Chapter 6 Lexi
SIX
LEXI
Famous last words.
Nico Sinclair is handsome. Or maybe that’s not the right word.
His dark hair is somehow both messy and styled, with amber eyes that make him seem like he’s from another world. But it’s his demeanor that would have most women falling to their knees if he did so much as look their way.
I’ve seen the evidence of it with every waitress who has come to the table in the twenty minutes we’ve been seated, and although I would never think of myself as a jealous woman, there’s no way in hell I could live my life with a man like this, especially as he does nothing to discourage their attention.
His powder blue button-down has a button too many undone, showing his defined chest, while his rolled-up sleeves give the entire restaurant a view of some of the most defined, tattooed forearms I’ve ever seen.
He leans back in his chair, watching me over the rim of his red wineglass.
So far we’ve talked about the weather in Seattle, how his flight was, and the menu. Surface-level things that shouldn’t give me any indication of whether we’re a match.
But I can say with one million percent certainty that although an algorithm deemed us partial matches, we are in no way compatible.
And we both know it.
But we have to be seen to make an effort, which is why we’re sitting here in silence as a waitress refills my wineglass.
I’m going to need every drop of alcohol I can get to make it through this dinner.
“Do you like living in Vegas?” I ask, internally cringing at the small talk, but it’s the only thing I could think of.
He chuckles, the sound deep and masculine enough that the waitress almost overfills my glass because she’s so distracted by it. “It’s all I’ve ever known. And it keeps me busy.”
“I’m sure it does,” I say softly, taking a long drink the second the leggy blonde steps away from our table. If this is what dating is like, I’m returning to my life as a lonely spinster because this is my idea of a nightmare.
Crazy cat lady, here I come. All I need now is for the cat distribution system to choose me and give me an angel like Mr. Whiskers.
“If you don’t mind me asking, why have you waited so long to find a wife? I would have thought your father would have wanted you married before he handed you the keys to the kingdom.”
It’s a bold question, but I might as well get some tea while I’m here, seeing as there’s no way a second date is happening, and even less likelihood of us standing at an altar.
He chuckles. “He and my mother have been trying to force me down the aisle since I was twenty-one, but I never felt ready.”
“And you’re ready now?”
“No,” he tells me honestly. “But if I don’t look like I’m at least making an effort to give my mother grandbabies, I think she’s going to lose her mind.”
It’s my turn to laugh as I take another drink. “My mom is the same way, but she’s way more focused on Cruz and Riley right now, which is a nice change.”
“Does she know you signed up for the matchmaker?”
I shake my head. “I didn’t want to give her false hope.”
“Maybe I should have taken that route. I’ve had thirty-three messages from her since I landed this afternoon.”
“Mafia moms are a different breed.”
“Are they ever.” He takes a long drink from his glass. “This is your first matchmaker date?”
I nod. “It is. I was surprised how quickly they worked, to be honest.”
“So was I. I thought it would be months before I’d hear anything.”
I open my mouth to respond but snap it shut when the waitress comes to take our orders. He orders a steak, medium rare, with vegetables instead of fries, a red flag to my carb-loving heart.
For a moment I consider ordering a salad. It’s the appropriate choice, but there’s no way we’re having a second date, so I might as well have something I’ll enjoy. Plus, do I really want to set a precedent from the first date that I’ll always eat like a rabbit? Hard pass.
“Can I please have the fettuccine carbonara with parmesan on the side?”
Her perfectly shaped eyebrow quirks at my order, but she jots it down, throws another flirty look at Nico, and heads toward the kitchen.
I glance across the table at my smirking date. “Didn’t expect me to order pasta?”
He shakes his head. “My dates usually nibble at a piece of lettuce, and the sight makes me hungry on their behalf.”
“I’m glad I can break that streak then.”
The further we get into our date, the more it becomes apparent that while Nico and I are actually compatible, it’s not romantically.
We never run out of things to talk about, but there’s no spark, and we’re both perfectly aware of that fact, even if neither of us has voiced it.
He’s sipping top-shelf whiskey, while I’ve stuck to red wine, knowing it will put me to sleep tonight instead of dwelling on the fact that once again, I’ve failed.
It’s rare I allow something like this to get to me anymore, but the fact that my brother met his perfect match at the altar while my first matchmaker date has been anticlimactic at best is weighing on me.
“When are you heading back to Vegas?” I ask.
“Tonight. I have a meeting first thing in the morning that couldn’t be moved. Plus, I don’t do great in the rain.”
A laugh tumbles from me. “Seattle definitely isn’t the place for you then.”
He shakes his head, a wide smile tugging at his lips. Now that I’ve taken the pressure off, I see Nico in a different light.
Where he seemed cocky when we first sat down, now I see that that’s the mask he shows the world. It’s a skill you learn early in Mafia life, a defensive mechanism that becomes second nature. I hope he finds his match, because I have a feeling he’ll be good to whoever it may be.
“There’s a reason I live in the desert.”
His brow drops into a frown as he fishes his phone from his pocket, and he sighs. “Duty calls, I’m afraid.”
“Life of a Mafia boss,” I quip.
“Don’t I know it.” He pushes himself to his feet, and I follow suit.
I’m not ready to go back to the house yet.
Although it’s not as big as the estate that I grew up in, it feels lonelier somehow.
Maybe because it’s not filled with staff and my mother floating around.
“Thank you for a lovely evening. I hope you find your perfect match.”
I smile, my chest tightening slightly. It stings to hear him say it, even if I came to the same conclusion five minutes after sitting down. “You too. It was nice getting to know you.”
“Give Cruz my regards when he gets back from his honeymoon.” He pulls me into a quick hug. “Stay in touch, Lexi. We may not have been a match, but that doesn’t mean we couldn’t each use a friend.”
I nod and say a quick goodbye before he disappears through the front door, his car pulling up just as he reaches the curb.
With a sigh, I drop back into my seat and drain what’s left in my glass.
There’s still a little in the bottle, and it would be a real shame to waste it, so I quickly refill the glass and bring it back to my lips.
Things may not have worked out, but at least I put myself out there.
That’s a start.