Chapter Eleven
E merie sat in the booth at Casa de Lupita and snuck a peek at her compact mirror. She raked her fingers through her bangs, trying to create the perfect sideswept effect. The kind of look that said “I’m the girl you want” without being too obvious about it. Also, she wanted to make sure that her lipstick was still on her lips—not overshooting her mouth or staining her teeth.
So far, so good.
Em slipped the compact back into her purse and picked up her napkin.
“You must be Kassie’s friend, Emerie.” A tall, handsome man wearing a gray blazer; a black sweater; black, casual pants; and horn-rimmed glasses stood over her. “I’m her cousin, Dillon. It’s a pleasure to meet you.” He extended his hand.
“Dillon, hi.” Em stood and shook his hand. Hopefully, her broad smile belied the jittery nerves that knotted her stomach and made her heart thump in her chest. Despite being several weeks into her soulmate quest, this was her first bona fide date, and it showed.
It didn’t help that Dillon was giving off sexy professor vibes.
But Dillon’s sweet, nervous smile made Emerie feel more at ease. It was possible that he was even more nervous about their date than she was.
“It’s a pleasure to finally meet you,” Em said. “Kassie has always had such glowing things to say about you. Your work as an educator has inspired her so much in her work at the arboretum.”
“That’s great to hear,” Dillon said. “And we have you to thank for helping my cousin break out of her shell. She was super shy as a kid, but she’s opened up a lot since you became friends.”
Emerie smiled so wide, her cheeks hurt. She was thrilled that her friend had come into her own over the years. Kassie was sweet, funny, and brilliant, and so giving and compassionate. But she’d been painfully shy early on—making it difficult for people to get to know her.
“I’m just lucky to have her as a friend,” Em said honestly. She gestured to the other side of the booth. “Please, have a seat.”
“Thank you.” Dillon hung his coat on the hook beside hers.
They both took their seats. Dillon adjusted the collar of his sweater while Em fiddled with the pashmina tied around her neck. They seemed equally nervous about their date.
Though they hadn’t met, Em felt like she knew him a little because of how proudly Kassie and her mother had spoken of him. But she was eager to learn more about the handsome professor.
“So… Dillon. Tell me about yourself.” Em folded her hands on the table and flashed him a bright smile and the subtlest flutter of the eyelashes she hoped she hadn’t applied crookedly.
“I’m the thirty-seven-year-old son of two schoolteachers. I began my career in Silicon Valley, burned bright, then burned out. I shifted gears and became an IT professor instead.”
“Your parents must be proud that you followed in their footsteps.”
“They are.” Dillon was far more handsome than the photos stored on Kassie’s phone would’ve led her to believe. Then again, photography was not one of her friend’s gifts. Kassie took the worst cell phone photos known to man.
Dillon’s deep gray eyes, reminiscent of the sky swirling over a stormy sea, had the slightest hint of blue. His eyes glimmered in the light of the festive, handwoven basket lights hanging overhead.
Handsome? Check. Doesn’t go on and on about himself? Check.
“Which college do you teach at?” Em took a sip of her water.
“UNC Wilmington.”
“My best friend’s parents are both professors there, too.” Em set her water glass down excitedly, splashing a little water on the tablecloth. “Doctors Timothy and Evelyn Washington. Maybe you know them?”
“I know of them, sure. They’re kind of a big deal around campus.” Dillon sipped his water, too. “You’re friends with their daughter?”
“They don’t have a daughter,” Em said. “I’ve been best friends with their son, Nick, since we were kids.”
“Oh, I see.” Dillon’s smile dimmed the tiniest bit. He picked up his menu and scanned it. “A lifetime friendship like that is pretty special,” Dillon noted. “I’m still good friends with my college roommate and several of my fraternity brothers. But nothing that goes back quite that far. Most of the kids I went to elementary school with were too busy teasing me for my oversize glasses and obsession with books to start up a friendship.” There was still a hint of pain in his voice.
“Kids can be cruel,” Em said. “I was a tomboy, so I got teased a lot. I also landed my fair share of punches when they did.”
Dillon laughed, and Em did, too.
“I guess that’s another reason Nicky and I got along so well. He was kind of new to the area. His parents moved here after his grandmother died and left them her house a stone’s throw from the beach. He needed a friend, and I needed an ally.”
“How’d you two meet?”
An involuntary smile spread across Em’s face whenever she thought of the kismet of the meeting that would forever change her and Nick’s lives.
“The Washingtons were busy professors and researchers. Their next-door neighbors often babysat Nick. Their youngest daughter, Dakota, who is now my sister-in-law, was dating my brother, Dexter. They took the two of us to the town showing of one Toy Story movie or another. We hit it off, and we’ve been best friends ever since.”
