Page 13 of When the Walls Come Down
“Change is good. Not everyone gets the chance to take a leap of faith and throw caution to the wind in their life.” After all, wasn’t that why I was here? Grabbing life with both hands the way my mother never had a chance to?
“You’re probably right.” He turned on his stool to face me and propped a foot on the bottom rung of my seat. “You know, tomorrow on our date, we can throw the fuck out of some caution if you want. I’ll have to warm up my arm first, but I should be all right after a few practice tosses.”
With those dark features, he easily could have come across as menacing. But his eyes were so warm, his smile so charming, and his persistence was utterly endearing.
“Is your hearing bad? I already ate tomorrow.” I hadn’t given him a firm answer, but I couldn’t deny that, as far as meeting someone new the first time I’d ventured out went, I’d kind of hit the jackpot.
Good looking. Check.
Easy to talk to. Check.
Funny. Double check.
He countered without missing a beat. “Is your hearing bad? I said our date. That doesn’t have to mean dinner.”
I glanced at him just in time to catch him wink. Damn. A winker too? I didn’t stand a chance.
He grinned. “I wouldn’t want the fare to disappoint you on our first date. What kind of precedence would that set?”
Fighting back a well-earned laugh, I arched an eyebrow. “If I agree to this date, what would we do on it?”
He tsked and wagged a long finger at me. “Now, if I told you, what fun would that be? You’ll just have to take that leap of faith you were talking so fondly about and come with me.”
The smile on my face had settled there permanently, and God, it felt good. I pretended I was still debating my decision and twisted my lips to the side.
Conspiratorially, he looked around the room and then nodded toward himself a few times, gesturing for me to lean into him. Without much thought, I did, curious to find out what he might say next.
“Say yes.”
I sat silently while he took that deep dive into my eyes again. My chest pounded and my mouth went dry.
Shane whispered even lower, “Maggie, say yes. Please.”
“Okay.” I surrendered, but it didn’t feel like a loss. In fact, I felt the opposite. Like I’d won something. Being the new girl in town didn’t offer that sensation often, so I savored it.
Then he shot up and slapped the bar so loudly it startled me. Raising his hands in the air, he announced to everyone in the place, “This beautiful woman right here just agreed to go on a date with me tomorrow!”
I was embarrassed, gobsmacked, and shocked. Most of all though? I was excited.
Some of the patrons clapped, and one guy yelled, “Hell yeah!” The woman he was with slapped him on the back of the head and he obediently went back to his meal.
“Sit. Down,” I ordered. “I can still change my mind.”
He licked his lips, gave me that beaming smile again, and took his seat. “Nah, you won’t back out. By tomorrow, I’ll have bought up every orange Tic Tac in the Bay area. You’ll be like a moth to a flame, Peach. You won’t be able to resist.”
Chris slid a ticket under Shane’s all-but-empty second pint, and I tipped the last of my cocktail back. Shane pulled out another few bills to pay, and I let him.
I was a lady like that.
Okay, fine. I was broke. Whatever.
I wasn’t particularly superstitious or anything, but I knew when to quit while I was ahead. It was time to call it a night.
We both took a deep breath, silently lamenting that we had to leave. I lifted my clutch from the bar top and rose to my feet. He followed suit, the air heavy with mutual disappointment.
“I’ll give you a call tomorrow about that date. Can I get you a cab?” he asked when we got outside.
I looked down the street, and for a Friday night, it seemed pretty tame. After all, I was from Atlanta and no stranger to city life. I could make it around the corner and down the block on my own just fine.
“No, thanks. I don’t live far. I’m just going to walk.”
His forehead crinkled, and I sensed he didn’t care much for that idea, but I was a big girl and I didn’t need him to protect me. Hell, we’d just met.
“It’s not far?” he confirmed.
“Not at all.”
The muscles at his jaw twitched as if something chivalrous inside him were dying to argue, but he didn’t. After a second, he swiped his mouth and chin with his giant hand and stretched his neck. “Well, I’m walking too. So I guess I’ll head that way.”
