I look over at Aiden. "Sorry. I don't usually text during dinner but it's my friend. The one who was supposed to meet me here."
"Go ahead. I'm used to it."
I'm not sure if he's referring to his friends or his girlfriend. Either way, he seems a little annoyed. I don't like it either when people text during dinner so I shouldn't be doing it.
Still here, I quickly text back. Can't talk now. At dinner.
I set my phone down. "She made it home okay."
"Where's home?"
"Kansas. She still lives in Manhattan. She teaches third grade at the school we both went to growing up."
"Does she have kids of her own?"
"No, she's single like me. She tried online dating but she's taking a break from it."
My phone dings again. Who are you having dinner with?
Macie knows if I was eating alone I wouldn't tell her I couldn't talk.
"Sorry," I say to Aiden. "I just need to tell her I can't talk now."
He nods.
With someone I met here, I text. I'll call you tomorrow and tell you all about it.
I put my phone down and slide it over so I won't be tempted to look at it. It dings again but I ignore it.
"I really don't mind if you check it," Aiden says. "Like I said, I'm used to it."
"You mean with your girlfriend?"
"Everyone, really. It's become the norm. People always checking their phones. I understand the need to check it. I just don't like doing it during dinner. I like having a meal with someone without having the phone interrupt."
"My parents make my brothers and me pay a dollar fine for every time we check our phones during dinner."
"Have you ever had to pay it?"
"I'm embarrassed to admit this but last year at Thanksgiving I got a ten dollar fine."
Aiden chuckles. "What was so important?"
"Guy problems. It seems silly now but at the time it seemed important. We were going through a breakup and he kept texting me."
"You broke up on Thanksgiving?"
"It happened over the course of several days. We finally ended it the Sunday after Thanksgiving." I look down, shaking my head. "I need to stop talking about my exes. It seems to keep coming up. Let's talk about something else."
Aiden tells me more about his family. His mom's a pediatrician and his dad's a biomedical engineer. His older brother has a PhD and runs a research lab at a large pharmaceutical company.
"Your family is really smart," I say.
Aiden nods. "We tend to be high achievers. My dad wouldn't accept anything less."
Charlie shows up with our waters. "Your food should be ready soon."
"Thanks," Aiden says, taking a drink of his water.
"What do you mean by that?" I ask Aiden as Charlie leaves.
"Mean by what?"
"About your dad not accepting anything less? Less than what?"
"Less than perfect," he says with a quick laugh. "Good isn't good enough. He expects me to be exceptional. Reach my highest potential."
"It sounds like you've done that."
"Not even close. He was hoping by now I'd have my own investment firm."
"Is that what you want?"
"Maybe someday," he says, but he doesn't sound excited about it.
"What do you really want?" I ask, staring at him from across the table. "If your dad didn't care and you could do anything."
"I don't know. I haven't really thought about it."
"I bet you have. You just don't want to tell anyone."
"Why wouldn't I tell anyone?"
"Because they wouldn't approve?" I say, taking a guess.
He pauses to think. "That might be somewhat true."
"So what is it? What would you do?"
"It's too late now but if they hadn't sold it, I would've taken over my grandparents' inn."
"The one in Maine."
"Yes. I loved that place. It felt like home to me, even more than the home I grew up in."
"Why is that?" I ask, feeling saddened by his comment.
He shrugs. "We had a condo in the city. Constant street noise. Sirens going off. It didn't feel like home."
"You're talking about when you lived in New York?"
"New York and Boston both. My parents worked a lot so they were never home and they didn't want my brother and me going outside to play on the streets so we spent most of our time indoors. Going to Maine was the only time we could really be kids, although my brother still stayed inside most of the time, reading or watching TV. He wasn't much of an outdoor kid. I was the complete opposite. I'd be gone all day, climbing trees, collecting rocks on the shore, hanging out on the docks."
"Why did your grandparents sell the inn?"
"They had to. They were getting too old to take care of it. I was in college at the time so I couldn't go up and help them with it. I didn't even know they'd sold it until after the sale was done."
"Did they ever ask if you wanted it?"
"No," he says with a laugh. "They knew better than to do that."
"Because your dad wouldn't approve of it."
"Exactly." His lips rise to a smile. "You're starting to understand my family. And me, surprisingly."
"Why is that a surprise?"
"People don't usually get me. They just assume they know me based on what I do or how I look."
"I don't understand."
"Guy in a nice suit. Drives a nice car. Works for an investment firm. People think I'm just another rich asshole out to get as much as he can."
"I'm sure they don't think that."
His brows rise. "That's not what you thought when you met me?"
"Maybe at first but..."
"See? That's what I mean. People make assumptions. We all do it."
"But I don't think that about you now."
He leans back in his chair. "What changed your mind?"
"Getting to know you. Finding out why you do what you do. I understand you better now. I get that you're not just doing your job to get rich. You're doing it to save a piece of history. Save buildings that people attach memories to, like you did with your grandparents' inn."
He slowly smiles. "That's amazing."
"What?"
"No one's ever put that together before, not even my own parents."
