Chapter 21
SAGE
“I hope you like the roses and that they’re not too cliché,” Parker says as we sit down at a table in the middle of the restaurant. He offers me a sincere smile, his blue eyes kind, as he nods toward the bouquet on the chair next to me.
“Oh, flowers are never cliché. Thank you. They’re beautiful.” I lift them up and sniff them. The fragrant smell tells me that they’re freshly picked. “You really didn’t have to, but I really appreciate it.”
“I was very much looking forward to our date,” he says as he leans back.
I notice he’s dressed very smartly. He has an air of sophistication and charm, and I feel like I’ve won the lottery. He almost seems too good to be true.
“I hope you like this restaurant. I’ve only been here once before, but the food was amazing, and I thought to myself, if ever there was a place I wanted to take a first date if I wanted to impress, this would be it.”
“Oh, you don’t need to impress me.” I giggle shyly and look down.
My heart races as he leans over and grabs my hand and squeezes.
“Oh, I very much did have to impress you, Sage. I want a chance at a second date after all.”
“Well, let’s get to the end of the dinner first. You might find you don’t want one after this.” I titter, but I can’t help but think of how poised he is, how he says just the right words. I should be happy, but I miss the banter that I have with Dalton.
Get him out of your mind, I lecture myself internally.
I do not need to think about Dalton, or his offer of a kiss, or the way his eyes stared at my lips. My heart almost jumps out of my body as I think about him, and I pray to God that my face is not turning red.
“Did I make you blush?” Parker says.
Guess my prayer wasn’t answered.
“I just go red sometimes,” I say, because I surely can’t tell him that I made out with my boss recently and that I’m thinking about how amazing it was.
“So,” he says, “you can look at the menu, and if you want, I can make a few recommendations on some of the items that I have previously had …” He scowls as he looks toward the front of the restaurant. “That’s odd.”
“What is?” I ask.
“There’s a couple pointing at us and heading our way.” He looks confused. “I don’t know them, but …”
I look over my shoulder, and my heart races.
I don’t know why or how I knew it, but as soon as I see Dalton, I’m not surprised.
He’s here with a pretty lady with long, dark hair.
She reminds me of Jennifer Coolidge, but as a brunette; even the way she’s laughing as she heads toward us has that loud, uncomfortable feeling.
Dalton hurries over. “There you are, Sage. I’m so sorry we’re late.”
I frown at him. “Late?”
“The double date you suggested.” He grins as he turns to greet Parker. “Hi, Parker. I’ve heard so much about you. I’m Dalton, Sage’s friend.”
“You what?” Parker looks shell-shocked now as he shakes Dalton’s hand.
Dalton takes a seat next to me, and the lady standing there sits next to Parker.
“Sorry, I’m a little bit confused as to what’s going on.” Parker looks over at me.
“Oh, Sage, you didn’t tell Parker that you’d invited me on this double date?”
“You what?” I stare at Dalton, shock on my face and in my tone.
He looks at me with a genuine, perplexed expression on his face. He almost makes me doubt myself.
“When we were in the car, you said this was a great place for a date, and I suggested it was a great place for a double date. And you said, ‘Yeah, it would be.’ And I said, ‘Oh, so should we do it?’ And you were like, ‘Yeah.’”
“I said that?” I rack my brain to think of the conversation in the car, but as we were talking, I was checking my messages from Parker. “I don’t actually recall.”
I see Dalton’s lips twitching. The jackass was lying to me. He winks slowly, and I’m about to say something when Parker looks over at me and nods.
“Was this because you were worried? I know, sometimes, women get a little bit nervous on a first date. And you are Sage’s good friend?”
“I’m her boss and her friend, yes. Sometimes, I think I’m a little bit more, but I think that’s in my head,” Dalton says. “And this is my good friend, Sandra.” He nods over to the lady sitting next to Parker.
“She’s your date?” I ask him. I’m not sure why I’m feeling a little uneasy and slightly jealous.
“Yeah. Sandra, this is Sage, and this is her date, Parker. They’re on a first date and—”
“Oh, I just love going on first dates,” Sandra says as she fixes her eyes on Parker.
“And you look absolutely delicious. Let me tell you, if I were on a date with you, that shirt would be off by the end of the night and … ooh la la, is that a Rolex on your wrist? You didn’t tell me the man had money. ” Sandra looks over at Dalton.
“Well, I’m sure that’s not why Sage is on a date with him, is it?” Dalton looks down at me, his eyes dancing.
“We literally don’t really know much about each other, and this is our first date, and we’re trying to get to know each other, and that’s why I don’t actually think I …” Ugh, I sound like an idiot.
