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“Oh.” She cocks her head sideways. “I guess I should’ve considered that.”
“It was Eugie’s birthday wish that I’d try to meet a woman today. Apparently, today is the day I’m supposed to meet the love of my life.”
“Then what are you doing here, talking to me? You better get on that, because both those dates died prematurely,” she says so seriously, I don’t know if I should laugh or be offended.
Figuring I am destined to squat on the grass until the next millennium if it is up to Reggie, I make the executive decision to sit on the edge of her blanket. She watches me, her pretty mouth parted and ready to protest, but lo and behold, she doesn’t object.
“Doing a semester in Paris?” I guess.
She shrugs. “Kind of.”
“Quite sure it is a yes or no question.”
“No then, but people think that I am. Hence the kind of.”
Interesting. I’m putting the picture of her circumstances, of her, together piece by piece, gluing them clumsily, eager to learn more.
“Running away from your family?”
“Nope.”
“Abusive boyfriend?”
She rolls her eyes. “Please.”
I grin. I have a feeling Reggie could hold her own in
a UFC ring.
No, it wasn’t fear that brought her here. I tilt my head, examining her face, which I can’t seem to look away from.
“What then?” I ask.
“That’s it? You expect me to just give you the ins and outs, flat out? Are you not going to wine and dine me first? At least the dates got brunch out of it.”
“Henrietta just got a coffee out of it,” I protest.
“Horace and Henrietta. Are you sure you don’t want to give her a chance? Your names are equally ridiculous.”
I laugh. “No, thank you. Back to the matter at hand, I promise to feed you for the next week if you tell me,” I say without missing a beat. “Two weeks, if you tell the entire truth without withholding information.”
Usually I’m a top-notch negotiator, but I have a feeling I’d willingly lose all my properties and a good amount of my savings when it comes to this girl. She scrunches her nose adorably, thinking it through.
“Come on,” I coax. “I have two weeks left in this city. It’s not like we would see each other again.” My lease is up come the new year, so the timing is better than ideal for a holiday fling.
Her blue-golden-sunset-starred eyes dart up to meet mine, and I will my pulse to calm the eff down. “I’m looking for my dad,” she admits in a soft whisper.
“Oh?” I ask evenly, sitting back. She starts to collect her AirPods, basket with cheese and grapes, and her little purse. I hit a nerve.
“It’s not going super well, to be honest. I only have his name, and I can’t find him anywhere. I’d hire a private investigator, but the truth is, despite the public assumption that we part-time waitresses are balling, I don’t have a ton of extra cash lying around, so the search has been slow-going.”
I immediately want to pay for the private investigator.
I also immediately want to punch myself square in the bullocks for wanting to suggest that, because the sugar daddy vibes are already strong, and Reggie would likely get offended if I bring it up.
“How old are you?” I ask.
“Twenty-three. You?”
