Chapter 6 #2
“Well, let’s not get too hasty. And what do you mean, likes me back? Who said I liked him?” she said, forcing out a laugh and fluttering her hands, which earned her a skeptical stare from Ash.
It was a response Diana thought she richly deserved.
“Okay, okay, you got me, I do like him,” Diana laughed, as Ash stared at her with a look that clearly said That was obvious. “But I have to rely on you to tell me to keep my head on straight, deal?”
Ash seemed to think it over as he chewed on his bacon – liberally coated with melted ice cream.
“Okay, it’s a deal.”
“All right – well, if that’s a done deal, you better finish up your breakfast and start getting ready to go,” Diana informed him as she stood up – only casting a wistful glance down at the remains of Ash’s pancakes and bacon for a moment.
She really was hungry! “I’ll go pack your bag – but you have to get your clothes out.
We should be out at the car in fifteen minutes. Got it?”
Ash smiled at her as he grabbed up another pancake with his fork.
“Got it.”
***
Okay! Take a breath! A nice slow breath! Just breathe!
Standing outside the diner, Diana took a moment to steady herself.
Okay – Ash was dropped off. Bella was at home with some treats and a doggie bowl full of iced water and plenty of shade.
All that was left was to go inside the diner and eat a meal, make small talk, and try to figure out if Calvin wanted to spend the rest of his life with her.
Oh, what am I panicking about? It’s just a date. You know, those things I used to go on in college? Just because it’s with Calvin, the world’s hottest, most magnetic, most gorgeous and sex—
“Diana?”
AARGH!
Turning, Diana tried not to look like she’d just jumped halfway out of her skin at the sound of her name being said in that sexy voice, so low and so close to her ear.
Play it cool, she told herself. He’s just some guy! Just some… incredibly built, hunky, sweet guy!
“Oh, hey Calvin.”
Okay, maybe that was too cool, Diana thought, inwardly cringing at the affected nonchalance in her voice.
Calvin could probably hear it too, she thought.
He could probably see straight through her act.
Well, if she was surprised and flustered, it was his fault for sneaking up on her while she prepared herself to see him again!
“I was just, uh, taking a moment,” she explained, as finally, she managed to force herself to look him in the eye – and immediately felt her heart starting to melt.
It just wasn’t fair – today, he was somehow even more good-looking than he had been yesterday. A part of her had been slightly hoping he wouldn’t be quite as appealing the next day. But that clearly had been a wish in vain.
“Oh, right,” Calvin nodded, as if she’d just said anything even slightly reasonable. “I got here early, since I wanted to be sure this was the right place. Sorry I snuck up behind you – I saw you arrive, and I didn’t want you to be standing out here any longer than you had to be.”
Okay, great, so he saw me standing out here doing my breathing exercises. Fantastic.
Resisting the urge to squeeze her eyes shut, Diana forced herself to keep smiling.
“Oh, well, I guess you’re right – it’s getting pretty warm already. Should we go in?”
There you go, that wasn’t so hard, Diana congratulated herself as she smoothly opened the door, sighing in relief as the cool air of the diner washed over her.
As they entered, she noticed Calvin glancing around as if he was nervous, or at least looking around for something, like he was expecting something to jump out from behind one of the red pleather booths.
“Everything okay?” she asked cautiously – though perhaps it might have been better for her to pretend she hadn’t noticed anything amiss.
“Oh – sure,” Calvin said, flashing her one of his heart-melting smiles. “I was just… checking the place out. But it sure does look nice here. And smells even better.”
“Looks like we can have our pick of tables – I think we missed the breakfast rush, and the lunch one hasn’t started yet.” Diana glanced around. “How about a window seat?”
She had to admit, she kind of had an ulterior motive in picking the window seat – the view from the diner was simply gorgeous.
Sure, immediately outside was just the main street of Girdwood Springs, as cute as it was, but beyond that there was a clear view of the deep green forest and the mountains, rising up into the perfect, unbroken blue of the summer sky.
If Calvin’s an outdoorsy guy, I’m sure he’d love it here, Diana thought wistfully. But I’m getting ahead of myself! Again!
“Did – did you find the campsite okay?” she asked, just to give herself something to say that wasn’t So, got any plans for the rest of your life?
