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“It’s not like you like women too, do you?” I joke, and her eyes widen slightly.
“I do, actually.” She’s about to say something else but the food we ordered comes and distracts her. She is this beautiful and into women? It makes me wonder what would have happened if I had met her in another way. Not that I make a habit of dating older women. But why not?
“So, how’s your steak?” she asks after a few minutes of silence.
“Delicious, your lobster?”
“To die for, would you like to try some?”
“Sure.” I smile and she hands me a piece on her fork. “Wow,” I mumble. It is to die for.
“I know. The food here is fantastic. Do you think we could go for a drink after this?”
“Sure.” I don’t actually know the rules when it comes to going to a second location but I assume texting Sarah will be enough.
“I let Angelica know I might take you for a drink if that’s what those worry lines are about.” She laughs.
“Yeah, I just want to make sure I’m doing things by the book,” I explain.
“A girl who plays by the rules, I like it.” She smirks. Her face is wrinkle free, not that forty something is old but it is enough to be considered an age gap between us. I don’t know why I am thinking about an us like there is anything more than a few dates. It isn’t like we are actually dating or anything.
“I just want to make sure I’m following the book,” I explain.
“I get it, I could be a serial killer or something.” She sips her wine and realizes I’m not laughing at her joke. “I’m not. I hate the sight of blood so it was never appealing to me.”
Now I laugh. “I hate blood too.”
“Just so gross, it needs to stay in my body where it belongs,” she says, and I agree.
“Anyway, what else do you like?”
I don’t know why, but I feel inclined to be honest with her. Sure she isn’t as easy to talk to as Jerry was, but it is close. It feel as if we’d met before or something. So the words just slip off my tongue.
“Art, I’m an aspiring artist,” I explain. It isn’t what I am going to do with my life but it is something I love doing for me.
“Wow, painting or drawing or…”
“All of the above. Right now I’m doing digital artwork to pay some bills.”
“How so?”
“I have an Instagram account where people commission me for different projects. Mostly self-portraits or family things. I’ve designed a few book covers for some indie authors though,” I say proudly.
“Anything I’d know?” she teases.
“I’m not at liberty to discuss my clients,” I tease back with a smile.
We laugh and talk about my art for the rest of dinner and it’s fairlyeasy. I'm grateful for that. It takes off some of the edge I was feeling. So when she suggests we get a drink nearby I'm all but looking forward to it. It's chilly for a fall day and I'm wishing I had packed another layer but I don't let on as we walk. I stick my hands in my pockets, trying to warm them.
“Are you cold?” she asks.
“Just a little, but I’m okay,” I assure her.
“Here, take my gloves.” She hands me a pair of really nice leather gloves and I slide them on perfectly.
“Thank you.” My hands start to get some feeling in them back.
We stop in front of a bar with a neon sign outside that says puzzles. It looks familiar and I don’t tell her that I’ve been here before. It is one of my best friend Ellie’s favorite bars. We come here every year for St. Patrick’s day on our infamous bar crawl. But as she opens the door for me, Cody the bartender is working and spots me with a wave. Essentially blowing my cover.