"Really?" I shrug. "Seems pretty obvious after hearing how much you loved that place. Is it too late for you to get it back? Would the owners be open to selling it?"
"It's too late. The people who bought it ended up tearing it down."
I gasp. "That's horrible. Why would they buy it and then tear it down?"
"They didn't want to spend money on the repairs. Honestly, I don't think they ever intended to keep it. I think they bought it for the land. It was up on a cliff, overlooking the ocean. The new owners turned it into a seafood restaurant. It's actually really popular. People come from all over to go there, not just for the food but the view."
"Have you been there?"
"Only once. We went as a family after my grandfather died. He was buried not too far from there, and after the funeral, we went to the restaurant. Being there was hard on me so I left. I waited in the car until they were done." He shakes his head. "Sometimes I wish I'd left college to help them with the inn. If I had, it'd still be there. I'd probably be running the place."
"Would you rather be doing that than what you're doing now?"
He looks down at the table, rubbing his hand along his jaw. "I would."
"You hesitated. Why?"
His eyes rise to mine. "I've never admitted that to anyone but my best friend, and that was only because I was drunk. I wouldn't dare tell anyone else. They'd say I'm crazy, and that I'm better off being a rising star at an investment firm than out in the middle of nowhere running an inn." He laughs a little. "I should have dinner with strangers more often. I've never been able to be this honest."
"We're still strangers?" I say in a flirtatious tone, although I didn't mean for it to come out t
hat way.
"We are," he casually says.
"Why do you say that?"
"I still don't know much about you. All I know is you're a girl from Kansas who came to the big city to see if she could make it. To prove to the people back home that she could do it. To prove to herself she could do it."
I stare at him, shocked that he knows that about me after just meeting me. I've never told anyone that, not even Macie. She might suspect that's why I moved but she's never called me on it. She goes along with my story about wanting to fulfill my dream of living in New York, and it was a dream, but it was based on the motivation to prove something, to myself and to others. To prove that I could do this. That I could move far away from my comfort zone and survive in one of the toughest cities in the world. If I can do that, I can do anything.
"I went there for a job." I look down at the napkin in my lap, smoothing the crisp white linen. "Not to prove something."
"Liar."
His response causes my anger to spike, like he lit a match, setting off all my insecurities, things I didn't want him, or anyone else, to know.
My eyes shoot up to his. "I'm not lying, and I'm offended by your comment. I went there for a job and because I've always wanted to live in New York. You don't even know me. You shouldn't be making assumptions about me."
"Hey, I'm sorry, okay?" he says, holding his hands up. "I didn't mean to upset you. You're right. I shouldn't have assumed."
I set my napkin on the table and get up. "I'm going up to my room. I have a lot of work to catch up on."
"Wait—you're leaving?" He shoves his chair out and gets up.
"On the house," Tom says, appearing at our table holding a bottle of wine, a big smile on his face. He looks between Aiden and me. "Don't tell me you're leaving." His smile drops, making me feel terrible.
"Of course not," I say, smiling at him as I sit down.
"We were just stretching our legs," Aiden says. "After all that sitting in the car on the way here we needed to get up and move a little."
I almost laugh at his excuse, but instead I clear my throat and put my napkin back on my lap.
"You should take a walk after dinner," Tom says. "The shops closed at five but you can stroll downtown and look in the windows. Each store puts up little twinkle lights." He pours wine in a glass and sets it in front of me. "Lois just loves it. She thinks it's romantic. Makes me walk down there at least once a week." He pours Aiden a glass of wine.
"Maybe we'll give it a try," Aiden says, his eyes on mine. "What do you say? Up for an after dinner walk?"
"We'll see." I look back at Tom. "Thank you for the wine."
He gives me a wink. "I couldn't let you two have a romantic dinner without a little wine."
"Oh, it's not like that," I rush to tell him. "Aiden has a girlfriend."
"Is that so?" Tom looks at Aiden, then shakes his head. "I guess I just assumed this was a date. Well, the wine is still yours to enjoy." Tom turns to leave, then turns back to Aiden. "Why didn't you bring her?"
"She was busy this weekend."
Tom nods, then walks off.
"Should we toast?" Aiden asks, lifting his wine glass.
"What are we toasting to?"
"Unexpected encounters on country roads. A wonderful dinner. And strangers becoming friends."
"That's a lot to toast to."
"It is." He holds up his glass. "So?"
We clink glasses and I take a sip of the wine.
Aiden sets his glass down. "I'm sorry about what I said. I didn't mean to upset you."
"Don't worry about it. I shouldn't have got so upset. You hit a nerve. It's my own issue. There was nothing wrong with what you said."
"You want to talk about it?"
"I really don't. Tell me more about you."
"Would you like to hear about my failed attempt to play high school football? I don't find it that funny but my friends seem to. They make me retell it now and then just for their own amusement."
"Why?" I smile. "What's so funny about it?"
"Many things, but it mainly involves a jock strap. If you'd rather not hear this before dinner, now's your chance to back out."
"I'm all in. Let's do it. What's the story?"
As he tells it I pick up my wine, swirling it in the glass as I look across the table at Aiden. He's everything I could want in a guy. I love talking to him and just being around him. Even when he makes me furious, like he did this morning, or just now when I was about to leave, I still like him for some unexplained reason.
