Chapter 15
Chapter fifteen
Rhett
Shaking out my arms to rid myself of nerves, I take two steps at a time up to the third floor, adrenaline coursing through my veins. This building is much different than Audrey’s old apartment, with its sleek and modern large glass windows.
Her door came into view. Apartment sixty-four. Suddenly my lace-up leather boots sound loud and squeaky on these shiny concrete floors. I put on clean jeans and a short sleeve button down shirt. Shit, is this the same thing I wore to Bourbon Barrel?
It’s too late now, if it is. I pause in the hallway and pull out my phone to triple check the reservations for the sushi restaurant. It’s only two blocks away and we have fifteen minutes to spare, so at least I have that going for me. Women like men who are punctual, right?
I wasn’t the planning type— hell—I wasn’t the dating type.
I couldn’t remember the last time I took a woman out to dinner.
My dates in the past started at a bar and usually ended in my date’s bed.
But that’s the old me. The new me is shaking in his boots at the idea of eating dinner with someone other than Ky.
Her apartment door opens before my knuckles have the chance to even make contact, and my words are stolen right from my damn tongue.
Audrey has on a long navy skirt that ties around her waist and a top that falls off her shoulders. She said she was exhausted, but it doesn’t show. Her idea of exhaustion must be different from mine because she looks like she just stepped out of the salon.
As her hazel eyes reach mine, she quietly pulls the door shut behind her, stepping into the hallway. She smells sweet, like the star jasmine flowers lining my mom’s garden. At that thought, my stomach does an unexpected routine of somersaults.
“Hey.” I remember how to speak as she flashes me a smirk. “You look beautiful, Audrey.”
Audrey was beautiful. But she pauses in her step when I say it, pink spreading across her lightly freckled cheeks.
“Oh, thank you.” She quickly pinches her brows together, like she doesn’t believe I really mean it.
I guess I’ll have to work on showing her how beautiful she is to me.
“Shall we?” she asks, but before I can even answer, she waltzes past me, leading the way to the stairwell I just came up from, her hand on the door as I take wide strides to catch up to her.
“Hopefully parking wasn’t a pain.” She flashes me a polite smile before taking off down the steps, her skirt balled up in her fist as I try to keep up with her fast pace.
“It was fine,” I reply, feeling like I'm chasing her through the stairwell. Maybe she’s nervous, too. Or she wants to get this over with as fast as she can.
As we approach the lobby, I practically have to jump ahead of her to catch the door and hold it open to the sidewalk.
“If you move any quicker, I won’t be able to get the doors for you,” I half-joke and she scans me up and down quizzically.
“Well, Rhett, I guess you better learn to walk faster then.” She pauses to flip me a real smile this time. One that reaches her eyes, and everything stills for a moment.
Every time she shows me a little piece of what I can only assume is the real Audrey, not the persona she wears like a shield, I have the same feeling I did on the rooftop.
I might be in trouble.
The kind of trouble that makes me feel alive, that makes me want more.
Though inside I might be a fucking mess, I would not let her see anything but a cool, calm and collected man. That’s what she deserved after her fucking mess of an ex.
Gently placing my hand on the small of her back, I guided her to the left, towards the restaurant. I pull my hand away as we start down the sidewalk, not wanting to make her feel uncomfortable.
I get the feeling she is the kind of woman who would want to take things slow. So, I remind myself again—this is a first date. Even if I can’t take my eyes off her.
The city buzzes with its usual noise, but the space between us grows still as we fall into step, side by side, on the sidewalk. Small talk was never my strong suit. I’ve always been the type to cut straight to the point. Not that it’s always worked in my favor.
Maybe that’s why I never could keep someone around long. Certainly not long enough to put a ring on a finger, which is what my mom gets on my case about every Sunday evening.
But right now, I only have one goal in mind. Make sure Audrey smiles tonight more than anything.
“Have you ever been to Sushi Blue?” I asked as we approached a crosswalk.
Audrey glances up at me. “Once, a while ago. How about you?”
I look both ways, nearly holding her back until it’s safe to cross. I can’t help my overprotective nature.
“Me? Oh no, I don’t eat down here often.”
Or ever.
“More of a cook at home type guy?” she asks, and I nod.
“Something like that.”
