揥e抮e fine,?I lie.
揊ine. Exactly what a man wants to hear on his first real date in a decade,?he says with a snort. 揑 don抰 want any secrets between us, Eliza, so let me be clear. We have to keep a low profile around the office for just a little while longer. Not that the truth hasn抰 slipped out to a couple people already. Troy knows about us, and I抦 sure Katelyn does, too. He even said something to Destiny.?
My heart skips.
揙h, like what? Why? And why would he tell your daughter of all people??
Cole sighs. 揌e抯 known me for too long, and I抳e never just been his boss. He saw us together in Hawaii and picked up on the obvious, I抦 sure. Can抰 say I抦 thrilled with him talking to Destiny, but he抯 an odd bird. The man never had a class in manners and as much as he pisses me off sometimes, he does his job flawlessly. Still, we don抰 need a whole peanut gallery talking in hand signals about the last time we kissed or winked at each other. That kind of shit will definitely make it up the chain, and we can抰 have that happening when it抯 not on our terms.?
I sip my ginger drink slowly.
Everything about this is confusing. I抦 also not great at hiding, even if it抯 for a good reason.
Having dinner in the open as a couple was also his idea. I never asked for this.
I just mentioned people would find out sooner or later.
Deep down, every time he mentions Destiny, I can抰 help remembering what she spilled in Kona.
Is he actually over his dead wife? Can he ever truly be 'over' her?
I get it. A small part of his heart might always belong to her considering they had a flipping child together.
But I can抰 handle being his rebound, his stand-in, his ghost made flesh.
After Derek and his heartbreak on a stick, I can抰 stand being anyone抯 shadow girlfriend.
While I抦 still brooding, a huge wooden boat shows up with two waitresses, piled high with colorful sushi so beautiful it抯 hard to eat.
Lit sparklers shine at each end, crackling shades of orange and yellow.
They set the boat down in the center of the table with a few plates and our waitress snuffs the flames with a golden spoon before she disappears.
揌oly crap. Dinner and a show??I whisper, hoping my awkward smile doesn抰 tell him how unclassy I am.
He smiles across the table. 揑 thought you抎 like it. The presentation is part of the experience.?
Trying to swallow my worries for now, I pick out several pieces of my spider roll with spicy aioli and some California roll and drop them onto my plate.
Cole loads his plate without seeming to care what he grabs.
A voice in the back of my mind won抰 leave me alone while I抦 trying to savor the delicious meal. It tells me I抦 being silly, I抦 letting my fears rule me, and I should just shut up and enjoy this fairy-tale beast of a man.
But it抯 too hard to let my guard down after the way the night began, even when the conversation eventually becomes easy again.
We laugh about Hawaii, Destiny抯 turtles and dolphins, plus all the little spots we explored far more intimately than any tourist should.
Near the end of dinner, Cole looks up as the waitress reappears with dessert menus.
揗y lady would like your best coffee. I抣l have the plum wine,?he says, catching my eyes and ordering for me again.
God, why does that give me all the butterflies?
揥onderful. We have a Tokyo lungo with locally sourced cream and a dessert latte. Otherwise, we have plain black coffee.?
揝he抣l have one of each, and she抣l let you know what she likes best,?Cole tells her.
揘oted,?she says.
I stare at him. 揇id you just order me three cups of coffee at nine o抍lock at night??
揑抣l drink whatever takes second place for you. And it was worth it to see the look on your face.?He smiles. 揑 was starting to worry I wouldn抰 see it again tonight.?
揧ou mean it disappeared when you transformed into Mr. Smith??Lifting one foot from my shoe under the table, I slide it against his leg.
The sly smile he gives me makes me feel naked.
揑f anything I said offended you, tell me,?he whispers.
揅ole, we抮e cool.?And I will myself to make those words true.
The server returns soon, carrying coffees on a silver tray with an assortment of creams, high-end sweeteners, and honey. She sets a carafe down with an empty ceramic mug. 揃lack.?
The next one is a huge see-through mug. It抯 covered in whipped cream and drizzled with fragrant chocolate, with a middle layer of what looks like the Japanese coffee jelly I抳e heard about.
Finally, the Tokyo lungo in a wide mug. The long shot of espresso steams the air with its glorious scent. She also leaves Cole his plum wine in a glass.
揂nything else??the waitress asks.
Umm桰抦 good for like the next week on fancy coffee, but I look at him.
揑 think she抯 happy, and that抯 all I wanted,?he says, sipping his wine smugly.
I can抰 help but giggle once the waitress leaves.
揑 hate you. You make it way too hard to stay mad,?I say.
揋ood. Then you抣l finally tell me what you were mad about??
揙h. I wasn抰 mad exactly...?
揕ike hell. Something I said ruffled your feathers, Eliza.?His hand slides across the table, capturing my fingers.
揑 misspoke. I抦 sorry. I was never mad. More like...?I trail off, taking a long pull from the dessert drink and slipping into coffee heaven. It reminds me of hot chocolate with a delicious Japanese twist, the best of east and west coming together in a taste-gasm that curls my toes.
揥hat were you then??His eyes are piercing as they search mine.
揌uh??I pick up the black coffee for a pallet cleanse. It抯 nothing special, but I can dress it up however I want for a few sips before I pass it over to him.
揧ou said you weren抰 mad. You used the wrong word. What were you, sweetheart??
Good question.
?..I don抰 know.?I pause, trying to decide how I condense my whole messed up history with Derek into something he抣l understand without thinking the worst of me. Or even if I should.
This whole time I keep wondering if he抯 over his wife, but what does it say if Derek is alive and well and evil as ever in my own memory?
揑 was just enjoying the moment. With Cole, I mean梟ot Mr. Smith. Honest.?I squeeze his hand, digging my nails softly into his palm.
After dinner, he helps me to the Lincoln waiting at the curb and slides in beside me. I抦 so full it抯 a miracle he doesn抰 have to roll me into the car.
揟his was my first date in over a decade,?he says, the city抯 nighttime shadows cascading across his face. 揇on抰 write me off just yet over one dull alias, Eliza.?
揑 guess I won抰 this time, Mr. Smith,?I joke.
揥e won抰 have to hide forever,?he promises, taking my hand and kissing the back. 揙nce we抮e in the clear, we抮e done with this cloak and dagger bullshit.?
揌ow sweet of you,?I tease.
He lifts my hand, turns it palm up, brings it to his mouth, and plants his lips in the center.
God. How does something so innocent melt my soul?
Does it only make me crazier for ignoring red flags and jumping into bed with him?
He抯 still staring at me with an expression I don抰 recognize.
揧ou enjoyed the date then??he asks.
I smile so wide my face hurts. 揧ou抣l see me again soon. There抯 your answer.?
揥ithout the dress??he growls in my ear just as the car stops next to my apartment.
We get out and he walks me to the door.
Before tonight, we also agreed that we抎 try to keep things clean梩ry to control the storming desires that can cloud any new relationship so easily.
But when he pulls me close and his tongue delves into my mouth, it抯 all the encouragement I need. We抮e both sucking and straining and gasping for air when he breaks away with a muffled, 揊uck.?
揅ole??
揧eah??
揘ever wait three days to kiss me again. Also, never let me make any stupid promises about ending things with a goodnight kiss,?I whisper, brushing his lips.