“That’s no good,” he said and started walking.
I followed and shrugged. I flipped my hood over my head and stuck my hands in my pockets. “I was saving room for dinner.”
The smile on his face was art right out of a gallery. “I am really looking forward to this.”
The heat rushing to my cheeks was soothing against the chill. I smiled shyly. “Me too.”
The walk ended up being short, as Gabriel had said. The restaurant was on the edge of Boystown along a stretch of ritzy condos and expensive hotels.
As we crossed the street, Gabriel asked, “How was work?”
I shrugged. “The same. Boring.” After a long moment, I inquired, “What do you do for work?”
“I’m an orthopedist. I take care of people’s backs.”
I chuckled to myself. A doctor, go figure. Mr. Dreamy couldn’t possibly get any more perfect. “I imagined you as a businessman or money manager.”
“Close enough. Instead of slinging dollar bills, I manage aches and pains,” he said and held the door open for me.
“Thanks,” I muttered.
A commotion cut off our conversation. He went up to the hostess and made a reservation. I hid in a corner away from the main flow of traffic, all the people making me nervous. I guessed the place was good judging by the crowd. Gabriel was back at my side in an instant.
“It won’t be too long.” He leaned closer and whispered, “They know me. I’m sure they’ll bump us up a few spots.”
This close, I got a whiff of spicy cologne. It went right to my head and made me swoon. With nowhere to go, I nodded, and removed my hood, the heat chasing away the chill. Ten minutes later the hostess showed us to a booth. I watched with hunger as he unwrapped himself, the topcoat revealing the man underneath.
He slid into the booth as the waitress set a pair of menus on our table. “Can I start you off with drinks?”
“Hot tea with honey, please,” he said with a welcoming smile. The light overhead illuminated every fine feature of his face.
“Just water,” I responded in turn, feeling out of place. I wasn’t used to dining in nice restaurants. My go-to places were corner fast-food joints. It was all I could manage when I could afford to eat out.
He opened his menu, and I followed suit. I was greeted with a list of dishes I’d never heard of before. I recognized basics like beef and seafood, but the rest was totally Greek to me. Or Vietnamese as it were.
Scratching my chin, I inquired, “What do you recommend?”
“I really like the bo luc lac. The branzino is good too. You can never go wrong with a little heat on a cold day,” he said, his eyes skimming over the menu. I couldn’t stop looking at him. It was hard to believe this sexy guy had asked me on a date. “Do you like octopus? I haven’t personally had it, but I hear it's good.”
“Um…” I glanced at the menu again. I was still stuck on bo luc lac. Blowing out a big breath, I slumped my shoulders. “Honestly, I’ve never had any of this stuff.”
He chuckled. “It’s okay. How about a stir fry?”
“Now that’s something I can work with,” I said and found the selection on the menu. “The shrimp and pork.”
“We can share. You can have some of my bo.”
The waitress arrived with Gabriel’s tea and my glass of water. We placed our orders and the girl left with a smile.
Gabriel brought the tea to his mouth and inhaled deeply, the steam curling around him. He sipped at it carefully and I watched the way he smacked his slick lips together. I was willing to bet they were soft and warm, and his kiss would be sweet. I’dnever done much kissing, and the few times that I’d had, it had been clumsy.
“Are you sure you don’t want anything else to drink?” He inquired, motioning to my glass of water.
“I’m good, thanks.”
He took another sip of his tea and set it down. “I love hot tea on a cold day.”
“Hot chocolate is my go-to. With little marshmallows,” I said, sticking my hands between my legs. I was still chilly, and my nerves were making me shiver. I wondered how I was going to eat. It was only a matter of time before my stomach started doing flips.