Homebody would be more accurate.
I hold the door open to the restaurant and as soon as we walk inside, I feel wildly out of place.
I notice eyes glancing our way. Probably just because Audrey is stunning and who wouldn’t look her way.
But my nerves say they are also probably wondering what a guy like me was doing with a woman like her.
I was wondering the same thing. But I let on to none of that, as we’re led to our table.
Audrey sits down when I pull out her chair, keeping her eyes down.
I sit down, too, but feel fidgety as hell. This place is quiet and dim, and I feel like everyone is talking in whispers, and I don’t know what half the menu is. I should’ve thought this through better.
Audrey picks up the menu, her eyes gliding down it like this was an everyday thing.
Good, at least she’ll be comfortable.
I settle on the first thing I spot on the menu, knowing it doesn’t really matter; I’ll eat just about anything. When Audrey sets her menu down, her attention shifts back to me.
“You know what you’re getting?” she asks, and I nod.
“Yeah, I think so.”
She smiles politely and I lean my elbows on the table, closer to her. I know that’s probably not proper etiquette but as she sits stiffly in her chair, I'm desperate to make her relax.
“Alright, so besides being a great line dancer, tell me something about yourself.”
Her head rolls slightly with her eyes but she cracks a tiny smile.
“You making fun of me?”
I laugh, throwing my hands up. “Hell no, never. You really weren’t bad.”
“Well, thanks. And I hate this question, my brain goes completely blank whenever I have to talk about myself.” She stirs the straw in her water.
“Fair enough.” I drag my palm down my jaw. “Alright, tell me your favorite movie. Or favorite flower. Something ridiculously stupid.”
Her shoulders relax a tiny bit, and the air feels less heavy as she chews her lip in a way that makes me wild.
“Blue hydrangeas.”
I tilt my head, not sure I heard her right.
“I know it’s not really a flower, but hydrangeas are my favorite. The blue ones specifically.” Her lips pull up in a grin and I nod, happy with the answer. Another tidbit about Audrey Elson.
“Any reason why?” I ask, seeing how much she’ll let on, how many things I can learn about her.
“I grew up in New England and in the summer when the hydrangeas in everyone’s yard were in full bloom, it was really pretty. They always made me happy.”
“I’m guessing you miss it then?”
A fleeting shadow crosses her face, and she tilts her head ever so slightly.
“No, I don’t actually.”
My lips part, about to change the subject, seeing this may be a point of pain, but she interjects, her golden flecked eyes back on me as she perks up in her seat.
“My turn.” Audrey leans forward. “Why do you hate the city so much?”
“Oh, coming in for the kill, I see,” I joke, rolling the paper from my straw in between my fingers. “I grew up in the country, on a farm. I guess I don’t see the appeal of the city. It’s loud, and crowded, everyone’s rushing around. People are kind of assholes.”
Audrey’s gaze drifts, unfocused, as if her thoughts have carried her somewhere far away.
“I can’t say you’re entirely wrong. But do you like living out there alone?”
I shrug. “I have Mabel. And my mom, sister and nieces live all within a few minutes. I never feel alone.”
“It must be nice to have family nearby.” Audrey smiles, lips closed, but it doesn’t reach her eyes. Hair falls over part of her face, and she pushes it back behind her ear as the waitress comes over to take our order.
Once she leaves, I continue, hoping it doesn’t feel like I'm interrogating her.
“What about your family?”
“I have one older brother, Andrew. We don’t see each other often. He’s a surgeon.” She pauses, her mouth still open, like she is unsure how much more she wants to say. “My Dad owns an investment banking firm in Manhattan, and my mom is…well, she stays quite busy.”
Her words are clipped, so I don’t push her.
“Alright, I'm done grilling you.” I feel like an ass now, but Audrey smiles up at me.
“It’s fine. I’d rather be here than spending my night unpacking my clothes.”
“So, I’m just a miniscule upgrade from unpacking?” I tease and Audrey laughs.
“Okay, that came out horrible. I am glad you invited me for this ‘thank you’ dinner.” She crinkles her nose, and it’s so damn adorable, I forget to respond for a moment.
“Well, I'd rather be here than just about anywhere else tonight.”
The lighting is dim, but I could’ve sworn she blushed.