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She’d seen herself as Peter saw her then — uptight, slightly overweight, and worst of all, boring — and had been deeplyashamed.
She looked up as they passed through the homey if minimalist interior of the restaurant, decorated in creams and taupes, complete with the ubiquitous brick wall that ran along one side of the space. It was comfortable, with an assortment of people, from parents with their children to couples to groups of girlfriends dishing about the weekend that was almost behindthem.
They came to a fenced-in patio at the back of the restaurant and the hostess indicated an empty table. She waited for them to sit and handed them theirmenus.
“Enjoy yourbrunch.”
Nina looked around, trying to banish the memory of Peter, of her other self. “This isnice.”
Liam reached across the table to touch her hand. “What isit?”
“What do youmean?”
He smiled. “You don’t have to talk to me, Nina. But I hope you know youcan.”
She sighed. “I’m not sure I’m the spontaneous type.” He looked confused, and she continued. “When we first came into the restaurant, you said spontaneity was more your speed. I just… I want to be honest, that’sall.”
“You hate spontaneity?” heasked.
“I’ve just been told…” She sighed. “I’m not twenty-fiveanymore.”
“What does that have to do withspontaneity?”
“I think I might have gotten boring,” sheconfessed.
“But only recently,” he said. “You weren’t boringbefore.”
She laughed. “Are you making fun ofme?”
“Just a little.” He smiled and squeezed her hand. “Let me ask you something: is the age difference a dealbreaker?”
She considered the question. She liked Liam, connected with him in a way that was easy and fun and definitely sexy. She was attracted to him — who wouldn’t be? — and it seemed obvious he was attracted to her, although she had no ideawhy.
Was this a chance she would regret not taking? A chance to recapture the lost possibility of her youth? To take a chance on something without thinking about the rules — rules other people had put in place, rules she’d felt obligated to follow for as long as she couldremember?
She looked at him. “I don’t thinkso.”
“Then let’s stop talking about it,” he said. “Can we do that? Just forawhile?”
She nodded. “Allright.”
“Good. And asfor— ”
He stopped talking and they both looked up at the slender man wearing an apron who had appeared at theirtable.
“Are you ready to order or do you need a few more minutes?” hesaid.
“We need a few minutes,” she and Liam said inunison.
“Take your time,” the watersaid.
“See?” Liam said. “We’re already saying the same thing. It was meant tobe.”
Nina swallowed the lump that rose in her throat. He was joking but it was still too heavy forher.
“You were saying?” sheasked.
“As for spontaneity, I promise I won’t ask you to run off to Africa with me at a moment’s notice — not until our fourth date at least — and when I do, I’ll give you plenty of time to pack cleanunderwear.”
