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Finding a spot, I hop out of my car and make my way into the restaurant, determined to make this the most casual run-in possible.
23
EMREE
Sitting in a booth with Ian with the hustle and bustle of a busy morning brunch rush around us makes me smile. After my altercation with Conrad a couple weeks ago, Ian texted that he couldn’t stop thinking about me even when he was trying to and asked if he could take me on another date. While I went back and forth about if I should or should not go, I came to the realization that I needed to take these opportunities as part of my moving-on process. Since then, Ian and I have been on one date and this morning is our third.
While I don’t know him all that well, I can tell Ian is someone I like. He is kind and I love when he talks about his family back in Cleveland, especially his grandma, who he shared fond stories of, and I can tell by the look in his eyes that he misses her.
With the semester coming to an end and finals week approaching, our schedules have been hectic. Finding time to go out and get to know each other has been harder than I thought it would be, but we are taking advantage of our free mornings, like today.
“Would it make me the most basic young person if I ordered avocado toast?” Ian laughs as he scans the menu.
Smiling, I look at him over the top of my own. “Personally, I wouldn’t judge you. Even though I despise avocados.”
My hair blows back at the sudden gust of wind from his hand flowing through the space between us and landing on his chest. “Excuse me? How can you not like avocados? No guacamole? In salads? Nothing?”
I shake my head. “No. They’re gross and mushy.”
“Not sure we are going to make it to date four, Em. You not liking my favorite food may be a deal breaker. What if we make it to marriage and now I have a wife who won’t enjoy some guac with me? That’s divorce waiting to happen.” His tone is light, and the smile on his face reassures me that he is not being serious, but I play along.
Shaking my head, I try to hide my own smile. “Guess we will have to end it here. Sorry we only made it to three dates, but you need an avocado wife, and I’m too far against the vegetable.”
“Aren’t they a fruit?” he questions.
Shrugging my shoulders, I answer, “How should I know? You’re the avocado lover.”
His deep chuckle mixes with the multiple conversations around us and the sound makes me feel warm all over. Ian has a welcoming laugh that has you feeling comforted around him. “Avocados aside, I’m getting the country breakfast since you said you’re paying, and it comes with a side of fluffy pancakes that is making my stomach growl just thinking about them.”
Our waiter approaches with his pad and pen in hand, ready to take our order. Ian goes with the avocado toast and a side of eggs and bacon, and we both get a cappuccino. The waiter warns us that our meals may take a while, especially with a table of fourteen that came in before us. I’m grateful that Ian is calm and understanding when he responds because how someone treats waitstaff means a lot to me in a relationship, as it shows their character.
Ian leans back against the booth and takes a sip of his water. “Need to be honest with you about something.”
My stomach becomes uneasy. No one likes when a guy starts off with a sentence like this. “What’s that?”
His grin shows off his small dimple. “I really like you, Emree Anders.”
The uneasiness turns into butterfly flutters at his sweet words. “That so?”
Nodding, Ian leans forward and rests his forearms on the table. “What’s not to like? You’re sweet, drop-dead gorgeous, and make me laugh. And that’s only from being on three dates with you. Imagine if this ends up going longer and I get to see more of that? Damn, girl, you’ll have me falling for you faster than I ever have before.”
My smile fades just slightly at his words because they make me think of Conrad and what he told me only weeks ago about falling in love with me. Apparently, loving someone isn’t enough to stay with them. Not when you havefamily obligationsand a shit ton of money and power as a promise to follow through with the life your family wants you to live.
Pushing past the thoughts of my ex, who needs to remain out of my head, I smile over at Ian. “You’re too sweet and not a hard guy to fall for either.” My words are honest because Ian is an easy man to fall for…if you aren’t already in love with another.
Our food is delivered faster than we thought, and Ian and I dive into our hot, flavorful breakfast. Broken Yolk is known for having the best brunch in town, so our conversation is limited, with our mouths full of deliciousness. Ian tries to get me to try his avocado toast, going so far as to bribe me, but I hold strong with my aversion to the foul vegetable (or fruit).
Brunch is over too soon and after enjoying a final cup of coffee, Ian takes the check from our waiter, refusing to let me pay when I offer, even though he told me brunch was on me, and we head out of the restaurant. On the way out, I can’t help but look around when I feel eyes on me. With how many people are occupying the restaurant, it’s hard to tell if someone is looking at me specifically.
Once we walk outside, Ian grabs my hand and interlocks our fingers. His hand is rough and feels nice against mine. I lean into his side as we make our way to my car around the building. The parking lot has only gotten more busy since I arrived an hour ago, and it was full then. The Florida spring weather has created a nice day today. The humidity isn’t too high, and the cluster of clouds in the sky has created a barrier between us and the sun, helping to keep the temperature lower.
As we round my car to the driver’s side, Ian releases my hand and repositions it on my hip, guiding me so my back is against the door. He brings his body in front of mine so that we are close but not touching.
The hand that was on my waist comes up to caress my face. “While I’m not a guy to push a girl into anything she doesn’t want, I need to be honest with you, Emree.” He pauses, his eyes dancing between mine and my lips. “Don’t think I’ve ever wanted to kiss someone as badly as I want to kiss you.”
The smile on my face is hard to contain. “You wouldn’t be pushing me if I wanted you to kiss me.”
Ian’s hand on my face moves to the back of my neck as he brings his head forward and lightly touches his lips to mine, testing the waters before deepening the kiss. The hand on my neck tightens as he moves my head to where he wants it, and at the new angle, Ian presses his lips harder against my own.
