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“You think this is funny.”
“Yes. No. Maybe a little.” I cover my mouth, trying not to smile.
He pushes off the couch. “I’m not a bad dater. I’ve never been on a date that wasn’t fun. And I’m not talking about the kind of fun that is had when the dinner and drinks portion is over. I’m a fun guy.” He starts to pace.
“You are fun,” I agree with him.
“And plus, the date was doomed from the start.” He runs his hand through his hair, mussing it up.
“Oh? And why’s that?” I place my tablet down on the couch next to me, deciding to relax a little because I think I kinda like this version of Cole Reed.
“Well, the whole thing was whack. I would have done the whole thing differently from the start.” He glances over at me. I’m sure he thinks I’m making fun of him by the way he’s eyeing me right now. “You making fun of me?”
I toss my hands up. “Not at all. I’d really like to know why the whole thing was whack.” At this point, I’m doing a shit job of keeping it together, but he takes in my smile and his brows furrow.
“Well, to start, I would have pulled out the chair for her. That’s a must and she was already at the table, waiting for me. And then, I would have told her she looked beautiful, right from the start.” He walks back to the couch and instead of turning on his heel to pace back the way he came, he plops down next to me. Closer this time.
“That’s all very kind and gentlemanly of you,” I tell him as I consider putting distance between us.
“It’s an important part of the date. You gotta keep the compliments coming, but you have to be careful not to overdo it because the last thing you want is to come across as insincere,” he says as he drapes his arms across the back of the couch.
“Solid advice. That’s actually something we have to tell a lot of our clients. What else would you have done?” I’m invested now. I need to know, in theory, what a date with Cole would be like.
“When are you going to realize that I am, in fact, a great dater?” He smirks.
“The whole point is to not have to date anymore. So maybe lay off that accolade a bit, yeah?” I chuckle.
His smile warms. “Fair enough.”
“So you're a gentleman and you keep the compliments flowing. Check.”
“Right. So I ask her about how her day was, which then leads us to talking about her job. I’ll of course answer any questions she may have about me, but I want her to know that I’m interested in her and not just hoping that I get lucky later.” His fingers flick a lock of hair that hangs over my shoulder.
“Is getting lucky the goal then?” My voice comes out a tad wobbly.
“Not always. Not on the first date. I might date a lot, but I’m not a one and done type of guy. I keep things fun, but I don’t want one-night stands,” he says matter-of-factly. His fingers toy with another strand of hair.
“Good to know,” I murmur.
“By this point, we’ve ordered our food and may be sharing an appetizer. But our conversation is flowing and so waiting for the meal doesn’t even register on her radar. Once we’ve covered work, we move to hobbies and things she enjoys doing in her free time.” His voice is smooth and I remember now that I always loved listening to him speak. “Any questions at this point?”
“Hmm. Yes,” I say, blinking back the haze. “This is important. What are you drinking at this date?”
He winks. “If she orders herself wine, I order a glass. Same goes with beer or anything else from the bar. But I’ll only order one drink. That’s key to a good date.”
“I really don’t know why I ever questioned you.” I sigh.
“Someday you’ll learn, baby.” He grins.
“Anything else or can we move on?” I ask, knowing darn well I don’t want to move on.
“Yeah. After amazing conversation and good food, it will be time to wrap things up. I’ll pay the bill and leave a nice tip, of course.”
“Of course,” I repeat.
“Once we are outside, she’ll be all smiles and flirting up a storm. If it’s our first date, I won’t ask her to come back to my place, but I will do one last, very important thing.” His voice is low and I lean toward him, wanting to know what else is left. He’s nailed the date at this point. I have no tips.
“Well, you see, at this point, she’s probably hoping I’m going to kiss her.”
