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“Shopping, taking trips, dating rich dudes, going to parties, drinking, and dancing…those kinds of things.” He grabbed his glass and took a heady sip.
My mouth hung open and my cheeks flamed as heat rushed through my body. I didn’t have a right to be angry since he wasn’t wrong. I enjoyed those things, or at least I used to before I moved here. But I enjoyed other things too. Like yoga, spending time with family and friends, and relaxing with a good book and a glass of wine. I also loved watching movies while eating the delicious caramel popcorn from my popcorn of the month subscription.
Over the last year, I’d discovered I enjoyed hiking and even jogging. I’d always been open and willing to try new things, and I didn’t like to feel tied down to anything. The way I dressed and being loud and bubbly painted me in a certain light, but there was a lot more to me than that.
I took a sip of my wine and sat back, aware that my nose was stuck in the air, but I couldn’t help it. He had offended me.
“I’m sorry,” he said.
“Don’t be sorry. It’s how you feel.”
He sighed.
“But I’d like to know where you got that impression since I haven’t been to a club in over two years, haven’t dated anyone since I moved here, and honestly couldn’t tell you the last time I even went to Frosty Mug Tavern for a drink. I’ve been focused on work.”
Sid said nothing. He stared at me with a blank expression. The silence stretched out between us, engulfing our table. It was making it hard to breathe. I twisted the stem of the wineglass between my palms and stared at the wall, wishing for this “date” to end.
“You’re right. I’m sorry again. That wasn’t fair of me. Especially after I asked you to be my fake girlfriend for an event and then spilled it to Rebecca.”
I nodded. Thankfully, Rebecca came out with the first dish for us to try before the silence could choke me again. I finished my wine and asked her for a refill before I started eating. I wanted something stronger, but that would strengthen Sid’s belief that I liked to drink and let loose.
Rebecca brought me another glass of wine, and I dug into the food. It was amazing and totally made up for the awkward date. I took a bite of stuffed mushrooms and moaned. The sauce was so delicious that I wanted to drink it by the tub full. Not wanting to waste a drop, I swirled my mushroom around the plate to soak up as much as possible.
Sid clammed up for the rest of dinner. It was probably for the best. I focused on my wine and food, and by dessert, I’d slipped into a food trance and didn’t even remember he was at the table until he cleared his throat. I looked up and stilled with my fork midway to my mouth. His eyes were dark and intense as he stared at my mouth. I closed it and set the fork down.
“I’m sorry. Did you want some?”
Half his mouth ticked up in a smirk. “Please.”
I pushed the plate to the center of the table, sad to see the decadent chocolate cake so far away from me. It was so dense that it practically melted in my mouth but not overly rich, and the ganache was a perfect texture that complemented the cake in the best way, making for the perfect bite.
Sid chuckled. “You’d think I asked you to hand over your first-born child the way you’re staring at this cake. Would you like me to order my own?”
I laughed. “No. Please have some. I love dessert, and that is by far the best chocolate cake I’ve ever tasted. It’s sinful.”
Sid took a bite, keeping his eyes locked on mine the entire time. The fork slid slowly out of his mouth, and a low rumble came from his throat. I quit breathing. Not only was the cake better than sex, but Sid also made watching him eat it the most erotic thing I’d ever experienced. I wanted to be that piece of cake.
My body heated, and my core pulsed. This man was so confusing. One minute he was insulting me, and the next he was staring at me like he wanted his mouth on me instead of the cake. I couldn’t decide whether I liked him or hated him. One thing was for certain, though. I wanted to sleep with him, and that could not happen.
When I found my footing last year after hitting rock bottom, I decided I would change the way I looked at men. I wanted a relationship. I wanted something real. That meant I needed to quit sleeping around and get serious about dating. Sid didn’t seem to have the same feelings, and I’d heard rumors that all of his dates ended badly. I could understand why since our pretend date wasn’t something I’d want to repeat.
Everyone said Sid was closed off and not interested in something serious. That was the opposite of what I wanted. I’d messed around most of my life, and I was ready to find my person and settle down. So no matter how badly I wanted to sleep with Sid, it would not happen.
Rebecca cleared her throat, and my head snapped in her direction. She looked angry.
“Thank you so much for having us,” Sid said. “The food was amazing.”
She narrowed her eyes at me, then turned to Sid and pasted on a smile. I knew I’d hear about this later.
“You’re welcome. Thank you for coming. I’ll give you two a few minutes to fill out the cards, and then I’ll be back to collect them.”
She turned and walked away.
Sid put his head down and started filling out his card. I did the same. I finished first and sipped my wine, eyeing up the last a bite of cake. Sid pushed the plate toward me.
“Thank you,” I said.
We turned our cards in to Rebecca and slid out of the booth. I swayed a little, all the wine going to my head. Sid grabbed my arm to steady me.
