Total pages in book: 101
Estimated words: 98255 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 491(@200wpm)___ 393(@250wpm)___ 328(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 98255 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 491(@200wpm)___ 393(@250wpm)___ 328(@300wpm)
“Aria, there you are.”
She turned her head to see her best friend, Lidia, walking toward her table. There was no sign of Sean around, and she quickly chewed through her food.
“Why haven’t you answered any of my calls?” Lidia asked.
“I’m so sorry. I was busy.”
“Where were you Halloween? I waited. Sean said you didn’t show.”
“I was … busy.”
“But you would have looked so—”
“I’m sorry,” Aria said. “I’ll call you, okay. How about that?”
Lidia frowned and then turned to see Grant sitting there, perfectly happy to be silent.
“Oh, are you…”
“No,” Aria said.
“Yes,” Grant said.
They spoke at the same time.
Lidia chuckled. “Don’t mind me. I’m so sorry for interrupting.”
Her friend stepped away with her eyes wide and a big smile on her face.
Aria didn’t know what that meant. Lidia had left her several messages, texts, and even emails. She felt bad for ignoring her friend, but what was she supposed to do? Sean had said Lidia didn’t want her around. Why force herself on someone who didn’t want her around?
Why was Lidia determined to lie to her? To pretend they were friends? None of it made sense to her. Stabbing at her salad, she wished she knew all the freaking answers, but she didn’t speak in riddles. If people didn’t want her around or couldn’t stand the sight of her, then they should tell her. She wouldn’t force anyone to deal with the pleasure of her company.
****
Aria was lost in whatever world or train of thought she was in. Grant couldn’t think of a single thing to say to draw her back to him. She looked so upset.
He also didn’t like that she was eating salad. Sure, it was a good salad. Anything cooked by Carl was good. The man knew what he was doing. But she didn’t have any meat or any dressing. It was just a bunch of leafy greens with a few other vegetable and salad ingredients and none of them looked appealing to him. His food was damn good. Burgers and fries were always a hit.
He wanted to ask Aria more. Is this why she was going to the gym? There were so many questions he wanted to ask, but none of them came as he didn’t want to spoil the moment. Aria was finally sitting with him. He’d been asking her out for the past six months, and each time she laughed or brushed it off as if he was joking. He wasn’t joking. He truly wanted to go out with Aria.
“What were you supposed to dress up as on Halloween?” he asked.
She lifted her head and he watched her chew. “It doesn’t matter. It’s over now.”
Grant frowned. “Come on, you can tell me. I don’t do much dressing up for Halloween, but you’ve got to tell me what you were going to be.”
“Why?”
“Because I’d like to know.”
“And you always get what you want?” she asked.
“Hell, no.”
“I was supposed to be a sexy witch, and I did go to the party, but it didn’t work out.”
“You went to a Halloween party?” he asked.
“Yes.”
“I find that hard to believe.”
“Why?”
“Well, I invited you to several parties and you never took me up on the offers.”
“You were joking around.”
“I wasn’t.”
She shook her head. “You were.”
“Trust me, I’d know if I was joking around. Each time I asked you out on a date it was very much real.”
“Huh,” she said.
He laughed. “Huh. That’s all you’re going to say.”
“I didn’t realize you were asking me out. I’m sorry. I figured it was just a joke.”
He frowned. “I don’t think guys make jokes of asking women out.”
“Isn’t there like a rule or something, that guys from your club can’t date women outside of the club?”
He threw his head back and laughed. Damn. It was so fucking sad. He wasn’t about to tell Aria that he was suspended from the club.
“You know my brother, right, he married Maddie?” he asked.
“Yeah, I do.”
“She’s not club either. We don’t keep it in the club. It’s not like that.”
“Ah,” Aria said.
“So, what do you say to a date?” he asked.
She nibbled her lip and he waited. It wasn’t a no straight out of her lips, so he would call this a success.
“I’m not sure, Grant.”
“Dinner tomorrow night. How about I cook?” he asked.
“Do you know how to cook?”
“Yes.”
“I don’t think that’s a good idea.”
He winked at her. “I think it is a very good idea. How about it? You and me, have dinner tomorrow night.”
She tilted her head to the side and her gaze moved past his. He glanced behind him and didn’t see anything that would sway her.
“You’re right. Okay, yes, dinner tomorrow night, but you will need to pick me up from my home. I have to go to the gym after work.”
“I’ll be at the gym myself. I’ve got a job there.”
“Oh.”
“So, how about I walk you to my place?”