Chapter 8
Tyler
Slamming my truck door shut, I smooth down my shirt with my clammy palms. I was shocked when Audrey gave me her address to pick her up. I assumed she wouldn’t want me to know where she lives on our first date, but I was thrilled when she did. Riding together gives us more time together.
I blow out a quick breath through pursed lips as I step up the walkway to her apartment.
She lives in a small complex with only a handful of units—maybe fifteen total.
Hers is on the first floor, which I don’t love, but I figure I haven’t known her long enough to suggest she move into a more secure apartment.
I dab sweat beading along my hairline before knocking on the door and wiping my palms on my jeans. Glancing down at my empty hands, panic strangles me for a moment. I should’ve brought flowers or something.
Before I can spiral too much, the door swings open, and my breath catches in my throat.
Audrey has looked gorgeous every time I’ve seen her, including at the gym, but tonight, she’s stunning.
Her reddish-brown hair frames her face in tamed yet still wild waves, giving her an ethereal look.
The top she’s wearing hugs all her curves and is tucked into her tight jeans.
“Hi.”
Her hesitant voice yanks me back to my senses, and I snap my mouth shut. “You look amazing.”
With pink cheeks and a shy smile, she turns away from me. The view from the back is just as sexy as the front.
“Let me just grab my jacket.”
I clear my throat. “Okay, sure.” My gaze moves over the interior of her apartment. The furniture looks comfortable and worn. There’s an eclectic mix of what are probably antiques and newer items that gives it a homey vibe. “I feel like an idiot for not bringing you flowers.”
She slips her arms into her thin jacket and smiles. “Don’t worry about it. Honestly, I’m terrible at keeping plants alive.”
Feeling somewhat better about my oversight, I smile when she picks up her purse and joins me at the door. “You ready?” I ask.
“I am. Are you going to tell me where we are going?”
I rest my hand on her lower back as we step outside. “You’ll know soon enough.”
Her soft voice floats through the dusky evening. “I can’t wait.”
Once her door is locked, I guide her to my truck and help her inside. I grab the buckle and stretch it across her waist.
“I can buckle myself, Tyler,” Audrey mumbles with an amused lilt to her words.
After it clicks into place, I leave my hand on the buckle. I turn to face her, our bodies inches apart—much too far for my liking. “I know you can, but I want to do it.”
Her gorgeous dark eyes widen briefly, a faint exhale hits my face, and it takes everything in me not to kiss her like I want to.
“Okay, you can do it.” Her words are barely a whisper.
A smug smile pulls at my lips at her agreement. I thought she was going to argue with me more. I remove my hand from the buckle and squeeze her thigh. “Good answer. Let’s get going.”
I close her door and jog to the driver’s side, climbing inside and starting the engine.
When I’m pulling out of the parking lot, Audrey asks, “How old are you?”
Cutting my eyes over to her, I answer cautiously, not wanting my age to change her mind. “Old enough. Why?”
She shrugs. “I have a pretty good feeling I’m older than you, just curious how much older that is.”
I lick my lips before replying. While I don’t think it’s going to be a significant age difference, apprehension about what her maximum age difference might be sits uncomfortably in my gut.
“I’m twenty-nine.” Rubbing her lips together in thought as she studies me, my heart picks up a beat. “How old are you?”
She winces. “Thirty-six. Is that too old for you? I’m sure you could get someone much younger.”
I don’t think there’s an age she could’ve given me that would’ve made me not want to see where this could go.
“Audrey, seven years is barely anything. Besides, if our ages were reversed, no one would bat an eye.”
With a shy smile, she concedes, “That’s a good point.”
“If you’re worried about having to take care of me or if I’m looking for a sugar mama, I can assure you, I have a very good job and make plenty of money.”
Since we’re at a red light, I watch her full lips part before she closes them quickly. My eyebrows jump in question, and she shakes her head. “I wasn’t worried about that.”
As I drive through the intersection, not being able to resist the urge to touch her, I reach over and squeeze her thigh.
“Now that we have that settled”—I turn into a parking lot and pull into a spot close to the building.
Audrey’s smile widens when she sees where we are—“I hope you’re a good bowler, because I don’t plan on going easy on you just because we’re on a date. ”
Her laugh is loud and sweet to my ears. “Full disclosure, I’m not very good at bowling, but I am incredibly competitive.”
I pop my door open. “Sounds like this should be an interesting night.”
Another laugh follows me out of the truck. I shut the door and jog around the passenger side, helping her the rest of the way out and intertwining our fingers as I close her door and lock it.
Last night, when I was deciding where to take Audrey on a date, I didn’t want to do just a boring dinner date.
I’d been to this restaurant before and knew they had a few lanes of restored vintage bowling alleys in the back, so when I saw they had reservations available, it was a no-brainer that this was what we were going to do.
We can still enjoy great food and drinks while also having fun with an activity.
Jitters coil behind my ribs as her soft palm cups mine, and fingers smaller than mine electrify my skin.
I’ve never been this equally elated and terrified for a date.
The number of times Audrey crossed my mind before actually introducing myself was embarrassing enough, but once I spoke to her and got her number, there was no undoing the obsession.
When I pull open the door of the restaurant, I begrudgingly release her hand so she can enter ahead of me.
Her perfume drifts up to my nose, and my heart skips a beat.
After I give the hostess my name, she escorts us to the back of the restaurant, where the back room with the bowling alleys is located.
We make small talk while putting on our shoes and placing our drink orders. Throughout all of this, it’s difficult to get a solid sense of what Audrey is thinking and feeling. She seems shy, yet she watches me with an intensity that almost makes me self-conscious. Her smiles are warm but guarded.
All of that heightens my fixation on her. It makes me want to dig in and figure out all the secrets she’s holding back and prove to her that I’m someone she can trust.
But first, I need to slow my roll.
I clap my hands together as she finishes tying her shoelaces. “Audrey, are you ready to lose at bowling?”
She scoffs. “I know I said I wasn’t that great, but don’t count me out yet, kiddo. You might be surprised.”
My mouth is slightly ajar before, on an amused whisper, I repeat with a cringe, “Kiddo.”
With a smirk and an extra wiggle of her hips that does not go unnoticed, Audrey steps up to the ball return and, after looking at and picking up a few different balls, she settles on a blue one.
I give her another clap and call out, “You got this, mama. Make me regret saying that you’re going to lose.”
She whips around, glaring at me. “You cannot call me that.”
I said it as a joke, but I actually kind of like it. Winking at her, I tell her so. “I don’t know. It’s kind of fitting, don’t you think?”
Her eyes narrow, and she gives an annoyed huff. She turns back around with a shake of her head. I chuckle as she steps up to the line, her arm swings back, and I exhale as she releases the ball.
My eyes widen as it flies over the divider, landing in the lane next to ours.
Audrey’s hands slap over her mouth as she spins around to first look at me, then at the man preparing to bowl next to her, staring at her with a slack jaw.
I rub my fingers over my lips to conceal my laughter as Audrey apologizes profusely to the man who’s repeatedly assuring her it’s no big deal.
“I think I might be in love already…” I mumble to myself as I stand and go try to save Audrey from herself.