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I don’t know why I agreed to meet at Harry and Izzy’s again. Returning to the original scene of the crime where I went home with the man who broke my heart. Ruth didn’t tell me where I was meeting for dinner until about twenty minutes ago. Just enough time to realize if I didn’t leave the office when I did, I would be late.
November in Indiana means it could be jacket weather one day and winter coat weather the next. Fortunately, it’s not the latter and I leave my black leather jacket on over my lime green shell. I tell the maître d’ that I’m under the James reservation. It’s how Ruth sets up these first date meetups, with a reservation under her name. The hostess tells me my date is already here and the flutter of nerves surprises me. Normally, first dates aren’t as terrifying. But then, I normally know who I am meeting up with.
I follow her up the stairs to the second-floor landing. Remembering the last time I was up here, I left my seat overlooking the first floor for the grumpy man who sent me a drink.
Pulling in a breath, we bypass that same table and she leads me to the table in the very back, where a man I know all too well stands from his seat, and there’s a flutter in my tummy. My cheeks start to flush as I slow down, stunned that he’s the one here, waiting for me. He looks fantastic, his hair perfectly mussed, the heavy stubble on his face trimmed, and his full black suit, shirt and tie make my mouth water. His dark look threatens to melt me into goo, but it’s the smirky smile that nearly undoes me.
“You,” I breathe as I come to a stop behind the chair I’m supposed to sit in.
“Me.” The sound of his low, gravelly voice goes straight to my core. I fight the desire to close my eyes and imagine the last time he used that same tone in my ear as he made me come so hard nearly overcomes me.
“You’re my match? Or is this a joke?” I drop my hands to my sides, clutching onto my purse for dear life.
Please don’t be a joke.
“Not a joke.” He motions to my chair. “Sit. Please.”
He starts to come around to pull out my chair, but I stop him.
“I’ve got it.”
His jaw ticks, but I don’t want him too close. If I breathe him in, it will be the end of my control.
He sits as I do, smoothing out his shirt and tie as he does.
Oh, how I’ve missed this man.
“I guess from your lack of surprise you knew I was the one showing up tonight?” I ask, trying to keep all bitterness out of my voice.
He nods simply.
“So Ruth was indeed up to no good,” I say more to myself than to him.
He chuckles. “I get the feeling it’s her normal style.”
Trying not to look directly at him, I can’t help the tiny tip of my lips.
“You’re not wrong.”
He clears his throat, getting my attention. My eyes dart to his. He dips his head, staring right into my eyes. “Stay, eat with me. I have one hell of an apology to make.”
I let out a small breath.
“Okay,” I say without thought. I twist in my seat, hanging my purse over the back of my chair. Theo seems to relax at my agreement, just as our server stops next to our table to get our drink orders. I’m surprised again when he only orders a diet Coke. All right, this is a non-alcoholic dinner. I follow his lead but order a water instead.
“So whose idea was this? Yours or Ruth's?” I say with a little more venom than expected.
He ignores my rudeness. “To be honest, I’m not sure. I think I was pining over you at Nora’s wedding a little too obviously, when she cornered me and worked some kind of matchmaker voodoo that started with an admission from her that she matched us months ago and was willing to help me win you back and ended with me agreeing to her terms, and she contacted me Monday with the date and time of when to be here tonight.”
My head clouds with everything he just said and I don’t know what to unpack first.
He was pining?
She matched us months ago?
What terms?
