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“Oysters are on me, but you’d better buy dessert and more than one round of beers. This is a local beer, hasn’t been distributed yet. Let me know what you think of it. Either it’s going to be the next big thing or send you to the hospital with food poisoning. Only time and customers will tell.”
Chaz put the beer on the table and eyed us expectantly. I looked over at Zach as if to ask if we should really drink the beer. He eyed me back as if to say he didn’t think we had a choice.
“Where is yours?” I asked Chaz.
“I’ve been sober for ten years now. Don’t touch the stuff. That’s why I’m having you try it.”
“You’re in recovery, and you make your own beer?”
“No. Made by a friend of mine. He asked me to try it out on some customers.”
“Should we be worried?” Zach lifted the glass and looked at it.
“Hasn’t killed anyone yet, but it’s still early. Live a little,” Chaz said with a smile.
I looked over at Zach and lifted my glass. He did the same and tilted it towards me. I did the same with mine, and we touched glasses.
“To trying new things,” I said.
“To enjoying this and everything that happens after,” Zach said.
He held my gaze as we took a sip of our drinks. I could tell he was agreeing with my original question. He was okay with enjoying what we were and not thinking too much about it. I smiled at him as I put the beer down and then immediately spit it out.
Chaz’s laughter rang through the restaurant.
Chapter 14
Zach
It was late when we left The Fish House. Chaz let Victoria and I talk and kept the other tables around us empty so that we could have more privacy. She still came by to check on us and to chat as she could. She was full of stories about me, leaving Victoria in stitches and me more embarrassed than I had been in a very long time.
The oysters were good, and Chaz came by with different beer for us, which was more drinkable. Victoria got a beautiful and meaty lobster that she said was one of the best she ever tasted. I decided on some yellowtail so that she could have some of it. She had reached across and stolen a few bites, commenting on how good it tasted.
As the night continued, I could easily see Victoria and me going there again. Even it becoming our local place to go and have dinner. I liked the idea of us having a place that was ours, that we could go and be ourselves at and not worry about what anyone thought of us.
Victoria’s concern about how it would look when we were together lessened as the evening progressed. I could see her becoming more comfortable with me, the restaurant, and the people there, especially Chaz. Though she was an incredibly easy woman to get along with. Because of her, I had learned more about Victoria than even I think she wanted me to know.
As we walked out of the restaurant, I reached down to take her hand in mine. I held my breath, waiting to see what she was going to do. Victoria had moved her hands away from mine earlier, but that was hours ago. A lot had happened since then. We enjoyed a lovely evening, had some great food, and got to know each other better. Surely, she could see how great we were and that we belonged together.
I had wanted the night to show that we could be something more. That it wasn’t just great sex between us. I wanted more for us, for Victoria, and I think the night showed us that. I had hoped we would have fun, that we would be able to talk like we had when she was looking for a house.
And we had, but it was even better than before. I could see that when I was her realtor, she was friendly with me, but she held something back; she didn’t let me see all of her. That night, I saw more of her, not all of her, but more. And it made me want to know all I could about her.
She had seemed so serious when we first met, but she was more relaxed and open at dinner. It made me want to take her home and see what else I could find out about her. She had implied that I wasn’t going to be staying over after the date, but I wanted to change her mind. Seeing if she would take my hand allowed me to gauge the situation and her.
I brushed my hand along her thigh and held open my hand after we had hugged Chaz goodbye. Victoria had looked down at my hand and then up to my face, giving me a questioning look. I smiled slowly back at her and brushed my hand up against her again. There was no way she could have misconstrued what I wanted, and I waited to see what she was going to do.
It felt like hours and not a few moments before she reached over and slid her hand in mine. I wrapped my fingers around hers and gave her hand a soft squeeze as we walked out of the restaurant. I immediately thought about pushing her up against the car and kissing her before opening the door and helping her inside.
But as soon as we got outside, something shifted in Victoria. I could feel her emotionally stepping away from me, even if she wasn’t physically. It started when she dropped my hand and stiffened up next to me. I sent her a sideways look, but she walked in front of me and to the car. I followed quickly behind her and opened her door. She moved right in and sat down, her eyes facing forward. I looked at her again, but she didn’t look at me. I gently closed her door, but I wanted to slam it in frustration, not understanding what had changed. Instead, I walked over to my side of the car and got in.
Neither of us spoke as we drove out of the parking lot. I wanted to reach over and take her hand again, but I held back. I didn’t want to be rejected again. But I did need some answers.
“Victoria, what’s going on with us? What just happened?”
“What do you mean? I thought we had a lovely dinner.”
“We did; it was great. I loved that you loved Chaz and her restaurant so much, but you’re pulling away from me again.”
