24. Eden
EDEN
The next day, after vetting five choices, Bree and I settle on a pale yellow sundress that feels “first date” appropriate.
“You’re too fucking pretty to be good at so many other things.”
I roll my eyes, knowing she’s in best friend hype mode. “Oh, stop it.”
Then the true Bree comes out. Her voice drops a level, and her brows wag. “So do you want to hook up with him tonight?”
She’s not one to pull punches, so I don’t protest the blunt question. It would be like asking water not to be wet.
“Well…our kiss was super hot. I’ll have to see how the night goes.”
“Get yours, girl. It’s been a while, right?”
“Too long.” Not indulging in one-night stands has its disadvantages when you aren’t dating anyone.
She huffs. “He’s going to lose his mind when he sees you.”
Taking stock, I’m satisfied. My hair is curled exactly how I like it, the waves hitting my shoulders. And my makeup is subtle, but my eyes and lips have just the right amount of pop.
On cue, my phone buzzes. It’s Connor, saying he’s outside.
“He’s here. Don’t wait up.”
“He’s not coming to the door to say hi?” she whines jokingly.
I roll my eyes. “He wouldn’t mind, but I thought it best to avoid all the busybodies out here.”
“Yeah, like they aren’t going to notice you walking out looking like a million bucks into the blond god’s car.”
I shrug, because I’m sure she’s right.
The stares aren’t too bad, though, and by the time I see Connor, I don’t care. He’s leaning against the car, arms folded, a smile on his face. The glasses, the blond hair with a hint of a wave, the tall, strong body—that’s all I focus on, not my Tolliver classmates being nosy.
“You look beautiful.” His tone holds a hint of awe, but his smile is calm as he opens the car door for me. “Like a ray of sunshine.”
I can’t think of anything clever to say, so I stick to, “Thank you.”
He comes around and starts the car, and as he pulls into the street, he switches on the music. “You can choose whatever you want.”
Settling into the seat, I find my words again. “Sheesh, holding the door for me, letting me pick the music…”
He chuckles. “Wanted to display those gentlemanly manners you once told me you expected from a Southern boy.”
I laugh. “Not expected. But it’s nice to experience them.”
He looks at me briefly, the final rays of the evening sun dancing in his eyes, before turning back to the road. “I’ll remember that.”
While he’s driving, I have a chance to examine him properly. He’s wearing a blue plaid button-down over khaki pants, his long legs stretched out under the steering wheel. Being a mid-October night in Florida, it’s finally not too hot for all that clothing.
But I know what’s underneath. Or a lot of it anyway. And now Bree’s question is pinging around in my head.
What do I want from tonight? If the image pinned in my head of his shirtless body is any indication, I want more than a kiss.
He interrupts my perusal once he’s turned onto the highway. “I thought we could start on Hibiscus Avenue, where all those bars are?”
“Yes, perfect. I’ve barely been downtown. So many places are twenty-one and older, and my birthday was in June.”
“You didn’t have a fake before then?”
“No, I’m too much of a goody two-shoes for that. I was terrified I’d get caught. Why, did you?”
“Yeah. Not because I’m a huge party guy. It was annoying not to get into places with my brothers or teammates before then.”
“You mentioned you don’t drink much. Is there a story to that?” He’s not playing sports, so I know it’s not the same reasoning as me.
“No big story, and I actually enjoy getting a little buzzed. I’ll be a fine partner for this bar crawl tonight.” He winks at me.
“Oh, thank God,” I joke.
“I just hate when it goes beyond that. When things get sloppy. Not for other people, I’m not judgmental. We’re young and all that. But for me—I want to be able to stay in control of myself.”
That actually fits him. “I get that.”
We fall into a comfortable silence once he pulls into the downtown area. It takes a while to navigate to Hibiscus Street, so I let him focus.
Once parked, I peer around at all the visible bars, knowing that even more options are out of sight. “Where are we starting first?”
“Do you trust me?” His teasing tone keeps me from worrying.
“Uh oh, what does that mean?”
“I planned out an actual tour. Like what places, in order.”
That’s kind of sweet? I mean, it’s an effort Greg never made. “Wow, sounds fun.”
Once out of the car, Connor grabs my hand. It’s awesome to be this far away from campus—I’m not going to worry about seeing anyone I know.
Hand in hand, he leads me to what is apparently the first destination on his list, Peaches & Cream. It’s more of a wine bar than a pub.
We grab a small high table, and once we sit down, he scootches my chair over closer to his. With me in it. It’s quite a move, but he acts nonchalant about it.
“Here’s a menu.” He passes me the laminated peach paper.
“Are you a wine guy?”
He crinkles his mouth. “Not really. But I thought it would be a good place to start. Grace and Avery both love this place.”
