She watched him walk away, and she swore a permanent smile was glued to her face as she got back to work.
Molly knockedon Eli’s front door and smiled when he pulled it open only seconds later, as if he had been standing therewaiting the entire time. She smiled shyly at him. Her nerves were through the roof. She wasn’t sure what to expect being at his place.
In the past, she was so busy with work that she didn’t spend a lot of time with her boyfriends. They typically worked in the same field as her, so they were just as busy. It was more like they were roommates or only dating on the weekends.
But with Eli, it was different. They had time to spend together. To get to know each other.
He pulled her into his arms and took a deep breath.
“Hey, beautiful.”
Warmth spread through her, and she wrapped her arms around him, melting any lingering hesitation. “Hi.”
He stepped back and held an arm out for her to step inside. “Welcome to my humble abode.”
She looked around the small living room as he shut the door behind her. It was cozy with furniture that looked soft enough to sink into. There were very few things hanging on the walls. A large bookcase caught her eye. It was filled with books, with several more double-stacked in front and piles on top of the shelf.
“I see you like books.”
He snorted. “Crazy, huh? I’m sure that blew your mind.”
She giggled.
“Let me show you around.” They walked through the house, with him showing her the small kitchen off the living room and then walking down a hallway to the two bedrooms. The main bedroom was the only place with a bed, as the other room was used as an office.
“I like your place.”
He laughed. “I’m pretty sure it screams bachelor pad.”
She laughed with him. “It does.”
“I made us dinner. Are you hungry?”
“Starving.”
He took her hand and led her to the kitchen, where he had spaghetti waiting. He dished up their plates and placed them on the small table in the dining room. “I’m not much of a cook, but I make a mean spaghetti.”
She took a bite and closed her eyes as the flavor hit her tongue and moaned. Italian was one of her favorite foods. She would never get tired of eating it. “This is perfect.”
He smiled and took a bite of his own.
Molly twirled her fork in the noodles. “Have you always wanted to run the bookstore?”
She had realized on her date that he was the one primarily asking questions about her life, and she hadn’t heard much about his background. Tonight, she would remedy that.
He finished swallowing before nodding. “Mostly. It’s all I knew. I grew up going there before and after school. I would help when they were busy or short-staffed. It never really left me with thoughts of doing anything else.”
“Do you think you would have wanted to do something else?”
He shook his head. “No. Reading has been a part of my life forever. I love it, and I love sharing books. I can’t really imagine doing anything else.”
She wished she had felt the same way about her parents’ company. Maybe she should have tried to pursue something else right out of school, but she always thought she had an expectation to take over the company, so she never allowed herself to dream of doing anything else.
“Did you ever want to do anything else?” His question startled her out of her thoughts.
“No. I never allowed myself to consider it.”
“And now?”
