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I cocked a brow. “Is there a chance I might be able to persuade you?”
She shook her head. “Nope.”
“But you’re upset I haven’t asked you out to dinner, so I can attempt to do that?” I pressed.
Rhea closed her eyes briefly. I wondered how much clarity was coming back to her in this moment. The brunt of her weight was leaning against me, so I was relatively certain she was still feeling the effects of all the alcohol in her system.
When she opened her eyes, Rhea shook her head slightly. “I’m not upset. I’m confused.”
I hadn’t been expecting that response. “Confused about what?”
Her eyes focused in on my mouth briefly before she replied, “Your motive. I don’t know why you insist on running with me every morning if you don’t intend to try to change my mind.”
I didn’t think that was the wisest moment to admit I had hoped to wear her down to a point that I thought it’d eventually be a possibility she’d agree. But with the words she did say, an idea popped into my head.
Since Rhea seemed rather competitive and sure of herself, I suggested, “You know, now that we’re talking about it, I’m thinking we should just do it.”
“Do what?”
“Go to dinner together. I think I could convince you to change your mind, and you insist it would be a waste of my time. Why don’t we find out who’s right?”
For the first time since she’d been pushed into my arms, Rhea got steady on her feet and started to step back. I hated having to do it, but I released my hold on her and instantly felt the loss.
“I want to dance, Wyatt,” she informed me as she began moving to the music again.
She seemed happy, so I smiled at her. “I can see that.”
“You should dance with me,” she urged.
My brows shot up. “You want me to dance with you?”
Nodding, she continued to move farther away and said, “If you do that for me, maybe I’ll agree to having dinner with you.”
I stood there, watching her move, for all of a few seconds, thinking about all the ways in which this could go wrong. In the end, I decided that whatever happened would be worth it if she were involved.
So, I stepped forward, closing the distance between us again, and I danced with Rhea.
And before she left the bar with her friends later that night, she told me where I could find her to pick her up for dinner the next night.
9
RHEA
It was official.
I was getting old.
Maybe my age was an indication I was still young, but given what I was experiencing now, it was safe to say, I couldn’t handle nights out like I had last night any longer.
I was back at my ice cream shop, it was just after lunch, and I was feeling it. Though I hadn’t believed I drank enough to be out of it completely, I certainly had exceeded an acceptable limit. If nothing else, I was wishing I’d have thought ahead and closed the shop for the day after my birthday.
Because I woke up this morning with a splitting headache.
As much as I enjoyed my work, there was no question I wished I hadn’t needed to come in today. I could have easily done with a few extra hours of sleep.
And while I had employees who helped out in the spring and summer months when it was particularly busy here, those employees were not on call to work at the shop in March. If I didn’t learn the lesson last night’s shenanigans taught me, I’d need to reconsider when my extra help started working for me.
I sighed as I thought about last night.