Wait. “Could they show up here?”
“No, they traveled to the Waves game.” It’s away this week, in Pittsburgh. The Surge got knocked out of the playoffs a few days ago, so it makes sense Avery could attend.
“Your whole family went? Would you have wanted to?”
He gives me a wide grin. “I had better things planned.”
My chest warms, and I dip my eyes down to the menu. “Like Peach Cobbler Chardonnay?”
He shakes his head, grin still firmly intact. “No, not that.”
A blush rises as he holds my gaze, allowing me to recognize a shift in him for the first time. He may still have his glasses on, but it’s like the curtains he’s had drawn over his emotions have been pulled back.
Waiting for me there is the real Connor. Hope in his eyes—hope for the evening, hope for us.
My blush fades, replaced by a smile to match his. An acknowledgment that we’re finally here, after so many obstacles, on a date, together.
He steadily locks eyes with me, his own grin remaining too. The look is interrupted only after a server comes by to take our orders.
“What can I get you two?”
Connor glances down at the menu, giving me a chance to push out a breath. “I’m going to get a glass of red wine,” he says. “Pinot Noir, I think.”
“And you, miss?”
I order the only thing I remember. “I’ll try a glass of the Peach Cobbler thingy.”
After the waitress leaves, Connor’s hand inches up to his glasses, and he peers at me as he leans back in the chair.
“I like how your cheeks get rosy when you blush.” His voice is quiet, with an edge to it that I don’t anticipate.
“Rosy? Blush? Never…”
We both know I’m lying, but he lets it go.
“So did you tell Bree?”
“I did. She’s…supportive of the whole secrecy scenario. So don’t worry.”
“That’s nice. It’s good you have a friend like that.”
“Do you? I mean, you said Rawley is your closest friend?”
He rolls his fingers over the table. “He is, on the whole. I trust him…as much as anyone. I’m not the best at being open about everything.”
“I hadn’t noticed.” My turn to be dry.
The ends of his lips turn up. “Yeah…yeah.”
“Does he know anything about…us?”
“No.” He flattens his hand on the table. “I-It’s not that I don’t want to share with him. But if I did, he’d be forced to keep it a secret from Grace, because of her job at SLP. Putting that burden on him feels wrong.”
Understandable. Not to mention it’s only our first date. “It’s okay, I get it.”
He tilts his head back up at me, then slides his hand over to thread his fingers with mine. “Thanks. I’m…I’m still processing we’re actually here, together, to be honest.”
“We sure took the long road.” The ends of my lips turn up. “Isn’t that a line from a country song?”
He laughs, just as the waitress comes by with our drinks. I watch Connor as he takes a sip of his Pinot.
“How is it?”
“Pretty good. Try yours. You’re the one being experimental.”
I do as he asks…and the wine is delicious. “Sweet and peachy.”
“Doesn’t sound bad.”
I set my drink down. I want to dig more into what he was saying earlier.
“So other than your family, do you hang out with anyone here?” Shane graduated last year and moved to Chicago, so I know not with him.
“Not so far. I’m always slow to make friends in new environments, though.”
“That’s normal.”
“I’m not shy.” He peers off at something over my shoulder, eyes unfocused. “But being here with my life in limbo, not knowing whether I want to work for Milo long term, I…I need to be more settled before I’ll feel confident opening up to new people.”
“Like the risk isn’t worth it if things change?”
“More like I’m not sure I’m in the best place to be a good friend right now.” Huh. “I mean, beyond the people I already connect with…” He bends his head toward me.
“Well, you have a friend in me…”
“Hope so.” A grin comes on his face. “Another country song reference?”
I giggle. I hadn’t even thought of that. “Maybe.”
We link eyes for a beat—it’s getting a little too easy to lose myself in his hazel globes. I force myself to break away and take another sip. “I’m already almost done with this drink. The night might be over really fast.”
“We can swap in some water. Or do you want to go to the next place on my list?”
I definitely want to see what else he has planned. “Let’s keep it moving. I can have water at the next stop.”
He nods, and we take off after he settles up. Mind you, I offer to pay, but he insists that the “Connor Battle Bar Tour” has to be paid for by Connor Battle.
The next spot on his list has the inauspicious name of Cheetos. I’m expecting a dive bar, but when we get there, it’s a high-end sports pub, and really nice.
“I wonder how it got that name?” I ask, as Connor pulls out my bar stool for me.
The bartender standing in front of us is the one to answer. “The owner’s son named it when he was eight. Cheetos are still his favorite snack ten years later.”
Connor takes his seat. “That would do it.”
“What would you two like to start with?”
Connor’s eyes flit over to the taps. “We’re in a tasting mode. What do you suggest?”