AllFreeNovel
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“You mean you don’t know what’s under these?” I placed my hand on my own entrée cover.
“No idea. It’s an adventure. Ready?”
“Ready.”
“On three.”
“Okay. You first.”
“One,” he said.
“Two,” I said.
“Three!” He whipped the cover off his meal a split second before I uncovered mine.
I glanced from his plate to mine. “Huh. They’re different.”
“Yes!” He pumped his fist in the air. “Macaroni and cheese. My favorite.”
I laughed. “Glad you got that one then. I got my favorite too—filet mignon.”
“Oh, wonderful. I’m glad you got what you wanted.”
“Should we try them?” We smiled at each other and dug in without any more discussion.
My steak was perfectly cooked. The first bite practically melted in my mouth. “Oh! This issogood.”
He grinned. “I’m so glad you like it. Mine is pretty perfect too. Delicious.” He closed his eyes as he took his next bite, his long dark lashes resting against his cheeks.
I giggled. “I think it’s adorable that mac and cheese is your favorite meal.”
He cocked an eyebrow. “Why? It’s comfort food. What, you don’t think it’s a mature, urbane predilection?”
I snort laughed and quickly covered my mouth. “Predilection was one of my tenth-grade vocabulary words. My friend Isla and I made a monster list of all the things we had a predilection for. It was…not appropriate.”
“‘Predilection’ was one of my tenth-grade vocabulary words as well. Never thought I’d have a chance to use it, and yet here we are. Guess I wanted to bust out the big words on a first date with a smart lady.” His eyes crinkled up with his smile.
My face heated at his compliment. “So what do you do when you’re not hanging out in windows pretending to be a statue?”
He paused with a forkful of macaroni in the air. “Nothing much. I guess that makes me seem pretty boring. I should take up some hobbies so I’ll have something entertaining to talk about.”
“I think you’re doing just fine.” Especially since I was staring at his cheekbones and couldn’t really spare a thought about what he did when he wasn’t sitting in front of me. Oh, so shallow of me. I dragged my eyes away from his face and straightened the napkin in my lap.
It was time to ask him the most important question.
“Do you have to work weekends?”Ugh.There was a quaver in my voice. I squeezed my hands together beneath the table.
“Not this weekend. Since Saturday’s Christmas Day and the store will be closed.”
“Of course.” I felt my cheeks grow hot. Christmas,duh. He wouldn’t have to work, but of course he had plans. Everyone in the entire world had plans for Christmas Day. It would take a miracle for him to be free. But I was already deep into the mire. Might as well flop around a bit before being pulled under. “Do you have…other plans?”
“Why?” He shot me a smile. “Do you have a new hobby for me?”
“Definitely. How would you feel about pursuing a pastime in the growing field of wedding attendance?”
“Whose wedding?” His eyebrows shot up. “Not yours, I hope?”
I laughed. “No, my sister’s.”
