"No, I said I didn’t come up here after work," she replied, with a slight smile. "Sometimes I come before, though."
"All that time on your feet and you still find the energy to come out here?" I replied, and I let out a whistle through my teeth. "Impressive."
She laughed.
"Well, got to use these calf muscles for something," she joked, tapping her leg. She was wearing a pair of shorts and a baggy tee, a far cry from the cutesy uniform I had seen her in at the Jukebox Diner last night, and I had to admit, there was something kind of fun about seeing her this way.
"Guess so," I agreed. "So, does that mean you’re on shift today?"
"It does," she replied. "Why, you craving our bacon and eggs already?"
"And the excellent company," I added. I noticed her cheeks darken slightly, and she swiftly brushed her hair back from her face, as if distracting herself as best she could.
"And it’s not like there are many other places to eat in Whisper Falls, anyway," I continued, not wanting her to feel like I was making too pointed of an effort to flirt. She was sweet, and those hazel eyes certainly had something I couldn’t quite look awayfrom, but I was going to be staying here for a few weeks and I didn’t want her feeling like she had to avoid me if she wasn’t into me.
"Well, there’s Ford’s," she remarked, and I cocked an eyebrow.
"Oh, yeah?”
"The Italian kitchen," she prompted me, as though she was surprised that I hadn’t heard of it. "It’s right on the square; you haven’t seen it?”
"Uh, not open, at least," I replied. "I’ve been coming out to explore the hills most days, so I guess maybe I haven’t come back into town before it closes yet."
"Oh, that’s the best food you’ll get in Whisper Falls," she told me, and I couldn’t help but laugh.
"Kind of throwing your cook under the bus there, aren’t you?"
"Pam would agree with me," she replied, smiling slightly, whatever awkwardness had briefly been there between us gone just as soon as it had arrived. "Don’t get me wrong, her stuff is delicious, but Mia..."
She shook her head.
"Best game in town, hands down. And they have a good book club, too."
"Oh, a book club?"
I perked up.
"Think you could get me in?"
She ran a hand through her hair, laughing.
"I don’t think it’s the kind of place you need an invitation to," she replied. "But I’ll see what I can do."
"Want to come to dinner with me tonight?”
The words were out of my mouth before I could think twice about them, and she looked startled as soon as I spoke them out loud. I wasn’t sure exactly what had possessed me to come out with something like that, but there was no way I was going to try and take it back now that it was out there. She was cute, andbesides, we had run into each other on the very trail she had recommended to me. There had to be something to that, didn’t there?
"I wouldn’t want to keep you waiting all day," she replied, shrugging slightly, as though she wasn’t sure what to make of it. "I have to work till six, and then I was going to clean my house and I have to make dinner…"
"I don’t mind waiting."
She eyed me for a long moment, clearly considering whether this was a good idea or not. I grinned, waiting for her response, not pushing her in any particular direction but keen to know what she would make of this.
I knew it was a big swing, asking her out to dinner like this, especially when I had just resolved to ease off so I didn’t spook her. But hell, you only lived once, and I was only going to be in this town for a few more weeks. The good thing about constantly being on the move was that you didn’t have to worry about making a fool of yourself. In just a few weeks, you would be out on the open road again, and whatever mess you made, you wouldn’t have to think about it again.
"Not a problem if you don’t want to," I added gently. "But you gave me a good tip coming here, and I’d like to thank you for it. Let me take you out to dinner at this Italian place, huh?”
As soon as I put it like that, her ears seemed to perk up slightly, and she shrugged.
