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Silence descended between them. After several ticks, Snow realized Preston had been calling her name.
She shook the cobwebs from her mind and pressed her lips. “I’m sorry, what?”
Preston shook his head. “I’ve been talking too much, haven’t I? I’m sorry, Snow. Nerves and all that.” He placed his napkin on the side of his empty plate and looked directly at her. “You like to act too, don’t you?”
Snow blinked in surprise. Really? He was going to attempt a conversation with her now? “Yes, I do, actually.”
“Do you sing?”
“Sometimes.”
“We’d make a great duet.” He winked.
“I’m not giving you a demonstration.” She nudged his knuckles with hers.
His eyes lit at the touch, and the reaction sent warmth into her, igniting her anew. This was good. This was what she’d been hoping for with him. Connection. Two-way conversation and to have him act like he cared about more than himself. Maybe there was still hope for this date after all.
“All right, then,” he said. “I told you I want Broadway. What about you?”
“No Broadway for me,” she began, keeping her response tentative. She didn’t want to risk saying too much and have him tune her out as much as he had thus far. Then again, maybe he really was nervous. It was possible he wouldn’t ignore her like this all the time, wasn’t it?
“I don’t want my name in big lights,” she said. “I wouldn’t mind landing a role in a movie, but nothing large scale.”
“You’d eat it up,” he said. “You’d rock it.”
“You don’t know that.”
“Doesn’t matter what role it is,” he said, gushing in his praise of her like always. “Something tells me you’re amazing at everything you do, Snow.”
She dipped her head. With the profuse compliments, she suspected the previous ones he’d given her were genuine after all. She found her insides warming. “Now you’re making me blush.”
He leaned in. “What if I held your hand again? Would that help?”
She laughed. “How would it?”
“Might be worth a try.”
Keeping his eyes on hers, she felt his hand creep to her knee beneath the table. He gauged her the entire time, eyes smoldering, until his fingers brushed hers. Snow’s stomach fluttered as he threaded his fingers with hers.
“I’m having an awesome time with you, Snow,” he said.
She had to breathe consciously. “I am too,” she said with reluctance. Not earlier, she supposed. But he was doing better now.
“Why does that surprise you?”
In spite of herself, she laughed again. “I expected…a not awesome time.”
“I see.” He squeezed her hand. “I hope for more chances to prove you wrong, then.”
Her throat closed. She couldn’t believe she was hoping for the same thing too. He was showing a better side to himself than he had earlier. Not to mention Preston was extremely good-looking, with his laughing eyes, tangled curls, and flamboyant personality. She was starting to like him quite a lot.
Snow simmered over that realization all the way back to their hotel. She didn’t mind when Preston’s hand claimed hers again in the elevator, or when he offered to walk her to her room.
“Have I told you what a great time I had?” His thumb grazed her skin.
Snow gazed into his warm brown eyes. “Only a thousand times. This date went better than I thought it would.”
“I’m good at unexpected,” he said. His eyes flicked to her mouth.
