it’s us.”
Liam sighs and his finger whispers over the skin on my wrist. “Weird? No. Unexpected? Yes.”
That’s a good word to describe what all of this is. Neither of us thought we’d be sitting here on a date, yet that’s exactly what we’re doing. “It’s a good unexpected though, right?”
“Natalie, I wouldn’t want to be sitting here with anyone else,” he answers and the truth shines through his eyes.
I want to reply me either. I want to say the words, but they die on my tongue. Aaron’s face flashes in my mind and my stomach drops. The guilt begins to grow heavy and sits on my chest. It weighs on my heart and begins to crush it. I’m on a date with another man at the restaurant my husband took me to on our anniversary every year.
“Lee?” Liam asks as tears pool in my eyes. “What’s wrong?”
“This . . . this place,” I say and try to get myself under control.
“Did I fuck up?” he asks and comes around the table, crouching in front of me.
“No,” I say and dab my eyes. “It’s just . . . Aaron.” I look away because I hate even saying this. “He . . .”
“He took you here?” Liam asks, not sounding upset, but concerned.
“Yeah,” I look back at him as a tear falls. “I’m so sorry.”