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“Evan!” Barney Junior shouts as soon as he sees me. I meet his gaze, watching as his eyes widen when he sees Lexi standing next to me.
I turn back to Lexi, saying, “That’s Barney Junior, he helps run the place with his dad.”
She nods her head, her fingers tightening around mine as she scans the place, her eyes soaking everything in. I watch as they flit from the pine bar that takes up the whole left wall and over to the tables in the middle and then the booths that are scattered about.
“Come on,” I encourage, tilting my head.
She walks with me, her hand squeezing mine to the point of pain now that we’re getting closer.
“Barney, this is Lexi. Lexi, this is Barney Junior.” I smirk, looking from him to Lexi. “Or BJ as I like to call him.”
She snorts, covering her mouth and nose as laughter takes over her whole body. She tries to get it under control, but she fails, throwing her head back and letting it wash over her like rain in a storm.
My heart stutters as I watch her become the carefree woman that she’s let me see glimpses of.
“Sorry,” she says, though her tone doesn’t sound one bit apologetic as she turns to Barney. “I didn’t expect that to come out of his mouth.”
“Yeah?” Barney leans on the bar, coming closer. “I can tell you some of the things I call Evan—”
“That’s enough,” I say, putting my arm around Lexi’s waist and giving Barney a death stare in warning.
He chuckles, throwing his hands up as he shouts for Mel who turns the corner and almost crashes into us.
“Evan.” She grins, her eyes flitting to Lexi and back before she whips her head back. “Who’s this?”
“This is Lexi: my date.”
“Ohhhh.” Her mouth opens wide and her eyes crinkle at the corners as she lifts two menus off the waitress stand, holding her arm out. “Let’s find you a nice booth.” Winking at me, she turns and then struts over to the back corner, waving her hand at it like an assistant in a magic show. “This one will be perfect.”
“Thanks, Mel.” I let Lexi slide in first and debate whether I should sit next to her or opposite her.
I saw somewhere once that if you sit opposite them that it’s showing you don’t want to get close, but if you sit next to them you’re giving them the signal that you want more than only dinner.
My mind spins as I try to pick the right choice, my teeth sinking into my bottom lip as I start to click my fingers at my side in a nervous gesture.
“Evan?” Her soft voice brings me out of my head and I whip my head up, meeting her reassuring gaze. “Aren’t you going to sit down?” She points opposite her, a soft smile gracing her face as I let out the breath that I was holding.
“Sorry,” I murmur, letting my eyes drop to the menu when Mel places it in front of me and tells us she’ll be back in five.
“Don’t be a silly sausage, you’re fine.” I chuckle, bringing my gaze back up to hers, but she’s not looking at me, she’s staring at the menu, her eyes wide. “Oh! I’m so getting this.” She twists the menu around to me, pointing at the picture of the rib platter. “I’ve never had ribs.”
“You haven’t?” I ask, my voice gruff.
“Nope.” She places the menu on the table, dancing in her seat as she does a little jig. “I can’t wait! I’m so glad you brought me here.”
My head tilts to the side as I watch her, not able to take my eyes off her, not even when Mel comes back and takes our food and drinks order.
We talk nonstop while we wait for the food to come. She tells me about her gran, and how Livvy reminds her of her, how her gran taught her to bake and that it relaxes her. I soak in every little bit of information that comes out of her mouth, watching the way her hands move animatedly as she talks.
Her eyes widen and she sits up straighter when our food arrives and she doesn’t waste another second before she’s digging into the ribs, moaning at the taste and spreading BBQ sauce up her face with each bite she takes.
“You have a little…” I point to my cheek but she shrugs.
“I’ll get it when I’ve finished, I’m enjoying these way too much to care right now.”
A weird feeling washes over me at her statement, and I find myself even more enamored with her and every little movement she makes.
She leans back in the booth after fifteen minutes, a plate of bones left on her plate with the pile of fries that it comes with. “Whew.” She pats her belly. “I’m so full it’s almost disgusting.” She chuckles at her own words as she takes a napkin and wipes the sauce off her face but misses a spot.
