AllFreeNovel
Share Us
I’d hiked it up around my upper thighs on the drive, glad my car’s heat actually worked this winter. Last winter, she struggled, the interior compartment barely reaching forty degrees until the snow melted.
I checked the mirror, swiping on another layer of lipstick and blowing a kiss at my reflection before exiting the car. I shimmied into the brick building with the name “Bass” emblazoned in blue on the side. Bass like the instrument, not the fish, though the shade of blue made me pause.
I opened the door, the trill of a saxophone nearly toppling me over, flooding the empty street with music. Inside, candles dotted the cafe tables, the overhead lights barely illuminating the tops of the patrons’ heads.
I stood in the entry, letting my eyes adjust before searching for Chase. He’d be there, probably staked up beside the bar, drink in hand and poised to buy another.
Only when they adjusted I didn’t see him. I frowned, turning my attention to the tiny penlight over the host stand.
“Hi, I’m looking for Chase. Chase Baker.”
The woman behind the podium smiled, dropping her eyes to search the list of names.
“Ah, Baker. Party of two. Let me show you to your table.” She gathered two menus, beckoning me to follow.
Strange. Chase hated being late, and I perpetually ran twenty minutes behind.
Tonight, I’d only been ten minutes late. I fought the urge to check my phone for a text, smiling politely at the hostess and sitting down as best I could manage in the dress.
“Can I get you a drink?” A server in a slinky black dress stopped at the table.
I picked up the drink menu. I could use something to calm the nerves roiling through me at the prospect of asking the guy I’d been dating for over a year to be my actual boyfriend.
“I’ll just take water for now.”
She sauntered away, and I took a deep breath, eyes darting for the door, my hand in my purse as I spotted him.
Chase was hard to miss. He might have only been 5’8”, an inch taller than me barefoot, and two inches shorter than me in heels, but he dressed stylishly to capture attention and possessed a natural charisma that kept that attention pinned on him.
Tonight, he wore a tan suit, bright red button-up shirt beneath the unbuttoned jacket. He slicked his blonde hair back and his blue eyes sparkled.
The man had gorgeous eyes. Piercing eyes. He’d first locked those ice-blue eyes on mine at a crowded nightclub a year and a half ago and I still got goosebumps when his eyes met mine. Sure, we had little in common besides fashion and business.
Different types of business, of course. I didn’t know anything about pharmaceuticals and Chase didn’t know anything about fashion design, but that had never come between us. Mostly because we didn’t spend that much time together. I frowned, shaking the thought away.
He waved, lips forming a pleased smile as his focus shifted to the hostess. She batted her eyes, taken with him. How could she not be? She smiled, laughing in reply before she gestured for him to follow.
“Sorry,” he mouthed as he approached.
A good start.
He leaned down, kissing me in a way that didn’t leave me with nearly as many goosebumps as locking eyes had. Was that normal? Maybe. Could I remember sharing a truly great kiss with Chase? Our first had been oddly disappointing. He had smoked a cigar earlier in the evening, and I could only taste stale cloves and bitter tobacco. I’d even considered turning down a second date, only convincing myself later that night to give him a second chance.
Unable to conjure up a great kiss, I forced an exasperated pout. “I can’t believe you’re late when I showed up on time.”
“The hostess said she just sat you.” He slid into the seat beside me, body angled toward the stage.
“On time for me,” I corrected. “Only a few minutes late.”
He set his hand on my thigh. “Well, I’m truly sorry I missed watching you walk in. You look gorgeous.”
“With a compliment like that, I guess I have to forgive you.”
He raised an eyebrow. “That easy? Aren’t you generous tonight? Why’s that?”
“I’ve got an announcement,” I said cryptically.
I had the setting, a speech, but the timing was wrong.