“Good evening, ladies and gentlemen.” The waiter comes up to the table.
“My name is Pierre. I will be your host this evening. I’m not sure if you’ve had a chance to look at the menu.
We have an extensive wine list and a cellar, so if you would like to have a bottle of wine tonight, I can take one or two of you down to choose one.
Do we know what we would like to drink?”
“I’m down for whatever the table’s down for,” Dalton says, looking over at Parker. “Peter Parker, what do you suggest?”
“Well, depending on if we get steaks,” Parker says, “then a nice red. A Malbec maybe or a Cabernet.” I wonder if he missed Dalton’s comment.
“Oh, I love me a Cabernet,” Sandra says, “but I’m not picky. Cabernet, Zinfandel, Riesling, or champagne.”
“Okay, Sandra, we get it,” Dalton says with a smile. “You’re down to drink anything.”
“I’m just saying, I haven’t been to a place like this in a while.” She looks over at Dalton. “You spoiled me too much.”
“How exactly do you two know each other?” I turn to Dalton.
I can’t help but notice the familiar look that she keeps giving him.
“We’re old friends,” he says, emphasizing the word friends. And I wonder if friends is the right term. Are they friends with benefits? Did they used to date? Do they still date? I’m not going to ask him, of course.
“Why? Did you want any specifics?” he asks.
He reaches his hand under the table, and he places it on my thigh. I shake my head ever so slightly, and he removes it.
“Let’s look at the menu, and then we’ll let you know, Pierre,” Parker says.
Pierre walks away, and we all look at the menu.
Within a couple of seconds, I can feel Dalton’s hand on my leg again, and I look at him sharply.
He grins as he runs a finger toward the edge of my skirt and up my thigh.
He slips his fingers down the side, and I cough to cover up the gasp that just escaped from my mouth.
“What are you doing?” I whisper under my breath, hoping that Parker can’t hear me.
“Nothing.” He grins. “Just checking in and making sure you’re okay.”
“I can’t believe you showed up here, saying you thought this was a double date.”
“I’m sorry if I was confused, but I definitely recall us having the conversation, and, well, I didn’t think you’d mind, seeing as we had just said this was a—”
“You really thought I would want you to come and join me on my first date with Parker?” I glare at him. “You and I both know that’s not something that I would have said yes to.”
“Well, I’m here now, so why don’t we enjoy the date?”
He squeezes my thigh and then raises his hand. I can’t help but admit that the feeling of his strong hand against my leg was amazing, but there’s no way I’m going to tell him that or even acknowledge it to myself, especially because Parker might have seen it.
I look down at the menu, but I can’t concentrate. The words are circling on the page. Poulet, crepes, salads, lobster, beef Wellington. I can see them, but I can’t concentrate.
Dalton has me in a tizzy, and I know this date isn’t going to go as planned. There is no way I am going to be able to focus on Parker with Dalton here.
And so, because I am completely out of my element, I move my hand over to his thigh and squeeze.
I can feel his sharp intake of breath as he looks at me.
He didn’t expect that. He thought that he could do it to me and that I was just an innocent little girl.
I smile at him and lick my lips as I slide my hand all the way up his thigh.
His eyes are on mine, and he reaches his hand down and clutches mine.
“I think that’s enough.”
“Am I making you uncomfortable?” I smile at him.
I glance to the other side of the table to make sure Parker and Sandra aren’t paying attention to us, that they’re busy staring at the menu.
“I’m not uncomfortable,” he says.
“Well, good.”
I squeeze his thigh again and move my hand slowly across the center of his pants. He growls under his breath as I lightly trace my fingers across his hardness.
“Oops,” I say, giggling, and remove my hand.
“What are you doing?” he mumbles under his breath.
“I’m just playing the game you started, Dalton. Don’t you like to play the games you started?”
“Only if I get to finish them,” he says in a growl.
“Sorry, what was that?” Parker asks, looking up.
“Oh, nothing. I was asking Dalton if he thought he wanted the steak rare or medium well.”
“I think I like it rare,” he growls. “Very rare.”
“Well, that’s a pity because I like mine medium.”
“Oh, I can vouch for the steak,” Parker says obliviously. “It’s really good. I usually do a medium rare and the baked potato, but I’ve been told that the pommes de terre is delicious.”
“I might just get a hamburger and fries,” Sandra says. “I like to keep things simple.”
“You can get whatever you want, Sandra,” Dalton says, and he looks over at me. “As can you.”
“I don’t need your permission, thank you very much, Dalton.”