“Oh yes, no trouble at all,” Calvin said, as he folded his long body into the seat across from her. He appeared to hesitate before placing his hands down on the table, but then he seemed to relax a little more. “Your map was unbelievable – led me straight to it. I even met one of the owners.”
“Oh, Kieran or Natasha?” Diana asked.
“Kieran,” Calvin told her, then seemed to narrow his eyes a little. “Do you… know him very well?”
Diana blinked. Oh boy, is he jealous or something?
She had to admit, the thought kind of made her heart skip a beat. But at the same time, was Calvin going to be quizzing her about all the guys she knew?
And besides, Kieran and Natasha are the most loved-up couple I’ve ever seen! Well, one of them, anyway, she thought, thinking, not without a pang of envy, of all her friends who’d found love over the course of the last few years.
“Oh, he’s a pretty good friend,” she laughed, trying not to let her whirling thoughts show on her face. “He moved here a few years ago, so yeah, I know him fairly well. He and Natasha are joined at the hip, basically – they had their wedding here and everything.”
There.
Hopefully that would put any doubts Calvin might have to rest – though she had to admit, she was a little disappointed that he’d want to know.
Calvin blinked, but then he smiled again, nodding. Diana had the distinct feeling that there was something he wasn’t quite telling her, but she couldn’t for the life of her figure out what it was.
Well, she supposed they’d only just met – he was entitled to be a little mysterious if he wanted to.
For now, anyway. At this point it was charming and interesting, but she didn’t want to spend her life wondering what was going on in his head.
One step at a time, she told herself sternly. You haven’t even known him for a day yet. Remember what you were saying to Ash only a little while ago.
“How about some breakfast?” she blurted, grabbing a menu.
“How about that view?” Calvin said at the exact same moment.
She stared at him for a moment, before shaking her head and laughing, some of the tension leaving her body.
If I’m going to be ridiculous, then at least I’m in good company.
“The view is pretty good,” she said, as Calvin picked up the other menu. “This is the best seat in the house, as far as I’m concerned.”
She had honestly meant it as a comment on the scenery outside, but sudden heat crept up her throat and over her cheeks as she realized that her comment could be construed as being about the scenery right here at the table.
And okay, so it was really, really good. Even though Calvin was just wearing shorts on the bottom, and a tank top and unbuttoned old shirt with rolled-up sleeves on top, he pretty much looked like he’d stepped off the cover of Bodacious Hikers Monthly.
You could try flexing those rusty flirting muscles, she told herself. Just so Calvin at least won’t be wondering what’s going on in my head.
“I like the view inside as well,” she declared in a rush, staring into his heated gaze for a moment before burying her head in the menu.
Wow. Smooth.
Maybe she should have tried her lines out in the mirror before she’d left this morning.
Not daring to look up, she decided to steer the conversation back to something safer. Like breakfast. “What do you want to get? Have you eaten anything yet today?”
“Nothing as yet,” Calvin said, apparently busying himself looking at his own menu. “Everything here looks amazing. What would you recommend?”
Glancing up at him, Diana allowed herself a small smile as she watched him perusing the menu with great intensity.
“Honestly, everything I’ve ever eaten here has been incredible,” she said truthfully. “But they added waffles to the menu recently and I’ve been wanting to try them, so I know exactly what I’m getting.”
The whole range of waffles looked phenomenal, and normally she would’ve had trouble choosing which ones to get… but today she was so hungry that she knew there was no choice.
“I’m getting the fried chicken waffles,” she said, pointing it out on Calvin’s menu.
While it wasn’t her intention, the gesture did bring her fingers awfully close to his hand. She lingered for a long moment, wanting nothing more than to close that last inch, before regretfully pulling her hand back with a forced laugh. “It counts as a healthy breakfast if it’s got protein, right?”
“That’s how it works,” Calvin said with a smile so charming that Diana thought she might melt right onto the floor. “Hmm. I think the choc berry waffles are calling my name.”
“They do sound good,” Diana said, with just the slightest tinge of envy. “I’ll have to try them next time.”
“You could try them today, if you like,” Calvin said. “I mean, I’m happy to share.”
Diana bit her lip to give herself a moment to compose herself, after the daydream that suddenly, forcefully suggested itself to her of her feeding Calvin waffles, dripping with syrup and cream, some of which would of course drip off her fork and down onto his firm, hard –
“So, what can I get for you folks today?”