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“I spent the day with you, and I know how special you are, how much you have to offer.”
Was what I had to offer something he wanted personally? Or did he just like that I made him feel good?
The waitress stopped by with our dinner plates, asking if we needed anything before leaving to help another table.
We dug into our food, but I couldn’t stop thinking about how supportive Colton was. I’d mentioned my health coaching plans to my old boyfriend, and he thought it was ridiculous, that no one would spend money on what was essentially a cheerleader. He’d completely negated my background in nutrition.
“What about you? You have any future plans?” I don’t know why I asked, other than to support him the same way he had me.
“I never finished college. While not required, it would help my chances of being promoted. So, I’m taking classes, mostly online, to complete my degree.”
“That’s great, Colton.” I wanted to ask why he’d dropped out at all, but it didn’t seem like the right time. We’d had one good day, and I didn’t want to mar it with something that might be painful for him. He had to have some reason for quitting school and enlisting.
“I’ve been volunteering as a community liaison to prove myself to my boss.”
“Is that why you came to the Shops on Main meeting, and you’re keeping an eye on Max’s bar?”
He nodded.
“I thought you were doing it as Max’s friend.”
“That too. But it’s also a good career move, or, at least, I hope it is.”
“I can see that.”
“I want the restaurant and shop owners to come to me if they have any issues. I can relay those to the department. We’re constantly meeting and talking to the mayor’s office about ways to improve. With all the festivals, there’s a delicate balance of bringing in tourists and customers, but not overwhelming the town with too many people and events.”
“Parking’s an issue,” I said lightly.
He smirked. “It is.”
“And there’s no more space to put in a parking garage.”
“The west end of town has some with the hotels.”
“It’s too far to walk to the historic area.”
“There’s the garage at St. John’s.”
“That’s not bad for my shop’s location at State Circle, but it’s a far walk to the harbor.”
Colton cleared his throat. “I’m not going to sugarcoat it. Parking sucks, and there’s not much that can be done about it.”
“I’m just happy you finally admitted it. I understand that residents need to be able to park near their apartments in the evenings, but the two-hour parking zones drive me crazy.”
“I get that.”
“I’m constantly moving my car around. It’s like living in Chicago or a big city.”
“Do you need a car?”
“I love it, but I don’t use it daily. I walk most places.”
“You need to buy one of the houses with a small parking pad or a garage.”
“That’s a good idea. Once I can expand my business and earn some more money, I might be in a position to do that.” I hadn’t expected to spend dinner talking about our hopes and dreams, but it was nice.
The waitress dropped off the bill before I was ready.
