AllFreeNovel
Share Us
It killed me there wasn’t a button that would just switch it all off.
Running a hand down my face, I checked my nose to make sure it wasn’t running, then I pulled my collar a little higher along my neck before going inside. The rush of heat plus my empty stomach was almost enough to knock me on my ass, but I kept steady as I smiled at a young hostess who looked like she was only moonlighting in the restaurant business while she waited for her next Broadway performance.
“Do you have a reservation?”
“I’m actually meeting someone,” I said slowly as my gaze roamed the room behind her. I didn’t see Ever and started to panic for a second, then I noticed him at one of the bar tables.
He looked exactly like his photo, and I wasn’t sure if that made it better or worse. The only comfort was that he was clearly in his yoga outfit—a tank top and tight sweats, and his hair was a little mussed.
He seemed a strange mix of out of place and perfectly suited to the restaurant.
He caught my eye and waved me over, so I shot a smile at the hostess before dodging my way through the small crowd. The bar area was slightly louder than the main seating space, but it was a low enough murmur that I didn’t struggle to hear him when he leaned close and said hello.
“You look just like your picture,” he said. His voice wasn’t deep, but it had a rumble to it that I enjoyed.
I flushed along the tops of my cheeks. “I don’t know if that’s a good thing.”
“It is,” he said with a wink. “I kind of have a thing for wild composer types.”
I laughed. I couldn’t help it. “Trust me, I’m not—”
“Your sister showed me videos, and she even played a couple of songs that you played. I’ve always thought the cello was one of the sexiest instruments,” he said, cutting me off.
Something nestled under my skin, slightly confused and uncomfortable. It took me a second to realize it was because I couldn’t tell if he was lying or not. His smile seemed genuine, but he was acting like he was on the prowl.
“Well, um, I’m just a teacher now,” I said with a shrug. My stomach gave a hungry twist, and almost as though it had summoned the server, he appeared by the table with a plate of fried something, a fruity looking cocktail, and a menu for me.
“Something to drink?”
“Just a water,” I said.
Ever took his drink and sipped on a thin black straw. “You should try something on the menu. The drinks are to die for. And I hope you don’t mind that I ordered something to split for now.”
I shook my head as I eyed the plate, realizing they were mushrooms. “This is fine. And I don’t really drink, but thanks anyway.”
Ever shrugged, then winked at the server. “We should be good to go in a second, hon.”
The server was unfazed, and he just gave a nod, walking off and leaving me to my perusing. The prices were higher than I expected them to be for bar food, and Ever must have seen it on my face because he touched the back of my wrist with a fleeting brush of fingers.
“Don’t stress about tonight, okay? Get what you want. The food here is good, and the company is obviously going to be even better.”
A bold statement considering I hadn’t said more than a handful of sentences to him. But I did appreciate him reassuring me that I wasn’t about to break the bank on a dinner with a stranger.
“The transition has been tough for me, so I’m sorry if I seem a little awkward,” I confessed after settling on a burger.
I paused as the server came back to grab our orders. Ever ordered a filet, which almost had me choking on my own tongue. The damn meal was seventy bucks, but if the guy ran a successful yoga studio, I guess he didn’t have to think twice when he wanted to indulge.
I wouldn’t say filet mignon was my goal or anything, but maybe putting away the mental calculator was.
“It sounds like you need to vent a little,” Ever said, drawing me from my thoughts.
I blinked back to reality, then offered a sheepish smile. “I don’t need a therapy session, trust me. The move was just…unexpected.”
“Your sister mentioned something about a breakup.” Ever stirred his straw around his drink, mixing swirls of red into the orange juice. “I know those are rough.”
I shrugged, not wanting to talk about Nicolai on a first date. “He was my first, so I wasn’t sure what to expect, but it was nice to put an entire ocean between us.”
Ever laughed and shook his head. “Isn’t that the dream?”
