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“But this is you. You eat in expensive places.”
“I bought coffee from Uncommon Grounds,” he reminded her. “That doesn’t scream five-star now, does it?”
“Our coffee is five-star quality.”
“Price wise, it isn’t, and I liked it all the same. Wow, you middle class people judge us right away and try to make us feel bad,” he remarked.
She looked offended but decided to ignore it. She did sound like she judged him.
He decided to change the topic. The more he was agreeable, the more she would agree to what he had in mind. “You’re not wearing the bracelet.”
She looked at her wrist. She had tried it on earlier while dressing up, but she thought she was going to look tacky and overeager to wear it on their first dinner together. Mikaela wanted to tell herself she was putting too much hope into this date, that there was still some part of her that screamed to warn her that he was a jerk. Still, there was this tiny spark of hope left for it to turn out all right.
“I didn’t want to lose it,” she replied.
They took a seat and she scanned the menu. Well, at least the prices hadn’t skyrocketed. She could afford to eat here at least once a month, based on her budget.
“Order whatever you want,” he told her. “No more wine here, though.”
She smiled at him and he wondered if she would still smile the same way once he showed her his proposal. Matters like those needed to have proper documentation…
She ordered the lobster and shrimp linguine, while he had some Baja Ciopinno, an interesting mix of seafood in a rich tomato broth. They ate in silence, with the occasional question here and there, and Mikaela felt discomfort because she knew he was looking at her intently.
“You know, I’m eating.”
“So am I.”
“Well,” she began, “it’s awkward when someone looks at me while I’m eating.”
“You’re not used to it. How can you be not used to people looking at you? It’s like you don’t have family in the least that annoys you during dinner.”
She stopped halfway.
“Did I say something inappropriate?” he asked, his dark eyes staring into her light brown ones.
She slowly shook her head. “It’s nothing.”
“I said something,” he insisted.
She shook her head again.
“Tell me about it so I can apologize for whatever mean things I may have mentioned.”
Him, apologize? Please. She shook her head for the third time. She looked into his eyes and took a deep breath. “Well, my family’s gone.”
“I’m sorry to hear that,” he quickly said, with a trace of indifference.
She felt more annoyed by his indifference than by what he had said moments ago. “It’s nothing,” she said, playing along.
He saw that she had finished her meal. “Would you like some dessert?”
She shook her head. “I’m good.”
“What do you want to do next?”
She stared at him, suddenly imagining ripping his clothes off, just so she could hear him moan her name like he did that night… She shrugged. “Go home, I guess. Got work tomorrow.”
“How’s about a nightcap at my place?” he suggested.
