Total pages in book: 75
Estimated words: 77576 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 388(@200wpm)___ 310(@250wpm)___ 259(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 77576 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 388(@200wpm)___ 310(@250wpm)___ 259(@300wpm)
Ava cocks her head and meets my gaze. “What is she talking about?”
I’m not sure how old Sadie is, though I’m pretty sure she’s older than Ava. Is she really going to turn this into some kind of high school drama? Like I’m sitting with the wrong people in the cafeteria?
I sigh. This is my fault anyway for lying to her. I should’ve just said I wasn’t interested in going out. That I accepted for the wrong reasons.
Or…I should’ve thought of a better excuse.
Or better yet…I shouldn’t have come to Lorenzo’s.
But I wanted to please Ava. And I truly thought Sadie was off tonight.
Man, I’m off my game. I should’ve seen this entire situation coming from a mile away.
I clear my throat. “Would you be more comfortable if we moved to another table? Somewhere outside your station?”
Ava raises her eyebrows. “Brendan, what is your problem?”
“No. I’m a professional.” Sadie smiles sweetly. “Would the two of you like to order a cocktail?”
Ava looks up at Sadie. “Not a cocktail, thank you. But I would like a glass of Chianti with my dinner.”
Sadie smiles and makes a notation on her pad. Then she turns to me. “Cocktail for you, sir?”
God, yes.
“Bourbon. Double. Neat.”
“Any particular brand?”
“I don’t rightfully care. Jack Daniels is fine.”
Of course, Jack Daniels isn’t technically bourbon. It’s sour mash whiskey, but I’m betting Sadie doesn’t know this.
“Jack, double.” She makes a note on her pad. “I’ll get that out for you right away. Would the two of you like water?”
“Yes, please.” Ava gives her a smile.
“I’ll be right back with all of that.” Sadie walks away.
As soon as she’s out of sight, Ava looks back to me. “What was that all about?”
I pause a moment, but Ava’s raised eyebrows indicate she’s not going to let this go.
I sigh. “It’s a long story, and I come off bad in it. Do you mind if we skip it?”
Ava shakes her head. “Oh, hell no. You’re going to tell me why our waitress seems to have it out for you.”
“Sadie asked me out last night. For tonight.”
“Oh, and you turned her down. So she’s a little put off by it.”
“Not exactly…”
“Then exactly what did happen?”
“I originally said yes, but then I changed my mind.” I look down at the silverware on the table. Pick up my fork. Fidget with it. “I’m not really interested in Sadie, and I thought going out with her would give her the wrong impression.”
“Good. But she’s still upset by it.”
“Well…she’s probably upset because I’m here with you.”
“If she likes you, I suppose I understand that.”
I could stop the story now. Ava has accepted it, and it’s doubtful that Sadie will clue her in.
For some reason, I don’t want to leave Ava Steel with a half-truth. I don’t want our relationship starting out on that foot.
“Actually, what happened is that I broke the date and told her I had plans to go out with friends tonight.”
“Uh-oh,” she says. “And here you and I are.”
“Right.”
“Is that why you didn’t want to come here?”
“Partially.” I shrug. “Okay, definitely. I mean, I figured she wouldn’t be working since she asked me out for tonight. I thought it was her night off. But either she planned to get someone to cover her shift, or she picked up a shift.”
“I see.” Ava pauses a moment, slides her napkin into her lap. “So basically none of this would’ve happened if you’d been honest with Sadie in the first place.”
“When you’re right, you’re right.” I glance at my menu.
“Brendan…”
I look up at Ava. “Yeah?”
“You shouldn’t have lied to Sadie.”
“Trust me. I know.”
She smiles then, and my heart rate goes nuclear.
“I’m flattered, really,” she says. “Flattered that you’d rather go out with me than with Sadie. She seems nice—or rather, she did at the bar. Tonight, not so much, but she has her reasons. Plus, she’s gorgeous.”
I return Ava’s smile. “All that is true. But choosing you over her? That’s a no-brainer.”
She drops her gaze from mine. “So why did you accept Sadie’s invitation?”
“I don’t know. I guess I figured you wouldn’t be interested.”
She looks back at me. “Why wouldn’t I be interested in going out with you?”
I draw in a breath. May as well go for broke. Be honest. “Because of our age difference, Ava. I’m eleven years older than you are, remember?”
She says nothing for a few seconds, and I can’t read her. Does the age difference bother her?
Finally— “You know my aunt Marj, right?”
“Of course.”
“Did you know that she’s thirteen years younger than Uncle Bryce?”
I raise my eyebrows. Did I know that? That’s funny. The people in the generation above us always seem to be the same age.
“Is she?”
“Yeah. She was twenty-five when they got married, and he was thirty-eight. Same age as my uncle Joe.”
“So the age difference doesn’t bother you.”
“No. Not in that way, anyway. I never thought about you that way because you’re so much older.”