Chapter Eleven
Ian
It was the end of the week, and all I could think about was my date with the delicious Eliza. I’d already decided that I was going to take her to the best burger restaurant in town. I had a mission to take her to them all. After all, she said she was looking for a guide. But my father had asked me to come in after I’d finished with the bike. I looked at Chris, who was almost finished with the one he was working at.
“Another week done. Did my dad also ask to see you in his office?”
He shook his head and frowned. “No. Uh oh. I hope you’re not in trouble.”
“Why would I be? I’ve done nothing wrong. I’ve worked hard, just like I always do. He probably just wants to tell me that he’s sick of having you here. I think he’s right. I think it’s time we replaced you,” I teased.
“Oh yeah? With who? One of your brothers?”
I pulled a face. “Uh, no thanks. Okay, you made your point. You can stay.”
“Why thank you. So, want to go for a beer when you’re done with your dad?”
“No can do. I happen to be busy tonight.”
“Oh yeah? With who?”
“With Eliza.”
“The girl you hugged.”
“Yes, the girl I hugged. I’ll have you know that she’s very huggable.”
“She looks more than huggable to me. So, are you finally going to get her into bed?”
To be honest, I wasn’t so sure. There was something about Eliza that made me think she was going to play hard to get. I wasn’t sure why. Either she was just that sort of girl, or else she had more going on in her life than she was letting on. She came across as carefree, but there was something darker lurking behind her eyes.
“Hell yeah,” I said to Chris. He didn’t have to know all of that. I was certainly going to try.
“Good man. Good man.”
I gathered up my things and went to find my father, who nodded when I got in and told me to take a seat.
“Sounds serious. Did I mess up again?” I asked.
“No, you didn’t mess up. I don’t know why you think that. Anyway, looks like today was a good day. You guys all done?”
“We are. Chris is just finishing up, and then we’re done.”
“Good. You boys did well today. Anyway, I just wanted to remind you about the club meeting on Sunday.”
I pulled a face. “Argh, do I have to go? You know how much I hate meetings.”
“Of course you do. You’re a part of the club. And you know very well that being a part of the club means more than just riding your bike. Also, there are a whole bunch of other things we want to discuss, too. There’s a lot to go over, seeing as the last meeting got canceled.”
“Okay, well, sure. I’ll be there, Dad. You know I will be.”
I might complain a lot, but I never missed a club meeting.
“Also, I’m going to be announcing the name of the person who will be taking my place. It’s a big day. There are a few people that are hoping to hear their name.”
I nodded. I didn’t really care. I wasn’t sure if he wanted me to ask, but I wasn’t going to. If he didn’t want to just come out and tell me, then I had no interest in begging for the information.
“Okay, that’s cool,” I said.
“Okay, well . . . that’s it, then.”
“That’s it?”
“I just wanted to remind you about Sunday. Now, you have a good evening. Tell Chris that he doesn’t have to lock up. I’m going to be here a while longer.”
“Sure, no problem.”
I went to tell Chris and asked him once again if he was sure he didn’t want to join the club. But he shook his head.
“Nah, I’m not into things like that.”
“Hmm, well fine. But I won’t stop asking you.”
“And I won’t stop saying no.”
I got home, showered, and went to fetch Eliza. She’d given me a different address this time, which was a bit confusing. For someone that had only just moved to the city, I wasn’t sure why she’d already moved twice.
“Looking good, Lashes,” I said when she opened the door. I wasn’t lying. Eliza was wearing a short black dress that fit snugly around her curves. With it, she wore a pair of blue sneakers. The contrast made me excited. She looked sexy and innocent at once.
“Thank you. And you don’t look too bad yourself,” she said.
I laughed. I was wearing almost the same thing I’d worn the last few times she’d seen me. “Yeah, as you can see, I’m like a cartoon character; my outfit never changes.”
“Why waste time finding clothes in the morning? You’ve found your style, and you’re sticking to it. I admire that.”
“Some might call it lazy.”
“That’s true,” she giggled. “But we’ll ignore those people.”
She climbed onto the back of the bike and I drove to the burger restaurant in the center of town. She looked up and grinned at the neon lights.
“I feel like we’ve just stepped into the eighties. So, what am I looking at here? Is this another restaurant that everyone should know about? Better than the pizza place? Because I’m not sure you can beat that.”
“That was the best pizza restaurant in town. This is the best burger place. If you’ll stick around, maybe I’ll show you the best sushi place next time.”
“You like sushi?”
I grinned. “I have never been a picky eater.”
“Yeah, me either,” she said.
Inside, we placed our order and then smiled at one another.
“So, how come I picked you up at a new apartment?”
