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I glance around, loving the dim lights and cozy atmosphere. I’m so used to coffee shops with those bright wake-you-up lights.
“This place is great. I can’t believe I’ve never come here before,” I say as Sterling smiles at me. “You look very handsome,” I say, taking in his nice button down and dark slacks. He ducks his head with a heart-melting grin.
“Thank you.” When he looks at me again, there’s a sparkle in his amber-colored eyes.
A woman drops off our drinks and I thank her. Taking a sip of my wine, I scan the room.
“How was your day?” Sterling asks.
I glance at him again. “That’s a dangerous question.” With a short, sharp laugh, I try not to let Clifton ruin my good time.
“I didn’t mean to upset you,” he says kindly.
“It’s okay. I just have to defend my boss’s son and he’s always getting into trouble; you know what I mean?” I ask. Sterling nods and the words pour out of me around sips of wine.
“He treats his dad poorly, he’s a bit of a jerk, and for some reason he doesn't seem to care about anybody but himself.” I’d already told Sterling a bit about my past. “It stings when I think about how I lost my family and then watch someone else throw theirs away.”
I take another sip of my wine, then another, hoping the alcohol will help calm my trembling hands.
“Are you cold?” Sterling asks.
I shake my head. “Just... mad. Frustrated. He just makes me... furious.” The more I talk, the better I feel. Sterling sits back in his seat, drinking from his cup and nodding his head while I talk.
“Sometimes I just wish he’d disappear, or that I could quit, or something, you know. But he’s my boss's son, and that would tear him apart. I can’t imagine how destroyed he’d be if something happened to his son. But his son is already hurting him so much. I just don’t know how anyone can be so selfish and cruel.” I take a deep breath.
“People are surprising sometimes,” Sterling says.
“That’s just it, there’s no surprise. I’m constantly having to defend him for stupid fights he gets into over nothing. And he’s cruel to his father every time, without fail.” I finish my wine and lock eyes with the waitress, nodding my head to indicate I’d like another.
“Maybe you should just refuse.” Sterling’s words have me considering that option.
“If I do that, he’ll have to go back to defending his son, and I don’t know if that would be good for either of them.” I shake my head.
“Well, at some point you have to put yourself first,” Sterling says.
“You’re right. I should put myself first.” I nod my head, liking that idea as the waitress drops off another wine in front of me. I take another sip, feeling some of the tension drain from my body.
“Well, as awful as you seem to think he is, obviously he made quite the impression on you.” At Stirling’s words, I glance at him. What could he possibly mean by that?
“I’m not following,” I say, noticing he’s not willing to hold my gaze. “What do you mean?”
He sighs, staring at the empty glass in his hands as if actively avoiding me. “Emma, we’ve been on a date for an hour. All you’ve done is talk about another man. Don’t you think that’s a bit... odd?”
Stunned, I try to figure out where things went off the rails. It’s been an hour? I pull out my phone to see he’s right. “It’s not odd. I’m just venting to you. That’s part of being in a relationship, right? Sharing your problems with one another?” I mean, would he rather I lied and said my day was fine? I don’t know the right answer, but a knot in my belly tightens as he continues to stare at his glass.
“Sure, but there’s a big difference between sharing and obsessing. You sound obsessed with this guy, like he’s all you can think about. I mean, if I didn’t know better, I’d think you were in love with him.”
“That’s ridiculous. I hate Clifton.” He couldn't possibly think I loved Clifton, could he? “How could you say that?” I ask, still unsure how this date - which started out so promising - had fallen apart like this.
He shrugs and says, “I don't know, Emma. Maybe you're in denial. Maybe you're confused. But I can bet that if I sat here and spent an hour talking about another woman-” he lifts a hand to cut me off as I try to talk over him, “if I spent an hour talking about another woman, you’d be furious.”
Is he right? Would I really have a problem with this? Stunned, I try to make sense of the whole bewildering situation.
Sterling stands up, puts some bills down on the table, and makes his way toward the door without another word.
All I can do is watch him go, noticing the stares of other people as I sit by myself at the table. If he’s that mad about me thinking about a guy, I guess it’s best I hadn’t gotten to the part where Clifton had kissed me. What would that have made him do or say?
The door closes behind him and I struggle to breathe.
