Page 59 of After Midnight
I watched him in amusement, fumbling to explain himself and not offend me. Finally, I cracked a smile.
"You're fucking with me again, aren't you?" he sighed, shaking his head with a small smile.
"I am. You make it too easy." I reached over and touched his arm. "Relax."
He let go of a hard breath shaking his arms out. "You're right. I'm trying."
"If it makes you feel any better…I was nervous too," I admitted.
"Really?" He leaned in again. "You seem so…unshakeable. That was the first thing I noticed about you in the club."
I gave a one-shoulder shrug. "I can be. But not all the time."
His eyes locked on to mine. "What makes you nervous?"
I huffed and placed a forkful of potatoes in my mouth before responding. "Being judged. Being misunderstood." Pausing, I licked my lips. "Being hurt," I added, voice dipping.
He nodded slowly. "Yeah…being hurt worries me too."
Silence filled the space for a moment as we both resumed eating, processing.
"Can I be honest?" he asked.
"Please do." I nodded, picking up my wine.
He took a sip of his before continuing. "I don't want to come on too strong, but I'm not a casual dater. Because of my son, I have to date with intention and for longevity. Does that make sense?"
"It does." I nodded. "You're not looking for a casual fling. You want something substantial."
"Right." He nodded in agreement. "I just wanted to put that out there off top."
"Understood." I smiled softly.
He returned it. "What do you need, Gianna?"
I paused to consider it. He was the first man I could recall that asked mewhat I needed.
What did I need?
I wasn’t against the idea of settling down once I "retired," but I had put it out of my mind due to the stigma associated with my work. But here was this man asking me what I needed and honestly…I wasn't even sure.
"I don’t know, Remy," I confessed with an exhale. "Not when it comes to relationships and dating stuff."
His face flicked with worry.
"But I do know that I like you," I continued. "And I wanna know why you give me butterflies."
His face softened. "Then let’s just do that. Get to know each other. No pressure. Sound good?"
"Sounds good," I agreed.
He raised his glass. "To getting to know each other."
I touched my glass to his. "To getting to know each other."
Chapter 15
The beat from the music pulsated making the floor and walls vibrate from the deep bass. Smoke hung in the air like a thick cloud, creating a haze that you had to squint through. Blue and purple lights flashed to the beat of the track.
