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“I was actually heading into Grant’s Deli to grab lunch when I got here and saw you with your mail all over the ground,” I told her.
“Oh,” she murmured, diverting her eyes away from mine.
“Would you like to join me?” I offered.
She fidgeted with her hands and replied, “Well, I don’t want to intrude if you already had plans.”
“You wouldn’t be intruding, Hanna. It was just going to be me grabbing a bite to eat. That’s all. I’d love some company if you’ve got the time,” I returned.
Something that looked a lot like determination moved through her expression, and a moment later, much to my surprise, she said, “Okay. I’d love to join you.”
“Yeah?”
She nodded, a little uncertainty still present in her features.
I didn’t like seeing it, but hopefully by the time we finished lunch, it would cease to exist.
So, with that, I held my hand out to the side and urged, “After you.”
Hanna moved forward, and for the third time in a matter of minutes, I found myself following behind her.
EIGHT
Hanna
“Thanks, Mallory.”
“You’re welcome, Leo. Enjoy.”
I couldn’t believe I’d done it. Just a couple of days ago, I’d been talking to Ellery about how I’d been feeling for just a short time before we had our game night, and just like that, I’d asked Leo if he’d had lunch already today.
Even if I hadn’t specifically asked him to join me, the question I did ask—whether or not he’d had lunch already today—had undoubtedly led us here.
On the one hand, I was happy about it. Because I’d done it. I’d finally done something I never thought I’d do, and I was beyond proud of myself for that. Plus, I’d been bold enough to do it with someone like Leo, someone as breathtakingly handsome as Leo. There was no question I could have done far worse, but I wondered if it was possible to do better.
I didn’t think so.
Then, there was the other part of me that wasn’t particularly happy about this. That was all because I didn’t know how to do this. I didn’t know if I knew how to not make a fool of myself. It would be just my luck that I’d wind up on a date like this with a man like Leo, and I’d find a way to ruin it.
Of course, that didn’t mean I thought this was a date. I realized that wasn’t what it was at all. We were both merely in the same place at the same time, and it was right at lunchtime. There was nothing serious about this. It was simply something we’d casually decided to do because we needed to eat, and a deli happened to be right here.
None of that made this the real deal, and I wouldn’t fool myself into believing it was. It didn’t matter that Leo was handsome or that he’d paid for my lunch. He was simply being a gentleman—just like he’d been when he came up and helped me with all the mail I’d needed to carry into the post office.
Now, we were seated at one of the few tables inside Grant’s Deli after Leo had introduced me to Mallory, the owner and a woman who was engaged to one of his coworkers, and we had our sandwiches in front of us.
I felt compelled to speak. “Thank you, again, for buying,” I told him for the second time.
“You’re welcome, Hanna. It was my pleasure,” he replied with a gorgeous smile on his handsome face.
That was it.
That was all I could bring myself to say.
I’d wanted this.
Desperately.
The fact that I was getting it with a guy who looked like Leo was simply the icing on the cake.
