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The 365 Diner is exactly what you’d expect a small-town diner to look like. It has an old-fashioned feel to it, with vintage barstools and a cash-only policy to keep away as many tourists as possible. We don’t get many, but they come through from time to time when they’re passing between Nashville and Knoxville as Magnolia is perfectly positioned between both, making it an ideal stopping place when you’re on a day trip.
“How can this place look exactly the same, yet different at the same time?” Finn says before waving at Rachael to get her attention.
“As I live and breathe, look who the cat dragged in.” Rachael comes to a stop in front of the two of us before winking at Finn. The hairs on the back of my neck raise instantly as I thread my arm through his and step closer to his side. “Haven’t seen you at the coffee shop in a few days. I was beginning to miss that smiling face of yours.”
My eyes narrow at Rachael, wanting nothing more than to rip her hair out for the way she’s acting toward Finn right now. Can’t she see we came in together? It’s more than obvious that we’re on a date. He’s mine, and I’ll claw her damn eyes out if she thinks for one minute, I’ll be sharing him with anyone.
What the fuck?No, no, no! What the hell was I thinking? This is not a date. We’re just two grown adults having lunch together. I have no claim on him. Hell, I’m not even sure if I like him.
Yeah, keep telling yourself that one.
“Easy, sugar. I only have eyes for you,” he whispers in my ear before planting a kiss on the side of my head as Racheal grabs two menus and leads us to a booth.
My cheeks heat as I drop my head, not wanting to see the smug look on his face as I slide into the booth, immediately picking up the menu. I’d never admit it to Finn, but I spend more time here than at my apartment. I’m a horrible cook, and since I live on the other end of Main Street, it’s so much easier to stop on my way home from the station than to go grocery shopping.
“What’s good here?” he asks, raising an eyebrow at me.
“I’d have to say that you can’t go wrong with a classic like chicken fried steak or meatloaf. Our patty melts are also to die for and are my favorite.” She continues prattling on, the sound of her voice grating on my nerves with each passing second. I’m about to tell her to fuck off when a hand appears on the top of my menu, pulling it down just enough so Finn can see my face.
“What do you think I should get?” he asks, completely ignoring Rachael as she continues to rattle on, oblivious to the fact that all his attention is focused on me.
“Why are you asking me?”
“Because, to me, your opinion is the only one that matters.”
My mouth drops open as my brain seems to short-circuit for a few moments. For the first time in years, I’m speechless. This is an odd feeling because I always have a snarky retort or sarcastic comment for someone, but right now, my mind is completely blank.
If this was anyone else, I would give him a hard time for trying so hard. That his poetic and flowery words are useless. That he’s trying way too hard for another chance to get into my pants, but instead, they give me butterflies in my stomach. I can feel deep in my bones that he means everything he’s saying to me with his heart and soul. And that is terrifying.
I clear my throat loudly, pointing at the first item I see on the menu and showing it to him.
“Is that what you want?”
I nod my head, my eyes pointed down at the table as I feel myself blushing at the weight of his stare on me.
“We’ll both have a cobb salad and a couple of waters.”
“Are you sure I can’t interest you in one of our daily specials or even a slice of one of our homemade pies?” Rachael flashes him another brilliant smile, and I snap.
“He said we wanted salads and water. I have places to be and would love to eat my lunch before tomorrow.”
With a nod, Rachael spins on her heels and heads back toward the front of the store.
“I never envisioned you as the jealous type, sugar.”
“I’m not jealous,” I growl. “You were flirting with her as if I wasn’t even here. That’s disrespectful, not to mention rude as fuck. If you’d rather have a date with Rachael, I’m sure she’d be more than willing to have a seat with you.”
I slide to the end of the booth and push to my feet. I need to get out of here. Not only have I made a complete ass out of myself, but I also need to get a handle on these foreign emotions before I do something dumber than I already have.
“Sit down, Marissa.” The commanding tone in his voice leaves no room for argument. It’s as if my body has a mind of its own, and I immediately sit down and slide along the seat, stopping directly in front of him.
“When did being polite to someone become flirting? I asked her what’s good to eat here because I don’t think I’ve stepped foot in this place since high school. The only woman I see or will ever see for the rest of my life is you.”
I can feel the heat rising to my cheeks, and I try to will it away. What the hell is going on with me? I was adamant about not wanting to go to lunch with Finn before leaving the office, and now I’m getting jealous because he smiled at our waitress. I have no claim on Finn. He can smile or talk to whoever he wants, and there is nothing I can do about it.
“Now, do you want to tell me what that was all about?”
“No,” I respond, turning my head toward the window as I notice Rachael approaching our table.
