16. Chapter Sixteen
Chapter Sixteen
Molly
The doorbell rang and my stomach twisted, equal parts nauseating and thrilling, as if I was on a carousel cranked a little too high.
Before I opened the door, I checked my hair and makeup in the mirror next to our coatrack. I looked as good as I could, but not nearly good enough to go to the fancy restaurant Emmett had made reservations for: Le Bon Plat.
It was swankier than any place I normally went to, and I would certainly make a fool of myself trying to order. The last thing I wanted to do was embarrass myself in front of Emmett.
Nerves filled me as I opened the front door, knowing it brought me one step closer to a restaurant I definitely didn’t belong in.
But the second I saw Emmett, the nerves metamorphosed into butterflies, filling me with a weightless sort of hope and headiness.
His hair was styled, showing off the natural waviness usually hidden by his goalie helmet.
The suit he was wearing was clearly custom-tailored.
And it wasn’t just his game-day suit. It was a deep, midnight blue that made his bright green eyes even more enchanting.
“You look beautiful.” His voice echoed throughout my body as I shifted on my feet.
“So do you,” I said, my cheeks instantly red. “Handsome, I mean. You look really handsome.”
He grinned, and I wasn’t that far off—he looked exquisitely beautiful. “Here, these are for you.” He handed me a bouquet of deep red roses that matched the dress he had bought for me.
It was something I would never have picked out for myself, but the second I put it on, I couldn’t stop touching my waist and my hips. It hugged me perfectly and made my body look better than I ever knew it could.
“Thank you,” I breathed, taking the bouquet and sniffing deeply before hesitating as dread made my arms weak. “Oh, wait. Is that something people do on dates?”
He grinned, leaning in to sniff. “Stopping to smell the roses is something everyone should always be doing. I’ll get those into a vase before we leave.”
I nodded, clutching the bouquet as he followed me to the kitchen. I couldn’t help but wonder if he found the dress as attractive on me as I did. If I turned around, would I catch him staring? Or would I be disappointed to find him looking anywhere except me?
I didn’t want to risk the disappointment when I felt so good, so I kept my eyes forward and unwrapped the flowers while he found a vase in a hutch in the family room.
“One benefit to keeping my grandma’s things,” he said. If I didn’t know him, I’d almost think he was nervous by the way he fidgeted with the vase before bringing it to the sink to fill with water.
“I like that you kept her things. It makes the place feel more alive. I wish my family had history worth holding onto.”
He reached out to get the flowers from me, but paused, brushing his thumb over my knuckles. “You deserve that, Molly.”
“Well, I didn’t get it.” I shrugged, smiling to let him know it was okay. I couldn’t change the family I was born into, and I was a-okay with that.
There were a lot of things that worked out in my life, so I didn’t want to waste time thinking about the things I couldn’t control.
I definitely wasn’t avoiding uncomfortable feelings, and I needed my emotions to understand that.
Instead, the backs of my eyelids burned as I tried to figure out a way to tell Emmett it was all okay.
His parents died. At least mine were alive. That was something to be thankful for, so I needed to suck it up and quit coming so close to losing it.
Emmett set the vase on the kitchen island and fanned the flowers. “There. That looks good.”
I smiled and ran my finger along a silky rose petal. “Yes, it does.” His stomach growled, and I dropped my hand to my side. “Ready to go?”
He nodded, tucking my arm in his. “Practice was grueling this morning.”
“Haven’t you eaten?”
He hesitated before ducking his head and smiling self-consciously. “I was too nervous about tonight.”
I laughed, pressing my free hand to his chest. That wasn’t smart. Instead of laughing off the idea that he would be nervous about spending time with me, I catapulted my own nerves into the stratosphere.
It was just dinner. Sure, it was at a fancy restaurant and my date was an unreasonably attractive man. But it was really just dinner between two friends.
My date with Preston was so much fun. This would be, too.
Thick cream tablecloths covered each table at Le Bon Plat. Tapered candles surrounded by burgundy dahlias burned in the center of each one. Place settings with more forks than I knew what to do with flanked either side of a short nesting stack of plates.
