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Chapter Five
Phillip
Lindsay looked stunning tonight. It’s not that I hadn’t noticed how attractive she was when we’d first met, but right now, I couldn’t take my eyes off those tempting red lips of hers.
“How was your dinner?” I asked, making small talk. I didn’t care what she wanted to discuss; it was her voice I wanted to hear. Things at our private table were way too quiet. That’s funny, normally I don’t mind my companion not talking.
“Everything was delicious. I don’t think I could eat another bite.”
“That’s a shame, because they are well known for their desserts,” I offered.
“Trying to tempt me?” she asked.
I could ask the same about that dress.
“I don’t want you to have any regrets,” I said.
She raised a brow and said, “Would you be willing to share one with me?”
If we weren’t in the restaurant, I’d have no issue. But I know how quickly rumors started in this city. It didn’t matter if it was true or not, as long as people had something new to talk about. I’d worked hard to keep my personal life out of the spotlight. One dinner with Lindsay wouldn’t spoil that, but I wasn’t sure about the closeness of sharing a dessert.
“How about we order you one to go and you can eat it when you’re hungry?” I offered, thinking it was a good compromise. Boy did I call that wrong.
Lindsay pulled her napkin off her lap, dabbed the corners of her mouth, and placed it on the table. “Are you under the impression that I cannot afford food at my apartment?”
SomehowI had insulted her. Not my intention. I dated many women, never serious about any of them. Had I hurt them and said things they hadn’t liked? More times than I could recall. I didn’t care. I knew why they were out with me. They wanted to be wined and dined. I was used to women throwing themselves at me, kicking off their shoes and rubbing their feet up my legs during dinner in hopes I might take them home to my bed. Lindsay did none of those things. Hell, she didn’t even seem all that impressed with the restaurant. She was a breath of fresh air in a kiss-ass world - a strong, independent woman who wasn’t afraid to speak her mind.
Knowing I screwed up was one thing. Fixing it was another. “I don’t eat many sweets, otherwise I’d have been happy to share one with you, here or at your apartment. I didn’t want you to miss out.”
Lindsay sighed. “Sorry. I have no idea why I even said such a thing. It sounds like I’m ungrateful and I’m not. It’s just that.... I didn’t expect any of this.”
“What were you expecting?” I asked. That I’d be hitting on you all night? Because I’ve been tempted more than once.
“Pizza. Burgers. But not all this...” she said, looking around the restaurant.
“You don’t like it?” I asked.
“What’s not to like? It’s known as the best restaurant in Boston. A girl would have to be crazy not to want to be here. So...call me crazy. But there’s a diner in South Boston that has amazing food and you don’t get people staring at you all the time.”
I hadn’t even noticed anyone looking, or maybe I’d just become accustomed to it. “Maybe we can try that place next time.” I hadn’t planned on committing to seeing her again, but I knew I wanted to.
She smiled, showing her pearly whites and I knew I’d done better than before. Hoping I wasn’t pushing my luck, I smiled and asked, “Does this mean you’re interested in dessert?”
“How about a cup of coffee at my place instead?” she replied.
Usually that was an offer of something more than coffee, but I knew Lindsay wasn’t inviting me up for sex. I was capable of sitting on the couch and keeping my hands off her, but fuck, I didn’t want to.
“How about a walk instead?”
“Sounds good,” she said, and I called the waiter over for the bill.
When we got outside, a gust of cold air enveloped us. She pulled her coat up around her tightly. I wrapped an arm around her shoulders and stood close, trying to block the wind.
“Maybe we can take a walk another time. It’s freezing,” she said.
“How about Saturday afternoon we go to that diner?”
“I’d like that.”
