I sat opposite Holden, staring at him from across the table, and wondered how the hell I was going to phrase this so I wasn’t going to sound like a complete crazy person.

“I can’t believe this is happening.” He shook his head once more, leaning back in his seat. “Of all the people in the city….”

“And they stick you with the one you never want to see again,” I filled in the blanks for him.

“Hey, I never said that.” He held his hands up defensively. “I was planning on avoiding the school till Hunter grew out of your class, that’s all.”

The barest flicker of a smile passed over his face as he spoke, and I knew that was my way in.

“You know, I wanted to apologize for that day,” I admitted, running my hands through my hair, knowing that I was messing up the careful updo I’d worked on half the evening getting right. I supposed it didn’t even matter now. It wasn’t like I was trying to look hot for this guy.

“Really?” He seemed surprised.

“Yeah, I do actually admit when I’m wrong sometimes,” I replied. “Like, for example, I know now that I was wrong to agree to this date.”

He laughed. It was a good sound, and I liked it, despite myself.

“But look, I didn’t act as professionally as I might have wanted,” I went on. “And if I had a chance to do it again, I would change things, for sure. So I’m sorry about that. I really am.”

“Thanks.” He nodded, and I could tell it meant a lot to him to hear those words come out of my mouth.

“I’m not the most…” I searched for the words and figured we had already long overstepped the marks of pretending to be socially perfect. I sighed and fiddled with my hair again. “I’m not the most socially graceful person in the world,” I admitted. “I get that. And sometimes I can get taken over by doing what I think is right before approaching it in the way that’s actually going to help, you know what I mean?”

“I think I do,” he said with a nod. He paused for a moment, looked at me, and then spoke again. I couldn’t help but notice how much softer his eyes looked this time around, now that they weren’t all burning with anger aimed squarely at me. His suit was nice too—expensive-looking, just like the rest of him.

“I appreciate where you were coming from,” he told me. “I know you wanted the best for my son, and anyone who feels that way is all right in my book.”

“Good.” I smiled, and my stomach grumbled right then. I looked down at the menu.

“Look, if I told you I was going to pay my own way tonight, would you mind if we ate here?” I suggested. “Not a date, I mean. I just don’t want to go home and cook, and I could use the company if you’re willing to give it to me.”

He paused for a moment, and a smile curled up the corners of his lips. He had a good smile, genuine and broad like it was filling him from the toes up.

“You know, that sounds pretty good,” he admitted, and he reached for his menu. “I like the food here a lot.”

“You chose this place?” I looked around, taking in the sheer expense of this restaurant. “You must be pretty well-off to afford here.”

“I do all right.” He shrugged, and I clapped my hand over my mouth and shook my head.

“Oh my God, that’s so rude of me,” I gushed. “I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to be—”

“Hey, it’s okay,” He held his hand up and chuckled again. “Seems like we’re both pretty bad at this, huh?”

“Seems so,” I agreed. “Though at least you haven’t demanded my salary yet.”

“I was going to ask for pay slips and an energy bill with your name on it by the end of the date, but now you’ve got me thinking that’s not the best idea.” He tapped his finger against his chin, ponderingly with faux-seriousness, and this time, I laughed. He was actually pretty funny.

“Let’s make a night of this to please our friends, and then we can go off our own ways,” He suggested, and I extended my hand across the table toward him, relieved that we were able to be adults about this.

“Sounds great,” I agreed, and I opened the menu and started scanning down the food in front of me.

We chatted, and he guided me toward the dishes he thought I would most enjoy on the menu. I went with his preferences, and soon enough, we had a small selection of dishes on the table before us that we both chowed down on without pause. At an actual date, I might have been trying hard to play it as dainty, to pretend like I wasn’t a starving food hole who would cram herself full of as much as she could get. I didn’t worry too much about my lipstick rubbing off or my hair getting out of place or my dress looking too tight around the middle. In fact, I could relax and have a good time, and I found myself doing just that.

“Can I ask you something?” I leaned back from the table and took a long sip of my wine as he inclined his head. “Why did you come on this date in the first place? Forgive me if I’m wrong, but you don’t seem like the kind of guy who goes on blind dates.”

“What does that mean?” He smiled interestedly, and I shrugged.

“I mean, you seem like everything in your life is just so,” I told him. “With Hunter, with your job, with everything. Like you like it your way. I can’t imagine that translates well to your friends picking out partners for you.”

