AllFreeNovel
Share Us
I pursed my lips. I was beyond confused. Every time I let my guard down, I found myself having a good time and thinking it was the best date I’d ever been on.
Of course, it wasn’t really a date. Not in the technical, going out with someone new sense. I mean, Aiden wasn’t new. This side of him was, but there was nothing out of the ordinary about feeling at ease with him.
But what we were doing was so out of the ordinary. I mean, he was clearly trying to impress me, as if I was a woman he was attracted to, a woman he wanted more than gentle teasing and genuine encouragement from. Even the way he’d slipped his hand across my lower back on the sidewalk outside sent chills through my body.
And while I desperately wanted to forget about our history and keep pretending we just met, I couldn’t entirely forget about the fact that every time I felt my feelings for him try to be something more, I hit some sort of glass wall that made me want to shut down.
If I got carried away with him, I wouldn’t have any secret parts of me left. There would be no one on Earth that knew me better than he did, and I hated the idea of giving up what little control I had over my life by oversharing myself with him.
Plus, what if I shared myself and he didn’t like what he learned, what there was to see? What if the fantasy of hooking up with his best friend was better than the reality?
And even in the best case scenario, if we fooled around and it was amicable, he’d eventually date someone else and it would be weird, especially for her. He might have to distance himself from me like I’d seen my married friends do with the people they used to hook up with.
But something had already shifted between us, and I couldn’t help but feel like no matter what happened, our relationship would never be the same. And even if I hadn’t agreed to come on the date, the fact that we’d kissed was enough to set us on a different course.
And as desperate as I was to know how things were going to end up, I felt like I was playing Mario Kart for the first time, like I could barely see around the next corner, much less the destination.
“So are you ready for an adventure?” Aiden asked.
My face dropped. “What?”
“Are you ready for a culinary adventure?”
“Oh right,” I said, feeling the tightness in my chest dissipate as I noticed the staff beside the table. “Yeah, I’m ready.” As ready as I’ll ever be. “Bring it on.”
“The first course is a veal mousse bruschetta,” the waitress said, setting a small plate down in front of us.
Then the wine guy stepped up. “We’ve paired that with a with a sherry aperitif to bring out the gaminess of the veal, the creaminess of the mozzarella, and the sweetness of the tomatoes.”
Aiden and I smiled, and the staff nodded and disappeared.
“Pretty fancy,” I said, eyeing the row of perfectly toasted veal mobiles.
“And I thought I took food seriously.”
“Maybe your bloody nachos are the next course.”
He nodded. “I hope not.”
“Should I just use my fingers?” I asked, trying to see what the people at nearby tables were doing.
“Do whatever feels good,” he said.
“That’s the same advice my roommate gave me before I came on this date.”
“In that case,” he said, grabbing his stubby wine glass. “I’d like to propose a toast.”
“Okay,” I said, raising my glass.
“To doing whatever feels good-”
I clinked his glass.
“And to old friends and new beginnings.”
I kept my eyes on him as I brought the drink to my lips and took a sip. “Whoa, that’s strong,” I said, licking my lips.
“Yeah, aperitifs often are,” he said. “They’re definitely an acquired taste.”
