Chapter 5 #2
“Touché.” His eyes were still focused on her face and caught the light in a way that belied the overall impression he was bored or couldn’t care less.
They glinted with…something. Humor? More likely irritation.
This was not off to a strong start if they were already irritating the hell out of each other. “But why are you here, Elissa?”
Elissa uncrossed her arms and forced herself to relax. She’d promised her mother she’d give this a chance. It wasn’t his fault his opening reminded her of Victor. There were only so many ways a first date could go. Instead of being willfully annoying, she answered his question.
“Likely the same reason as you, I guess. I love my mother.”
He chuckled and turned his beer on the little napkin. “So not exactly the same reason. I just want mine off my back.”
“I wouldn’t mind that either, but when your mom has cancer, you don’t say no.”
He paled and the amusement left his voice. “Oh shit, seriously? I’m sorry.”
Elissa winced. She hadn’t meant to play the cancer card.
She didn’t need his pity, but something about him had her filters off.
For some reason, he brought out the self she kept buried under her perfectionism and optimism.
The one who was a little cynical, a little bitter at the hand fate had dealt her.
“No, my bad. I didn’t mean to… doesn’t matter. She finished her treatments a little while ago and we’re waiting for test results. Her doctors have been optimistic, so I guess so am I.”
“It does matter. I hope the results are what you want.”
And those words made him different from Victor. She let go of the bitterness of her last relationship and leaned into the possibility before her.
“Thanks. I do too, but…”
“But what?”
“You’ll think I’m a conspiracy theorist.”
His smile returned, softening his eyes. “I promise I won’t think you’re a conspiracy theorist. Unless you go off about the moon landing being a hoax.”
“No, that was absolutely real. At least, that’s what JFK and Elvis told me at the last Conspiracies Anonymous meeting.”
He laughed outright, a full-throated, panty-melting laugh. Heat spread through her body and settled between her thighs. Holy sh—shirt.
“I think we’re going to get along just fine, Elissa.” He raised his beer and toasted her.
She smiled over the rim of her glass and returned the gesture before taking another sip of the slightly sweet wine. Maybe he was right. A rocky start was no reason to bail early. And it would be a fun story, someday.
“So what is your conspiracy theory?” he asked after a moment.
“Whenever something good happens, bad luck seems to find me. I’m always waiting for the other shoe to drop, because it always does.”
“Hmm, I wouldn’t say that’s a conspiracy theory. More like…Elissa’s Law.”
“ Elissa’s Law?”
“Yeah, Murphy’s Law, but happening to a beautiful woman.”
The flush ran up her chest and her neck, then settled on her cheeks. They burned with the compliment. She wasn’t usually this affected when men complimented her looks.
“That’s not real.”
“Could be.” He grinned. “Okay, now a boring question, because I have to know. What do you do for a living?”
“ That’s what you’re going with for a follow-up?”
“Listen, I have theories about you, and I have to know if they’re right.”
“Theories? Like what?” She absently ran her finger along the rim of her wineglass.
“Answer my question, and maybe I’ll tell you.”
“ Maybe you’ll tell me?”
“Depends if I’m right or not.”
She sipped the wine, considering carefully. She liked how he challenged her, liked the mischievous glint in his eyes. Liked how his smile lit her up.
“I’m an accountant. I earned my CPA over a year ago and work for a great firm that does a lot of work with local businesses.”
He blinked at her slowly, and his dark lashes stayed closed for an instant longer than needed.
Elissa knew what had to be going through his head.
It was the same thing that went through almost everyone’s mind when she told them what she did for a living.
She was too pretty to be a numbers nerd.
The little flame of hope flickered and smoked, dying a little.
“What?” She didn’t let him speak once he opened his eyes. “Don’t think a woman can handle numbers?”
Ryan gave her a lazy smile. “No, that’s not what I was thinking. You could give me a chance to tell you what I do think. I’ll be honest with you.”
Honesty. She liked it. Some said she was far too honest, and she often had to remind herself to sugarcoat the truth. “Fine. What do you think?”
“I think you have to be pretty smart to be a CPA so soon.”
Dammit, he complimented her brain. She’d learned to brush off compliments on her looks, but a thrill shimmied along her spine whenever someone mentioned how smart she was. It was the only way anyone could manipulate her. Tell her she was intelligent, and she was mere putty in their hands.
The flame of hope roared to life, crackling with fresh fuel and warming her from head to toe. She attempted to cover her delight by asking the same question.
“What do you do?”
His lips cocked into a wry smile before he answered. “Seriously?”
Of course, seriously. All she knew about him was his name and the fact their mothers knew each other.
“You said you’d be honest with me.”
“True, but you didn’t like that question. Why don’t we play a game and you guess? I don’t want this to be too easy.”
His warm brown eyes still sparked with whatever emotion he wasn’t sharing with her. Probably annoyance, but the way he’d smiled at her earlier threw some doubt into the mix.
“I hate guessing games.” Elissa’s arms seemed to cross her chest of their own accord, and her face flushed with frustration.
“Then you’ll never find out.”
Ryan was definitely teasing her. She’d show him.
“Fine!” Elissa inspected him from head to toe and thought back to how he smelled and the contours of his hand in hers. A wicked grin spread on her lips as she noticed his pupils dilate in reaction to her examination. “Mechanic.”
His eyebrows rose in surprise. “What makes you think that?”
“You smell like motor oil.”
Ryan looked down at his shirt and jeans and over to his black leather jacket, folded on the seat next to him. He picked it up and sniffed at it.
“I don’t smell anything.”
Elissa shrugged smugly. “Olfactory fatigue. If it’s around all the time, you stop smelling it.”
He grinned and took a gulp of beer. “Big words. I like it. Not a mechanic, but I work on my bike myself whenever possible. Two more guesses.”
“You never stipulated there would only be three guesses.”
“I don’t want to be here all night.”
“You think it would take that long?”
He raised his eyebrows and allowed a devilish smile to lift the corners of his mouth.
“Ugh, fine,” she said.
Elissa stared at him, only allowing herself to become mildly distracted by his eyes, still sparkling with an unknown emotion.
He was amused, but there was something else.
They’d only just met, yet she was almost sure he would invite her to his place if she gave him the smallest sign she was interested.
“Shoe sales.” Elissa wanted to see what he’d do when she gave him an obviously wrong answer.
Unfortunately, she’d said this as he’d taken a sip of his beer.
He choked and coughed. No one could simultaneously swallow and laugh.
It was a miracle she didn’t get sprayed by beer.
She pushed over an extra napkin and sat back in her chair, a triumphant grin on her face.
He wasn’t angry at her suggestion, so perhaps he wasn’t as arrogant as she first assumed.
Once his breathing was under control, Ryan chuckled. “Nope. Strike two.”
Elissa studied him, really studied him. From the tips of his motorcycle boots to the top of his head.
Everything was high quality, if plain. And nobody got their hair perfect by accident.
Ryan had some money but spent it sparingly on items that were important to him.
The boots, his hair, his bike. Those form-fitting jeans. She tapped her finger against her lips.
“What happens if I guess right?” she asked.
“I’ll buy you another drink and tell you my theory.”
“If I don’t want another drink?”
“Raincheck.”
This time, she knew. Those sparks in his eyes weren’t merely laughter or annoyance. He was attracted to her, too. Little butterflies stirred in her stomach, reminding her the feeling was mutual. But one foot in front of another. She wasn’t going home with him, not today, at least.
Elissa tucked an errant strand of her boring brown hair behind an ear, took a sip of her wine, and smiled at him. She had his number.