AllFreeNovel
Share Us
I stand.
Mia drifts toward me in a daze. Comprehension finally slaps across her features, along with outrage. Her hands curl around the back of her chair while the hostess realizes something’s wrong. The young woman frowns, glancing between us, then backs away slowly.
“Mia,” I say, every speech and line I’d prepared flying out of my head.
Her face is beautiful and terrible. She’s so, so angry.
I’m a complete moron. Did I really think this would work? Did I really think she’d sit down and have dinner with me?
I must have lost my fucking mind. I just messed up so badly, it’s not even funny.
I should have told her the moment I knew it was her on the other side of the phone.
“How long?” Mia asks through clenched teeth. Her chest flushes red and the tendrils of hair framing her face start trembling. “How long have you known it was me?”
“Sit,” I grate, panic mounting in my chest. “Please, Mia. I can explain.”
“How long?” The words come out as a hiss, and the couple at the table next to ours glance over. The woman whispers to her husband, staring at us. Mia’s knuckles are bloodless as she grips the back of the chair.
I shift my gaze down and to the side. “A week or so. I saw the cross-stitch of the foot, and I put two and two together.”
“Before you asked me out?” She tries to swallow, but it looks almost painful. Her eyes are wide and wild.
I shake my head. We’re standing on opposite sides of the table, and all I want to do is go over to her, touch her. “No. I didn’t know it was you when I asked you out.”
“Before the—the nature documentary?”
I nod. “Yeah. I knew it was you that night.”
She sips in little breaths. It isn’t only anger in her eyes, I realize—it’s hurt. Embarrassment. I’m so fucking ashamed of myself. I can’t believe I let this get this far. What kind of delusional idiot thinksthisis the best course of action?
I put that look on her face. I hurt her. I embarrassed her.
Of course I did. Have I ever been the kind of guy who does things right?
Mia opens her mouth to say something, then reconsiders. I watch as her defenses are shored up, her spine straightens, and her eyes turn shuttered and cold. She clamps her lips together without saying a word, turns, and walks away.
No. I can’t let that happen. I fucked up—I know that. But, but—
“Mia! Mia, wait!”
I catch up to her just as she steps outside and keeps walking.
“Mia!”
“Donot”—she whirls around, sticking her finger in my face—“donotspeak to me.”
“I’m sorry.”
“What did Ijustsay?” She snorts and turns her back on me. Her hips sway as she crosses toward the small parking lot.
“I should have told you as soon as I figured out who you were.”
“Ya think?” Her keys jingle.
“Mia, I wasgladit was you.”
She pauses at her car, turning to frown at me. “Well whoop-de-doo for you, Des. I’m glad I don’t disgust you, and you still deigned to go on our date, even when you knew it was me.”
