Chapter 8
Chapter Eight
O’Malley’s was a stunning restaurant that boasted glamorous dark-wood counters, black chairs, white tablecloths, and the most sparkling bar display she had ever seen.
It was the sort of place where the staff wore black pants or skirts, white Oxford shirts, and ties.
The menu changed seasonally, and the most delicious thing to her was the triple chocolate cake that far surpassed any she had ever had.
Although she loved the baked goods at Songbird Café in town, they never really made anything sinfully chocolatey, which was Evie’s weakness.
The host greeted her warmly and escorted her to a cozy table for two in the darker corner of the back of the dining area.
It was up a small set of stairs to a more intimate area where wine bottles were on display and the TVs were a little quieter, if heard at all.
She thanked the host as he handed her the menu, and after he left, she began reading to prepare her order.
Music played on the local radio station softly overhead, and she stopped reading to listen closer. The little girl within her called her back to happier days while she heard the lyrics. She closed her eyes and imagined her delicately pink-painted fingertips stroking his rugged face.
In a pickup truck not too far away, Caleb was hearing the same song on the radio and lowly sang along. He sighed miserably. He thought out loud, “Sometimes I feel like she’s the closest thing to heaven I’ll ever get.”
He had to forget it. Forget it all.
He had to forget what happened overseas.
The steering wheel was gripped harder.
He had to forget what he did.
She rested her chin on her hand and smiled, drowning in a sea of joy. To let those waves crush her and the rip current pull her further from reality to a place she longed for.
She sprayed herself with Sì by Armani.
He arrived and parked in a spot, then checked his five o’clock shadow in the mirror.
“Alright, don’t let me down tonight. You gotta be extra rugged.
Like Chuck Norris rugged. Like ‘houses demolish themselves for reconstruction when I walk in’ kinda rugged.
” He then reached over and grabbed the two dozen roses on the passenger seat and got out.
This chick loves flowers as much as she loves her cat.
If I want any chance in hell to start over, I gotta make the right moves.
And if he ever wanted to truly shake what he’d done, he was going to have to work hard for her.
No woman in her right mind would love a man who did what he did.
She felt a bit shaky, so she shook out her hands and took a deep breath. Okay, Evie. He’s got kids and a respectable role in society. Don’t fuck this up. Grow up. Get your emotions in order. Don’t be too sensitive. This is your chance.
Surveying the room, she saw him come in.
She rose to her feet, and a smile could not stay off her face when she saw the roses he carried.
The nervousness blew away the moment she saw his familiar face.
But she also couldn’t help but be stunned at what he was wearing.
She held her chest from the flutters. Somehow, even while on the job in such a field, he was wearing dark-blue jeans and an ironed white Oxford shirt tucked neatly into a black belt.
The shirt framed his shoulders and biceps lusciously, and his hair was gelled in the way she recognized.
On his feet were cowboy boots. She couldn’t believe he didn’t have a coat of some sort! It was downright chilly that evening.
He bounded up the steps to leave the host behind. Her heart raced as she clapped her mouth.
His eyes never left hers. Immediately, he swooped her into his arms and kissed her tender lips while his right hand held the roses behind her back.
How he had yearned for that moment all day since he had left her.
Her breath swayed with his, feeling his rough hand embracing her silky face.
Evie’s hands ran over his chest firmly up to his shoulders and then pulled his kiss deeper.
They pulled apart. He grinned, looking deeply into her eyes. “You smell amazing and look insanely sexy.” He chuckled to hide his nervousness. With his large hand delicately placed around her lower jaw, he tilted her head to savor the scent against her skin. His nose gently brushed behind her ear.
Evie’s head was cocked back due to his height, and she moaned in adoration. “Thank you. How the hell did you get dressed like this so fast?”
He sat down with her at the table and put the roses in his lap. “I’m military. I know how to be prepared. I went home quickly to grab some things on a break and got ready at QuikTrip.”
She laughed and asked in surprise, “You changed in a gas station bathroom?”
“Is that bad?”
She chuckled and shook her head. “No, not at all. I can’t believe you went through all that extra trouble when every other man I know wouldn’t even comb his hair.”