“If I’m being honest with you—” He leaned across the table, as though he was about to drop some scandalous information on me. “—I haven’t been on a date in nearly ten years. I don’t know how I’d go about finding someone for myself.”

“Ten years?” My eyes widened. “What, since Hunter came along?”

“Pretty much. I was so focused on the business and getting it off the ground that I never had a chance to focus on anything else.”

I felt a twinge of recognition at his words. How many times had I wondered if I had been a little less focused on my job if I would have had an easier time on the dating scene? It was different for him, of course, since he was running a whole business, but still. It was a lot for both of us.

“I feel you.” I nodded. “I think that’s why I ended up set up on this date myself. My friend works with me, and she probably wanted me out of the classroom.”

“Well, you’re only going to get good at your job by working your butt off there,” he agreed. “I get it. Work is easy. You can keep a handle on work. People, not so much.”

“So maybe we both start turning down blind dates in the future and find our own people, huh?” I suggested. He shook his head, smiling ruefully.

“Honestly?” He looked at me again, and maybe it was the wine, but the sharpness of his eyes took me aback a little. They were piercing, the kind that seemed to cut straight through you and down into your soul.

“Yeah?” I found myself staring into those eyes, propping my chin in my hand as I waited for him to go on.

“I don’t think I would ever come out with anyone at all if it hadn’t been for them,” he confessed. “Fuck, I was going to get out of this date. If it hadn’t been for Hunter, I would have dropped out before I so much as picked the restaurant.”

“And Hunter changed your mind?” I asked him. “What did he say?”

“He didn’t say anything specific,” he said. “It was like… it’s just obvious that the thought of me potentially meeting someone really excites him, you know?”

“That’s actually kind of sweet,” I remarked. “So you think you’ll start dating again? For him?”

“Don’t get me wrong. I’m sure there’s plenty to be said for getting out on the dating scene myself,” he remarked. “I’m sure I’ll be glad I did it when I actually do. But I guess I needed that little push to make things happen. And Hunter’s always been that push for me. For the business, for me as a person, for everything. I just want to give him everything I can.”

He came to a halt, chuckled at himself, and shook his head.

“I’m sorry. I guess I’ve had a little too much to drink,” he apologized.

“Not at all,” I replied firmly. “It’s so nice to hear someone speaking so highly of their kid, especially a dad. You’d be surprised how many think we’re going to laugh at them for daring to express an emotion, even if it’s about their own son or daughter.”

“Thanks,” he replied. “Sorry, I haven’t talked to anyone new in such a long time, not properly.”

“Me neither,” I admitted. “But this has been nice. A practice-date, right?”

“I can drink to that,” he agreed, and he raised his glass and took a sip.

“Though I’m not sure where I’ll be meeting my dates after this,” he said. “Most of the women I work with are married, and I’m not sure I’d trust Raymond to set me up again.”

“Let me do that for you!” I suggested. “I know you a little better now. I’m sure I could find some women for you to go out with.”

“You think?” He cocked an eyebrow.

“Are you kidding?” I waved my hand at him. “Look at you. You’re the picture of eligible. Rich, handsome, young, good-looking, kind, a good dad….”

As I listed off his traits, I realized I was having a hard time justifying why I wasn’t going for him myself. They were all true, of course, but that didn’t mean we had to be together. Did it?

I cleared my throat and shifted in my seat.

“Anyway.” I waved my hand. “What I’m saying is, I’ll be able to find plenty of women who want to date you. Actually date you, I mean.”

“Sounds good.” He grinned at me. And with that, we continued to talk until most of the rest of the restaurant had cleared out and the waiters were hovering, waiting for us to move already. We got our separate bills, and I drained the last of my wine.

“Well, this has been a much more enjoyable evening than I thought it would be,” I told him.

“It really has,” he agreed, getting to his feet and extending his hand to me. “Pleasure to meet you properly, Autumn.”

“Pleased to meet you too, Holden,” I replied, taking his hand. We must have looked so funny to the people around us, spending the whole night together at a romantic restaurant and closing things off with a handshake. But it felt good, like the promise of a friendship, and I could use as many of those as I could get. Not that I would have minded something more.

I let my hand linger in his a split-second too long, and then swiftly removed it and pushed that thought to the back of my mind. No. That wasn’t how this worked. Things with us were fun, that was all, and besides, I had agreed to set him up with someone else. It was just the wine speaking, and I should get out before anything of that nature started spilling out of my mouth as well.

“Good night, Holden.” I turned on my heel and made it out of there, not even pausing to hear him say it back to me.