“Ah,” she said. “Well, the last place was actually Mae’s.” She then went on to tell me all about how she was living out of her car when I met her, and how Mae had offered for her to stay at her place. I wondered if that was why she’d snuck in and out the house so quickly. At least I knew I hadn’t been invited in for ‘dessert’ because of the situation, not because she didn’t want me there.
“That was nice of Mae.”
“Yeah, tell me about it.”
“But you found a new place now? That was quick.”
She grinned. “I know. First place I saw. I was super lucky. And it’s exactly what I was looking for. It’s small but perfect. And, you know, it’s nice to finally live on my own. I don’t think I’ve been in this happy in a long time.”
I looked at her then. First time living alone? “So, you lived with your mother before that?”
“Oh goodness, no. I lived with my boyfriend.”
I raised my eyebrows.
“Ex-boyfriend,” she clarified.
“Ah. And that was back in California?”
“Yep.”
I was about to ask more about this ex-boyfriend, but she changed the subject, and I got the impression that she really didn’t want to talk about him. I was fine with that. I didn’t want to talk about some ex of hers. I wanted to know more about her. The two of us spent the next few hours talking and laughing over our beers and burgers, and once again I was surprised by how well I got along with this woman who was so different from anyone I’d ever been with before. She laughed easily, and didn’t seem at all concerned about airs and graces. I wondered what her last boyfriend was like and how on earth he had let her go.
“You’re a lot of fun; you know that, Lashes?”
“I am? To be honest, I thought I’d be incredibly boring for someone like you.”
“Why do you say that?”
“I don’t know. I just don’t get the feeling you usually hang out with girls like me. I mean, I don’t even have a tattoo.”
I chuckled. “Having a tattoo doesn’t make you an exciting person. I know many people with tattoos who are as boring as anything. And trust me, you’re most definitely not boring. But I’m surprised that you’re hanging out with a guy like me.”
“Okay, your turn then: why do you say that?”
“Well, like you said, you’re a lot more clean-cut than me. And you’re sweet.”
“And you’re not?” she asked.
“I wouldn’t exactly use sweet to describe me. And I can honestly say that nobody has ever called me sweet before. And I’ve been called a lot of names in the past.”
She regarded me, her blue eyes scanning my face in scrutiny. I decided that it was the feature I liked the most about her. Her bright, blue eyes. Of course, there was still a lot more of her body that I had to see. “I think you’re sweet,” she decided.
“And I think you’re delusional.”
“I have been known to live in my head a lot.”
I grinned. “Actually, so have I.”
After dinner, I took her back home. I got off the bike and got ready for another rejection from her. I was willing to push for it, though. I could just imagine what Chris would say if I didn’t at least get an invite into her house. Or a kiss. A real kiss. I wondered what her lips would feel like against mine. Concentrate, Ian.
“Dinner was great. Again, you were right: those burgers were amazing. And I’m not usually a beer drinker. But that beer was delicious.”
“It was also pink,” I stated.
“Well, that made it even better. Strawberry beer? I could get used to that.”
I couldn’t believe that I was hanging out with a girl that liked strawberry beer, and who had giggled in delight when she’d seen it was pink. And yet, here I was. And she was just so easy to like.
“So, you’re impressed with my food choices so far then?” I asked, leading up to asking her out again.
“I most certainly am. I’m very impressed. I feel like I’ve finally met my match when it comes to food.”
“Good, then sushi is next,” I said. It wasn’t a question. I was going to take her out.
“I’m looking forward to it,” she said without hesitation. “You know what tonight was missing though?” she said.
Sex? “I don’t know? What?”
“Coffee.”
“Sadly, they’re not known for their coffee. That would’ve been nice, though.”
“Well, you’re in luck. You happen to be looking at the best coffee maker in town. I even make homemade cookies to have with them.”
I raised my eyebrows. “Oh yeah?” I pictured her standing in front of the stove with her apron on, and wiping the sweat from her face. The image was incredibly appealing. “Happen to have any of those homemade cookies on hand?”
“They’re inside. Would you like some?”
I nodded. Would I? Hell yes. “That would be great.”
“Come on in, then.”
I followed her inside and grinned at her apartment. It was exactly the sort of place I would picture her in. Light, airy, homey.
“Nice place,” I said.
“Thank you,” she beamed. “It’s still pretty bare, though. But I’m getting there. It’s cute, isn’t it?”
“You are.”
“Not me! The apartment.”
I laughed. “That too.”
For a while we just stood there, smiling at one another. I wondered how long I would have to hang around to make my first move. But, as it turned out, I didn’t have to worry about that at all. In a rather surprising turn of events, Eliza walked up to me, grabbed my jacket and pulled me toward her. Her mouth was immediately on mine, and I thought to myself, Oh, you’re sweet all right.