He leaned back and playfully knuckled on the table. “Most men my age are losing hair anyway, so…”
She snickered again. He knew he was making her laugh, so he went on with it, “Besides, I’m on a date with a freaking graphic designer. If I showed up in shitty clothes, I’d bomb this interview.”
She paused. “Interview?”
Caleb flashed his eyes around the room, still leaning back. “I mean, yeah. Isn’t that what all dates are like? Asking, ‘What do you like?’ ‘What do you bring to the table?’ You know, that sorta thing?”
She smiled and shook her head out again with a laugh. “Good question! I’ve never been on a date, so I wouldn’t know.”
He returned his eyes to her with a smile and finally leaned forward, handing her the flowers. “Here.”
She took them lovingly. Two dozen long-stemmed roses were speckled with baby’s breath and wrapped in clear wrapping. Their fragrance was a nice break from the roasting garlic that lingered in the air. Evie gazed at the roses and nearly cradled them like a baby.
Caleb looked at her. Her eyes were sparkling, and she was smiling softly. The roses were gently held against her chest. It was so difficult not to let her eyes water. She tried, but a tear rolled down her cheek. She had gotten her flowers. “Thank you.”
He put his knuckles against his lip again and bounced his knee under the table. “You really get that worked up from flowers?”
She realized that she was being overly emotional again but couldn’t help it. “You don’t know what this means to me.” He didn’t. All those years, she had wanted flowers from a man other than her dad and Pawpaw. She should have felt lucky to have ever gotten that, but this hit in a different way.
As he looked at her, it dawned on him that this woman was definitely on the ardent side, and he was unsure if it was too much for his unbending outlook and way of life.
He recalled telling his own father he was sorry he didn’t show more affection to him before he went off to war.
But he also felt like no matter what he did to show love, it never landed right.
Caleb always had a hard time expressing emotions.
Wait.
He swallowed hard as he kept staring at her.
Evie did influence his confessions of emotions.
He confessed nearly all of it in texts earlier.
And it damn sure felt good. He could have written an entire five-page-long text about what she moved in him, how her hands gliding across his deltoids made him feel cherished.
He smiled and leaned forward to reach for her hand. “I’m glad. You deserve it.”
Her hand was in his on the table, and she felt his strong thumb gliding across it.
Their eyes met. Evie then set the roses on the table and reached out to grab his other hand.
Even when the waitress came, he never let go and would only make eye contact to give his order, and Evie did the same thing.
Before the waitress left, Caleb informed her that it would all be on one check.
Then he called out, “Oh, and save a piece of the triple chocolate cake for my girl right here!”
The waitress smiled and nodded. Evie giggled and shrunk down in her seat.
“Thank you,” Evie said sheepishly.
“You’re welcome. So how was your day?”
She stammered a bit, “You know, we usually talk about me when you’re around. Why don’t we talk about you?”
“You know a lot about me through Facebook already.”
She laughed, looking to the side. “Caleb, you post like twice a month and only upload to your stories once a week, if that. And it’s usually about your kids. Not that that’s bad or anything.”
He smirked. “Well, then what does that tell you?”
She thought then smiled in a soft laugh. “That your kids are your life.”
“Yep, that’s right.”
An awkward silence came.
Caleb looked off somewhere. “I’m not really sure what we’re supposed to talk about. I’ve not been on a date with a new girl at all in almost twenty years.”
She leaned forward. “Is that how long you were with Ashley?”
He paused and got caught in memory. Evie could easily see he was hurting. The way his eyes looked down and to the right, still slouched back with one leg proper but the other stretched far out under the table, it was clear as day he hadn’t fully recovered from whatever happened.
“Caleb, I still want to know more about you. I don’t think you know how fascinating you are.
I see what things you do on Facebook. Tell me about those things.
I’d love to hear! I see you love the outdoors, and we can talk about the Mojave Desert!
I know that’s your favorite place.” She sat upright cutely.
“I love deserts, and your photos are so cool. I miss living in Los Angeles. So, you could tell me about that. Or, even if we talk about your kids, which honestly over texts it seems to be all you talk about.” She smiled, trying to cheer him up.
“Since they make you so happy you can tell me things I don’t know about them.
Like your favorite memories with them, their favorite foods, anything. I’ll listen.”