Page 20 of After Midnight
She picked up the extra fork next to her and handed it to me. "Have some with me, Chef."
My stomach flipped. The act of sharing food with me—a damn stranger— caught me by surprise. It was an intimacy that most people took for granted. But not me. There was something about the ease in which she offered that made my heart kick up.
My smile deepened and I accepted the fork. "Thank you."
"Sure thing," she smiled again.
We both took a forkful and shared a look when it hit our tongues.
"This is so good," she admitted her pink tongue snaking out to lick the fork.
I could see the small sliver ball in it. My stomach tightened and I felt a tension in my groin as I watched her. Her eyes came back to me.
"T-Thank you," I stuttered for a second.
She let out a soft sigh. "Before you get too invested, you should know that I don’t really date, Remy."
I smiled. "As beautiful as you are, I find that hard to believe. I bet you have a line of suitors beating down your door."
She snorted softly glancing down. "They're beatingsomethingalright," she mumbled under her breath."
"Pardon?" I questioned.
Gianna lifted her head. "Nothing." She shook her head. "I have my reasons," she explained.
"Does that mean that I can't woo you with more delicious desserts and gourmet meals?" I teased feeling looser now. "I think if you give me a chance, I can change your mind about the not dating thing."
"Hmm. You think so?"
"Yes." I bit down on my bottom lip. "I've been told I'm a pretty likeable guy. My son thinks I'm pretty cool anyway." I grinned.
Her eyes lit up. "Oh, you have a son? How old?"
"Five. That's my heart."
"Can I see a picture?"
"Sure." I smiled and slid my phone out of my pocket. I held it out to her so she could see my boy, those big dimples on full display.
"Oh my God!" she gushed pressing her hand over her heart. "He's beautiful. What's his name?"
"Romelo. We call him Melo." I smiled.
She studied the picture longer. "He looks like you. Where did he get those adorable dimples from?"
I smiled sadly. "His mother."
Gianna's eyes moved back towards me. "Are you two still close?"
I slid the phone back in my pocket. "His mother—my wife—she died four years ago. Breast cancer."
Gianna's eyes softened. Her brows pinched together as she blinked at me sadly. "I'm so sorry, Remy," she said quietly. "So…he never got a chance to know her?"
I shook my head, eyes prickling unexpectedly. Shit. I didn't want to cry in front of this beautiful woman. How would it look with me trying to encourage her to date me if the mention of Kendrix made me tear up automatically. I cleared my throat and blinked hard, forcing the sting back. “No,” I said quietly. “He was one when she passed.”
Gianna’s expression softened even more. Not pity exactly. Understanding maybe. “That’s really hard,” she said.
I nodded once, staring down at the table for a second before looking back up. “It was,” I admitted. “Still is sometimes. So, when I say I'm rusty…that's why.”