“Wow. That’s… great.” Dillon lowered his menu and offered Emerie a polite smile, then shifted the topic. “I know that you have an older brother, that you and Kassie are good friends and that she adores you, and that you have a longtime best friend. Oh, and I know that you grew up as a tomboy. But that was clearly a very long time ago,” Dillon added.
“Not as long ago as you might think,” Em muttered.
“High school?”
She shook her head.
“College?” Dillon leaned forward with one eyebrow raised.
“About a month ago.” Em picked up her menu. “And believe me, no one is happier about the transformation than my mother.”
Dillon looked shocked for a moment, then his expression shifted to a grin. His chuckle turned into a full belly laugh and Emerie couldn’t help laughing, too.
“Well, I would’ve pegged you as the high school cheerleader and homecoming queen. Because, if you don’t mind me saying so, you look absolutely stunning tonight.”
“I don’t mind at all.” Em swept her bangs to the side, her cheeks heating as she glanced down at the little black dress Kassie had recommended she wear. Thanks to Sin, she now had several LBDs. “And thank you for saying so. You look quite handsome tonight, too.”
“What, this old thing?” Dillon tugged on the lapels of his jacket. “Totally kidding. I’m still in my awkward tech nerd phase. There’s a good chance I might never grow out of it. So tonight’s designer couture is courtesy of my mother and sister who took me on a shopping trip specifically for this date. They didn’t want me to embarrass them.”
“Well, they did an amazing job. But now I feel the pressure to ensure that you leave this restaurant feeling like the date was worth the time and money you invested in it.”
“Then let me put your mind at ease. It already is,” Dillon assured her, revealing a deep dimple in his right cheek. “Now I have the feeling that the proprietors of this lovely establishment are eager for us to order.”
Dillon gave a subtle nod in the direction of Ms. Lupita—the owner of Casa de Lupita—and her daughter, Sofia. When Em glanced over at them, they both pretended to be cleaning the counter.
Ms. Lupita and Sofia had undoubtedly heard about Em’s dating project and were invested in how her evening turned out. But she didn’t want to put any added pressure on Dillon by telling him that.
“They’re very attentive to their customers,” Em said. “They probably don’t want to rush us, but they want to be prepared.”
“Then I’m guessing you’ve been here before.”
“I’m here every few weeks. Nick and I have a standing dinner date on Wednesday nights. We rotate through our four favorite restaurants on the island.”
“In that case, what would you recommend?”
“Normally, I’d go for the queso fundido, the Mexican street corn, grilled chicken tacos served with black beans and rice, and a frozen mango margarita. But a bellyful of cheese and beans, corn kernels stuck in my teeth, and tequila—my personal truth serum—don’t seem like a very good combination for a first date.” Em glanced up at Dillon who was staring at her with an open mouth and wide eyes.
Shit. Not a very ladylike thing to say, Emerie Roberts.
“Excellent point.” Dillon rubbed his chin, amused by her candor. “What are the next best options?”
“The beef or chicken flautas are delicious. That’s what I’m getting. And if you like pork, Nick usually gets the pork ribs or the braised pork shank. You can’t go wrong with either.”
“I’m more of a steak man, myself.” Dillon buried his face in his menu again.
“Then I’d go with either the steak tacos or the steak fajitas.”
He put his menu down and signaled to Sofia that they were ready. Once their orders were placed, Dillon said, “So you were going to tell me about yourself. Is Dexter your only sibling?”
“No. He’s the eldest of three brothers. I’m the baby of the family and the only girl.”
“So not surprising that you’d be a tomboy.” Dillon sipped the Modelo Especial Sofia had brought to the table. “But then again, it was a fifty-fifty gamble that you would’ve ended up like my sister. She’s the only girl, too. There’s nearly a ten-year difference between us. My mom was so glad to finally have her baby girl that she pampered her and treated her like a little princess. Bought her all the frilly dresses and Barbie gear. All the things my mom wished she’d had growing up.”
“My poor mom tried. All of my Barbies ended up with awful haircuts and missing limbs, buried somewhere in the backyard while I played ball with the boys.”
“What kind of ball?”
“Basketball, racquetball, rugby, volleyball, billiards, and occasionally football.”
“As in soccer?” Dillon asked.
“No. American football. The guys wouldn’t always let me play. But in a pinch, I could be one hell of a wide receiver.”
“Well, you are full of surprises, Emerie Roberts.” Dillon’s stormy gray eyes twinkled with amusement. “And I look forward to discovering every one of them.”
Em’s cheeks warmed, and the nervous tension she’d been feeling calmed.
Dillon was sweet, kind, dreamy, adorably nerdy, and far more fascinating than she’d have imagined. They had a lovely evening, so she gladly accepted his invitation to a second date. But in the back of her mind, she couldn’t help comparing Dillon to Nick. And she couldn’t help wondering where her friend was and who was with him tonight.