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The corners of his mouth turned upward into a lovely smile that once again threatened her equilibrium. “Thanks. My mother always encouraged me to sing in the children’s choir when I was a kid. I was the only boy so that was pretty cool.”
Faith laughed and shook her head. “I bet you got lots of attention.”
“I did,” he admitted with a laugh. “But I ended up enjoying the singing way more than having a bunch of girls fawning over me.”
Faith crossed her arms over her middle. She regarded Micah with a critical eye.
Something told Faith this was a common theme with Micah. Clearly this man was used to female attention. It shouldn’t bother her, but it did a teensy bit. It was a crazy kind of feeling. She knew she had no right to feel this way, but she did, nevertheless.
She tapped her foot on the floor as nervous energy began to flow through her. Would he be joining their choir? Or was he just passing through?
Faith turned to look at him. “There are a lot of choirs in Pelican Bay, but I promise you, ours is one of the best.”
“I’m a b
eliever. I think I’m going to enjoy it.”
“Good. I think you’ll be a good addition to our group. We really did need another strong alto to balance out the tone. You really helped us out.”
The smile on his face demonstrated the fact that he was pleased with himself.
“So, have you eaten dinner yet?” Micah threw the question out in a casual manner. She got the impression he simply wanted a dinner companion, nothing more. Faith couldn’t explain the little nudge of disappointment bubbling up inside of her.
“Umm. No, I haven’t. I usually fix something for myself when I get home. I don’t like to eat too late.”
“Why don’t you let me take you out.” He held up his hands. “Not on a date. Just two people getting something to eat together.”
Faith bit her lip. “I should be getting home. I’ve got some quizzes to grade.”
“Come on, Faith. I know a little Greek restaurant near here that serves a killer gyro.”
Right on cue, her stomach began to grumble rather noisily. Suddenly, she was starving.
He winked at her. “I think your stomach just answered for you.” The sound of his laughter was music for her soul. Right at that moment Faith decided to say yes. For such a long time now she’d been saying no to anything and everything except school and choir.
“I am pretty famished,” she admitted. “Yes. I’d love to catch a bite to eat.”
“I’ll pull out front and you can follow me.”
“Sounds like a plan,” Faith said, watching as Micah sailed out the door. She took a deep breath as she grabbed her purse and music folder, then flicked off the lights. Micah was standing by the door holding it open for her. It was a sweet gesture, one that wasn’t fake or forced. Micah was a gentleman.
As she stepped outside into the balmy night air, Faith had to remind herself to breathe.
Just breathe. Sometimes you have to step out on a limb of faith and experience life.
**
A short while later Micah and Faith were settled at an intimate table at Athens Taverna. Although this wasn’t a date—certainly Faith hadn’t agreed to one—the vibe in the restaurant seemed to favor couples and romantic interludes. There were candles sitting on each table along with little floral bouquets.
Micah felt a little bit sheepish. He didn’t want Faith to think he’d brought her here in order to romance her. In reality, he just wanted to spend some time with her, even if she firmly put him in the friend zone. And she didn’t seem to suspect that he hadn’t ended up at her church by accident. He had discovered a few days ago she was the choir director at Holy Child.
He could tell by the way Faith was looking around the restaurant that she was drinking in the atmosphere. Athens Taverna was a well-established restaurant in Pelican Bay. It hadn’t been around nearly as long as the Silver Spoon, but it boasted a dedicated clientele. The Greek community here in town gave it their stamp of approval due to the authenticity of the dishes.
After perusing the menu, Faith placed hers down and looked across the table at Micah. “I have no idea where to start. Everything looks delicious.”
“Have you experienced Greek food before?” he asked.
“I think the only Greek food I’ve ever eaten is baklava and it was sinfully delectable.” Faith puckered her lips as if she was reliving the experience.
