Page 21 of Chasing Forever

“Here or at home?”

“Both. I live in Troy.”

“This is unbelievable!”

“I know.” He took a long drink of beer and stared at her over the rim of his glass. What were the chances? It was like he’d walked right into a romantic movie or something.

“How long have you lived there?” she asked.

“All my life. You?”

“I was born in California, which was the impetus for my name. But my dad got transferred to Michigan when I was four, and I’ve lived there ever since.”

“Wow. This is crazy. Of all…”

“The gin joints in all the world…”

“You show up at this one.”

“I think we misquoted it,” she said, laughing.

“Close enough.”

“Are you a fan of Casablanca?”

“Not by choice.”

She giggled. “Somebody forced you to watch it?”

“My sister.”

“Older or younger?”

“Younger by a few years. What about you? Any siblings?”

“No. I’m an only.”

She glanced down at the unopened menu then, bringing an end to the discussion. “We should probably decide, don’t you think?”

He nodded and opened his menu, but inwardly he was still reeling over the fact that they lived so close to each other. They might have been in the same place at the same time back home and hadn’t even realized it. Yet here they were, thousands of miles away, meeting for the first time.

“Everything looks delicious. I’m not sure what to get,” she said.

He popped his head up and saw she’d put on her glasses to read the menu. He’d been so lost in thought he hadn’t noticed her take them out of her purse. Her brow was furrowed, and she pushed the glasses further up her nose as she perused the menu. Why he found that sexy, he had no idea, but he couldn’t tear his eyes away.

She looked up then and seemed surprised that he was staring at her. “Have you decided?”

“Not yet.” He tipped his head back down and tried to concentrate on the offerings, but all he could think was, I know one thing I want, and that’s you.

Chapter 11

Callie spent the next few minutes trying to tamp down her enthusiasm. Finding out that she and Chase were neighbors in Michigan had sent her reeling. It was good news on two fronts. First, it was possible they could maintain their friendship after their time in Hawaii was over, and second, she was going to incorporate this unexpected element into her book. She was almost angry at herself for not having thought of it before. Even better than falling for a stranger in an exotic location was the possibility of the relationship continuing afterward. It was perfect, really, and she could hardly wait to get back and start writing again. But first, she wanted to enjoy the rest of the evening with her muse.

“We could split the seafood platter,” she suggested while they were perusing the menu.

“Sure,” Chase said, closing his menu and pushing it aside. “So, tell me more about your life in Michigan.”

It was a straightforward question, but she didn’t have a simple answer for him. She was afraid anything she said would lead to topics she wasn’t ready to discuss. On the other hand, it was a beautiful night, she was out to dinner with a handsome man, and so far, he’d been the perfect gentleman.