Maybe it's good we met. Now I finally know what to look for in a guy. I need to find a guy like Aiden. A guy who makes me feel the way I'm feeling now. In a city of eight million people, I should be able to find a guy like that.
If only it was as easy as it sounds.
Chapter Five
Sophie
Dinner took two hours, which I think was intentional. Tom kept showing up at our table, first with salads, then with homemade rolls. Each time, he'd apologize that dinner was taking so long but the sly look in his eye made me think it was all a setup, like he was purposely trying to make Aiden and me spend time together. I don't know why Tom would do that, knowing Aiden has a girlfriend. Maybe he just wants us to be friends.
Just as we're about to leave, Lois appears by our table, her hands planted on each side of her round waist. "Well? How was it?"
"Wonderful." I point to my empty dessert plate. "The blueberry cobbler was amazing. The whole meal was the best I've had in a long time."
"I'm glad," she says, smiling.
"You've got a real talent for cooking," Aiden says.
"She sure does," Tom says, coming up beside Lois and putting his arm around her. They're an adorable couple. They're both short, with Tom just a couple inches taller than his wife. They both have white hair, chubby faces, and are round around the middle.
"I'm completely stuffed," I say, leaning back in my chair.
Lois turns to Tom. "Did you tell them about downtown?"
"Yes, dear," he says, smiling at her. "I told them all about the pretty lights and how you make me walk you by them at least a couple times a week."
She turns back to me. "You have to go see it. It's beautiful. Every window is decked out in lights."
"I'm sure it's lovely but I really need to get back to my room."
"What's the rush?" Tom asks. "It's barely after seven. You're not going to bed yet, are you?"
"No, but I have some work to do."
I'm not really going to work. I'm going up to my room and straight to bed. After two drinks at the bar and half a bottle of wine, I'm tipsy to say the least. I might even be drunk. Either way, I can't be around Aiden when I'm like this. I get flirty when I'm drunk.
"I'm up for a walk," Aiden says.
"Work can wait," Lois says to me. "Go ahead, dear. It isn't far. You can go see the lights and be back in your room in no time."
She's not going to give up until I agree to this. I might as well go. Like she said, it won't take long, and maybe the fresh air will sober me up.
"I guess I could take a short walk," I say, getting up.
"Splendid!" Lois claps her hands. "Have a good time! I need to get back to the kitchen before my biscuits burn." She scurries off.
The dining room is now half full and people are waiting to be seated.
Tom looks back and sees them. "Oh! I have to go. You two have fun!"
Aiden gets up. "Ready?"
I take a moment to steady myself.
"Need some help?" he asks, offering me his arm.
"No, I'm good."
As we're walking out of the restaurant, I stop when I notice the room spinning. "I might need some help after all."
Aiden steps closer and I take his arm as we leave.
"Too much wine?" he asks as we stroll down the sidewalk that leads to downtown.
"I normally don't drink that much. I usually stop at one glass. And I rarely have a Manhattan, and tonight I had two."
> "You're on vacation. You're allowed to indulge a little."
"It's not that. I'm just really stressed right now. I was hoping the drinks would help."
"Sophie, I know you're worried about the court hearing but I'm sure it'll be nothing. We'll get a fine and go on with our lives."
"It's not about this morning. Well, part of it is, but that isn't the only reason I'm feeling stressed."
He stops. "Then what is it?"
I look up and notice the concern on his face. It's the first time since moving to New York that someone has actually shown interest in how I'm feeling. In a huge city where people are always in a hurry, you tend to feel invisible. I noticed it as soon as I moved there. Nobody even looked at me. They just raced past me, making me miss the friendly smiles and hellos I was used to back home. Even Bianca doesn't greet me with a hello or a smile. It's all business from the moment I get to work. So to have Aiden, a guy I just met, show concern for me makes me pause a moment.
"Sophie?"
"It's nothing," I say, shaking my head and continuing down the sidewalk. "Look, I can already see the lights."
The storefronts are still a block away but the white lights cast a soft glow from each window.
"Here." Aiden offers me his arm again. I wrap my hand around it, noticing the muscles in his forearm.
As we walk, a light breeze blows, giving me a whiff of his cologne. I smelled it earlier at the bar when he sat next to me. It's a fresh, woodsy scent, which is one of my absolute favorites on a guy. It seems rugged, and masculine. The guys I've dated in the city tend to wear colognes with more of a floral scent, almost like women's perfume.
"She's right," Aiden says, stopping as we reach the downtown. "It's really beautiful."
Little white lights, some steady, some twinkling, line each and every window. Some of the shops have them strung around evergreen topiaries placed in planters just outside the door.
"If this is what they do in September," I say, "I wonder what they do for Christmas?"
"We should come back and see."
I look over at Aiden. He's gazing at the storefronts, acting like what he just said had no meaning behind it, and maybe it didn't, but I don't know how it couldn't. He just invited me to come back here with him at Christmas. Why would he say that? He has a girlfriend. Was he thinking she'd come with him?
Falling for Aiden Page 4