“I suppose I shouldn’t disagree with that statement.”
The waitress hurried over, introduced herself and asked for our drink orders. Drake ordered a bottle of wine, and off she scurried to get it for us.
“Tell me everything I’ve missed,” he said as soon as she was out of earshot.
“Well, there isn’t much to tell,” I started.
But with his prompts and encouragement, I kept talking. Only taking a break here and there when the waitress came with our wine, or to take our order, or to bring our food. By the time we’d finished the main course, I was stuffed and out of news to share with him.
“Enough,” I said, placing my napkin on top of my plate. “I’ve had enough to eat, and I have been talking too much.”
“I’ve enjoyed every word,” Drake said, reaching over to take my hand again. “I’m sorry I couldn’t have been there with you. Especially when your mother died. The timing was bad.”
“Not your fault. You didn’t know my mother was going to die. Nobody could’ve known that.”
He flagged over our waitress and asked for the check then poured the last of the wine into our glasses. With my fingertips resting in his palm, I sipped the wine. It was sweet and smooth, delicious. I’d had just enough to feel a little warm on the inside but not so much that I was drunk.
“Your turn,” I said. “I want a full blow by blow description of the past few years, just like I gave you.”
“Hmm,” he said, lifting his glass and smiling a crooked grin that made me feel a little warmer. “That’ll take a while.”
“We’ve got all night,” I stated.
He lifted a brow. “Do we?”
The waitress returned with the check, and Drake pulled out some cash, closed it in the leather folder and stood. “If that’s the case, then let’s go somewhere quieter, where we can…talk.”
He escorted me out to his car, opened the door for me. I didn’t recall him being so polite back when we’d dated. But then again, we were both young back then. Young and stupid and impulsive…and immature. It appeared from the outside that Drake had done a lot of growing up between then and now. I imagined I had too.
He drove with an arm resting on the back of my seat, just like he did years ago. Back then, I felt cozy sitting beside him as he drove. I would lean close to him, rest a hand on his thigh. Now, I stayed in my seat, my hands in my lap. Old music played on the radio, from our high school days. It brought back memories. Stolen kisses. Dances in the gym. The thrill of first love.
“…the company’s revenues doubled in five years, and we’re projecting even more aggressive growth in the next five,” Drake jabbered, sounding proud of his accomplishments.
“That’s amazing,” I said as I stared out the window. A fleeting image of Shane popped into my head. I smacked it down and turned to focus on Drake.
“Do you live alone?” he asked as we rolled to a stop at a light.
“Yes, I do.”
“Good.” He turned, heading toward my place. “I’m currently staying with some friends. It isn’t the ideal situation. But I wanted to take my time and find just the right house.”
“Where are you looking?”
“I haven’t decided. If you could buy a house anywhere, where would you buy?”
“Anywhere?”
“Sure.”
“I’d buy a farm in southern France. Or maybe a seaside villa in Spain.”
He chuckled. “I meant in Michigan.”
“Ah. Probably somewhere out a bit, away from the ‘burbs, where I could have some land, privacy, quiet.”
“Hmm. Sounds nice.” The corners of his lips curled up. “I’ll keep that in mind.”
“For what?”
“Like I said, I want to buy the right house. The perfect house.” He turned into my driveway and cut off the engine.
“Well, thanks for the very nice meal.” Not wanting him to kiss me, I fiddled with my purse, digging for my keys.
“Can I come in?” he asked as he pulled his keys out of the ignition.
“Um, sure.”
We headed up. I closed and locked the front door, set my purse and keys on the table and turned.
Giving me no warning, Drake grabbed my arms, yanked me forward and kissed me.
It was a shock. Not entirely unpleasant, but still a shock.
I went with my first instinct and shoved him away.
He gave me a strange, slightly confused look. “What’s wrong? I thought we were getting reacquainted.”
“We are. But you need to slow down.”
“Okay. Sure. Sorry.” He lifted his hands in a show of surrender. His expression was apologetic. “I guess I got my signals crossed.”
“That’s probably my fault.” I motioned to the living room. “Please, sit.”
I needed to be upfront. Honest. Clearly Drake had expected something to happen tonight that I wasn’t ready for.
I waited until he was seated on the couch before I joined him. I left a comfortable amount of space between us. “I…I’ve been seeing someone.”
His whole demeanor changed. “Oh. Once again, here we are...”
“It’s not serious. I mean, we haven’t…it isn’t a committed relationship or anything. Yet.” At his silence, I felt compelled to keep explaining, “But you know me. I’m not the kind of girl who even casually dates two men at the same time.”
“Yes, that’s one of the things I respected most about you.” His chilly mien warmed slightly. “I suppose I should’ve asked you more direct questions before I started making plans for our future.”
“At least we cleared it up now.”
“Yes.” His lips formed something resembling a smile. But the expression was empty. “We cleared it up.” He stood. “I’d better get going.” Moving swiftly, he headed for the door.
I followed. “It was really nice seeing you again. Despite everything, I’d like to keep in touch.”
At the door, he turned, lifted a hand, cupping my cheek. I froze. Something wouldn’t let me pull away from his touch. Guilt, perhaps, for leading him on. You’re only going to make it worse, dummy.
“Sure. We’ll keep in touch.” Something flashed in his eyes. He snatched his hand away, pulled open the door and left without saying goodbye.
What a mess I’d made.
Standing at the door, I watched him go. As he ambled down the front walk, he turned to the side, pausing for a minute. Following the direction of his gaze, I squinted into the darkness, trying to discern what he was looking at. Whatever it was--an animal, maybe?--it failed to hold his attention for long. He turned his focus back to his car, parked in my driveway. A minute later I was watching it zoom away.