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Daniel was the only one who could see the good in literally anyone—even someone who was as much of a screw-up as Lucas.
But as he sat across the table from Ella, he was wondering if he’d made a mistake. She didn’t look the least bit impressedby their current situation. Lucas glanced down at his menu and then chuckled dryly.
Her eyes cut to meet his, the question in her gaze obvious.
Lucas shook his head. “I don’t think I’ve ever taken a girl to lunch without anticipating the way it’s going to end.”
She lifted that brow of hers—the hypercritical one. “I beg your pardon?”
He stiffened. “Oh, it’s nothing bad. I just usually look forward to getting a kiss…” He trailed off, heat crawling up the back of his neck. A bead of sweat appeared on his brow, and he cleared his throat before forcing himself to focus on the menu again. That was the wrong thing to say. He definitely shouldn’t have said it. Now she was going to think he wanted more.
Shoot, she was going to think he wanted more.
His head shot up and he peered at her. “Not that I want to date you. This isn’t a date. It’snot. I should have said so when I mentioned we should come here. That is, I don’t expect…” His face seared with the heat that wouldn’t dissipate.
For Pete’s sake! Lucas should have just kept his mouth shut. Now he was backed into a corner. There was no coming out of this conversation on top. He glanced around the burger joint, focusing on anything but Ella. Her eyes continued to drill into him even though he didn’t meet them.
If there was something he could say to ease the tension that had grown between them, he would have. But there was nothing he could think of that wouldn’t make him sound every bit the jerk she probably thought him to be.
His throat continued to close up, which only confirmed his inability to say something that would help. Thankfully, he didn’t have to worry about it much longer because their waitress arrived, cheery enough to distract them both.
“Good afternoon! What can I get you two?”
Lucas glanced toward Ella, finding her dragging her gaze toward the waitress. “I’d like to get the double bacon cheeseburger with a side salad, please.”
The waitress nodded. “Something to drink?”
“Just water,” Ella said.
“And you? What would you like, sweetheart?”
Lucas didn’t realize he was still staring at Ella until she shifted, causing his focus to sharpen. She lifted both brows this time as if to tell him to stop being such an idiot. He stiffened, then turned his attention to the waitress. “Same.”
“Same?” She grinned at him, her hand on her hip.
He nodded. “The double bacon cheeseburger and a salad. That sounds great.”
The waitress smiled warmly. “You got it, sweetie.”
“Oh, and I’ll take a diet coke.” Lucas picked up his menu, held it out to the woman, and then settled back in his seat once more. He twiddled his thumbs as he clasped his hands in his lap. “I want you to know that I didn’t mean—”
“Oh, just quit while you’re ahead,” she muttered.
He glanced up.
Ella sighed. “We can work together and not be friends. I didn’t expect that you would like me, and that’s fine because I don’t really care for you all that much either. But just because we don’t like each other doesn’t mean we won’t have respect for each other. Don’t bother trying to get closer to me and I will give you the same courtesy. Does that sound fair?”
“That sounds… harsh.”
She let out a sharp laugh. “Seriously? That soundsharsh?”
His gaze narrowed. “There it is again. That attitude you have. I can’t help but feel like you’re not telling me the real reason you don’t like me.”
“I have nothing to keep from you,” she mumbled. Ella picked up her napkin and rubbed it between her finger and thumb.
“Come on, I know I’m not that smart, but you can’t really believe I’m so dumb not to pick up on what you’re dishing out.”
Her eyes cut to meet his, and then she let them sweep through the restaurant. “Don’t act like it wasn’t obvious.”