Emmett pulled out my chair and stepped back. I sat down, sinking into the plush seat. I was used to places with wooden chairs or plastic booths. I had no idea some restaurants had such lush seating. Weren’t they worried about keeping it clean?
Emmett took the seat across from me. The candlelight flickered between us, highlighting the sharp lines of his jaw, the emerald of his eyes, and the soft lines of his lips.
Lips I would not be kissing tonight.
I tried—and failed—to not let that bother me.
The server took our drink order, and I shifted in my seat, acutely aware of every person around me.
They all looked like they belonged, and I felt more than a little exposed.
My skin flushed, certain anyone who looked at me could tell this wasn’t my normal attire.
I played with the forks before realizing what I had done and rushed to line them back up the way they were.
I wasn’t sure what to do with my hands, so I tucked them on my lap, smoothing my already smooth dress.
Emmett, with his long arms and giant hands, reached under the table, finding my fingers. “Is something wrong?”
“This place is really fancy,” I whispered.
“Is it too much?” He worried his lower lip between his teeth.
“Too much? No. It’s beautiful.” His fingers clasped mine and my nerves settled. I leaned forward, lowering my voice. “I’ve always been too scared to walk into places like this, so thank you for bringing me.”
“Anything, Rookie,” he said, getting to his feet.
“What are you doing?”
He slid his chair over until our knees touched when he sat down. “I didn’t like how far away you were.”
Swoon.
“Oh,” I sighed, wishing this was really a date.
“Let’s look at the menu,” he said, handing me a luxurious sheet of cardstock, imprinted with the restaurant’s name.
No laminated trifolds at this place.
“Chicken and waffles?” I blurted, before covering my mouth.
“Seriously?” Emmett scanned the sheet, his eyes widening. “I love chicken and waffles. But they also have steelhead.” He licked his lips, and I pressed mine together to combat the tingle I felt whenever I looked at his mouth.
I would eventually kiss him. He said as much. But I was as impatient as Preston while I waited for that time to arrive.
“Steelhead does sound good,” I said, distracting myself from the way Emmett mouthed each word as he read it. “Now I’m not sure what to choose.”
“We could get both and split them,” he offered.
“You would do that?”
“What’s more romantic than sharing food?” He bumped my knee with his and I had to look away so he couldn’t see how much I liked his touch and his attention.
“What can I get started for you?” the server asked, sidling up to our table and saving me from responding to Emmett.
I flashed her a grateful smile and glanced at the menu.
My nerves were back full force. I wasn’t going to have a panic attack, but I had that feeling that’s like panic-attack adjacent.
I tried to focus on the words in front of me, but they blurred together.
I didn’t belong in a place this fancy and they could tell I was a fraud in my new dress. I was sure of it.
“We’ll have the roasted carrots to start with,” Emmett said, taking charge. “Do any of the other appetizers sound good to you, Molly?”
There was no way I could read the menu and answer coherently. “Oh, I can’t choose. They all look good.”
“All the appetizers it is, then,” Emmett said.
My head snapped up. “That’s not what I meant—”
He covered my hand with his and smiled reassuringly. “I wasn’t kidding when I said I was hungry after practice. If you’re not too embarrassed by me ordering half the menu—”
“I would never be,” I said, sucking in a big breath when his fingers brushed against mine as he picked up his menu.
“And then we’re going to split the steelhead and the chicken and waffles.” He handed the menus to the server and checked in with me. “Anything else, Molly?”
I shook my head, smiling at the server, and hoping like crazy she couldn’t sense how nervous I was.
“Perfect,” she said, cheerfully. “I’ll get those appetizers right out to you.”
“Thank you,” Emmett and I said in unison.
I blushed and fiddled with my napkin. He bumped his knee against mine again and I looked up.
“I used to be nervous going to places like this, too. But try not to be. You belong here just as much as anyone else. And they’re all nice, I promise. I’m here all the time and they’re a lot more down to earth than the tablecloths suggest.”
