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“Noted. But I’m a woman who does what she wants, and if that doesn’t include you, then…” I trail off, shrugging.
Laughing, he shakes his head. “I hear you. But I’m just talking about you agreeing to go to dinner with me. That’s it.”
“Tyler,” I warn, laughing lightly.
“Just as friends,” he adds, and I sigh, thinking it over. I mean, it wouldn’t be terrible to go out with him. It would be quite the opposite, I’m sure. But, I…should I?
Looking up at him, the look in his eyes is all I need. “Fine. But, just as friends. Don’t try anything.”
He holds up three fingers and winks. “Scout’s honor,” he promises. “And I always followed the rules.”
“I doubt that.” I laugh. “But okay. You’ve got a deal.” His face lights up, and we continue to walk along the edge of the water.
“You work with Courtney’s husband, right?” I ask him after a minute.
“Jack? Yeah, why?”
“She told me they were thinking about starting a family in the near future, and made me a pretty big offer last night.”
“She did?”
“Yeah, that’s why I think I’m staying. She wants me to work at the café, and then potentially become a partner if she likes my baking.”
“You bake?” he asks, seeming surprised.
“It’s been a dream of mine for as long as I can remember to own my own bakery,” I tell him shyly. “I love it. The idea of waking up every day to do something I love is all I’ve ever wanted. It’s the look on someone’s face when they take that first bite…there’s nothing like it.”
“I think that’s amazing, Elizabeth,” he says sincerely, and I look up at him, my full name from his lips never having sounded sweeter. “Are you going to take her up on her offer?”
“Yes, I think so. I miss my friends, and I don’t really have anything to go back to in New Jersey since…well…since the other night.”
“What happened the other night?”
“Well, I told you I came here because of a bad breakup, but I’m sure you don’t want to hear about that.”
“On the contrary,” he says, and I look up at him with a small smile.
“I only said five minutes.”
“Come on, El.” He pouts, looking cute as hell. “Give me a little more time.”
Not being able to deny him when he looks like a giant kid wanting just a little more time to play, I sigh, pretending to find it a chore, but also not ready for my promised five minutes to be over.
“I walked in on my boyfriend, who I lived with, having sex with another girl. In our bed.” I don’t know why I add that last part, but it seems important to me. That’s whereweslept together, and he brought another woman into that sanctum.
Stopping short again, he tugs on my hand and I stop too, but keep my eyes on the ocean, not him.
“Look at me, Elizabeth,” he urges in a low voice, my eyes finding their way to his. “He’s a fucking idiot,” he says simply, and a short laugh escapes my lips. “No, really. I’m not pretending to know you, but I know you don’t deserve that.”
“Thank you,” I say softly. “We also worked together. He was the sous chef at the restaurant where I was a waitress. I moved out and quit my job the next morning, and then came here for Ally’s show. All in one day.”
“How long were you together?”
“Eight months. We were living together for the past two.” I need him to know why I can’t get into anything with him right now. “It was probably too fast, and I know that now. But at the time, I thought it was just the next step in our relationship.”
“That doesn’t sound too romantic.”
Shrugging, I look away. His eyes seem to be reading more from me than I’m telling him. “He wasn’t very romantic,” I admit softly. “In the beginning he was, and I was smitten, but then it teetered off. Even on Valentine’s Day, he didn’t do anything. No flowers, no special dinner, no chocolates, no champagne, nothing.”
