Joshua inserts the key and chuckles. “Thanks? I think.”
“I’m such a dork. I was just noting it’s clean in here and doesn’t have any weird smells,” I say and look out the window, my cheeks warm with my blunder.
“You really haven’t been to Katana?” he asks of the sushi restaurant we are going to.
I twist toward him and stare at his profile. “Nope. The only sushi I’ve eaten is in a grocery store. Lame, I know, but I’ve always been a bit intimidated by the options.”
He smiles, his attention flicking from the road to me and back. “Well, I’m really glad you’re willing to give it a chance with me.”
“How could I not after you told me about taking Annie out for sushi?” His stories about his niece and their special bond charmed me more than any smile he could flash. I could hear in his words how much he loved Annie.
“What can I say? She’s my secret,” he jokes, and I playfully swat his arm.
“Using your niece to get dates?”
“Singular, not plural,” he whispers, and my stomach flips.
Our conversation ebbs and flows, and the quiet moments are spent in comfortable silence. I lean back in my seat, finding it rather easy to relax in his presence. He plays a few songs he told me about during our texts, and before I know it, we’ve arrived.
I don’t wait for him to open my door, and he meets me on the passenger’s side. We walk together, and his hand presses against the small of my back. Joshua guides me through a group leaving the restaurant, and I find myself leaning into his warmth.
Joshua looks at me and smiles. My heart stammers in my chest. I can’t remember the last time a man has looked at me like this, if ever. His eyes move to my lips, but before anything can happen, the hostess draws our attention.
If things keep up like this, I imagine we’ll be enjoying more dates in our future.