“You used to be nervous?” I sat up straighter. It might have been cheesy, but if Emmett Krause thought I had every right to be there, I could let myself believe it a little.
“I get nervous a lot, all the time. About a lot of things.” He looked around and his eyes flared.
“A place like this was foreign to me growing up. My grandparents never ate out. My grandma was the best cook in the world and my grandpa could smoke meat like no one’s business.
They didn’t have any desire to go to a restaurant when they could make it better at home.
” He smiled to himself, and I couldn’t help but smile, too.
“You miss them.”
“I do. So much.” He smiled softly; his eyes distant. “Sometimes I wonder if they’d be disappointed in me for my failed marriage or—”
My heart cracked open as he put on a braver face and tried to mask the pain.
“They’d be proud of you. I didn’t know them, but I’m getting to know you and I’ve been impressed by the way you live your life.
I imagine the people who loved you most in the world would be beside themselves with happiness to see how you’re crushing it. ”
He ducked his head and gave me an incredulous look, but I could tell he was flattered by my words.
Preston was wrong.
Heavy topics definitely had a place on a first date. Or maybe it was that I was already so comfortable around Emmett. Preston was allergic to vulnerability. There was a lot I could learn from him, but how to get closer to someone wasn’t one of those things.
The server brought out the roasted carrots, and I sighed, barely holding in a moan, when the sweet scent, mixed with the tang of balsamic vinegar, hit my nostrils.
Emmett grabbed his fork, breaking off a piece before offering it to me.
I gingerly took a bite as he kept his eyes locked on mine, and an explosion of flavors rushed over my tongue. I couldn’t contain the moan this time.
Emmett smiled languidly before getting a bite for himself. “It doesn’t taste nearly as good as watching you.”
My insides turned to mush as his eyes focused on me like I was the only person in the room.
He was good.
With his words and his eyes, he had me feeling cherished.
That feeling extended throughout the entire dinner as he fed me and effortlessly pulled me into conversation. By the end, I had completely forgotten I was nervous about being in such a posh place.
“Do you want to share a dessert?” he asked.
“Absolutely.” Even if I was full, I would want to share a dessert with him. And because I knew he was going to ask what I wanted, “How about the chocolate lava cake?”
“Exactly what I was craving,” he said, grinning conspiratorially.
He ordered the cake, and our server brought it out. My stomach leaped as he picked up his fork—I was already conditioned to anticipate him bringing a bite to my lips.
Emmett watched as he slid the velvety chocolate cake into my mouth, and I licked my lips.
If he wanted to kiss me, he could. I was more than willing to have my first kiss with him or Preston, and whenever I was this close to one of them, the fears of doing something stupid evaporated.
But then a small tickle at the back of my sinuses threatened my happiness, and I brought my hands to my face, hoping it would go away. I knew he wouldn’t kiss me, but I wasn’t about to sneeze chocolate cake all over him and all-but-guarantee we never kissed.
My chest tightened at the thought of never feeling his lips on mine, and I swallowed the cake a little too hard. Reaching for my water, I coughed into my napkin and tried to convey I was okay.
Emmett’s eyes softened, and he rubbed my lower back, his fingers tracing molten paths through the silky fabric as I caught my breath.
“Embarrassing,” I muttered.
“Normal human things,” he murmured.
My skin heated from the soft breeze of his breath against me, and he smiled when I shivered.
“Let’s get out of here, Rookie.”
“Where are we going?”
“The waterfront. I know you walked it with Preston on your date with him, but I want to show off how beautiful my date is tonight.”
My stomach did somersaults as he shamelessly checked me out. Even if we were going to the same place I had gone to with Preston, it didn’t matter. I already knew it would be different with Emmett. Not better. Not worse. Just different.
Emmett was a steady, ever-flowing river that centered me. Preston was rushing rapids that thrilled me. I knew it wasn’t fair to compare them, but it was hard not to.
And it was hard not to want both.