Mirage - Alice Tribue Page 0,10
but I still don’t buy it. I can’t believe that he would go through this much trouble just to meet a girl.
“What do you want to know?”
“Are you single?”
“Shouldn’t you have found that out before asking me on a date?” I don’t know why I’m acting so coy, but for whatever reason, I find myself dancing around topics of conversation with him. Maybe it’s because the more we reveal about ourselves, the more we may begin to like each other. And deep down, I know that I should just stay away from him.
“Yes, I probably should have. I’m a little rusty.”
“You don’t date often?”
“Are you single?” he presses again, causing me to roll my eyes.
“Yes, I’m single.”
“I don’t date often,” he says, answering my last question. Another smile tugs at my lips. Everything about Nathan is unexpected, but I guess that’s what makes him interesting.
“So, why now?”
“Is this a date?”
“Isn’t it?” I question feeling a little foolish now.
“I hope it is. Anyway, I told you, I think you are beautiful. I know you’re smart, confident, and from what I can see, you don’t take shit from anyone. It’s a nice package.”
“You got all that from a few minutes at a charity event?” I question through narrowed eyes. “How old are you anyway?”
“Thirty-two. How old are you?”
“Too old for you.” I answer sarcastically.
“Don’t do that. I hate when people throw age around like it’s anything more than a number. It really doesn’t matter.”
“I’m thirty-seven,” I tell him, suddenly feeling very over the hill. I smirk, trying to bring humor to his perception of me. Mostly, he’s right, but confidence isn’t something that I was born with. I had to work for that. “Do you live around here?” I ask, never giving him an opportunity to answer my original question. Some things are better left unsaid.
“Not far. I have a place a few blocks away. How ‘bout you? Did I drag you out too far?”
“No, I actually walked here.”
“Have you always lived in New York?”
“I was born and raised in New Jersey. I moved here for college and never left. I love the city. I don’t know if I could ever live anywhere else. What about you?”
“I was born and raised in Michigan, but I moved here for college and stayed.”
“That’s a big move.”
“Yeah, I didn’t think I’d like city life as much as I do, but now that I’m here, I consider it home.”
“It’s an easy city to love.”
He takes a sip of his coffee and nods. “So, tell me more about yourself. What do you do for work?”
There’s the million-dollar question. Mentally, I prepare the frequently used response that I give to everyone who asks about my livelihood. I’ve gotten very good at this, and figuratively speaking, it’s almost true.
“I own a day spa and employ masseuses who specialize in holistic health home visits to mostly elderly or sick clients.”
“Interesting. How did you get into that?”
“Who doesn’t like a good spa, right? I wanted to do it better, bigger, and tap into a niche that really hadn’t been explored.”
“And it’s been successful?”
“Very.”
“That’s great. Entrepreneurship is not for everyone. I’m impressed, Miss Powell.”
“Thanks.”
“So, what are you up to after this?”
“Things…”
“Things? How about something with me?”
“Like what?”
“The sky’s the limit.”
“As appealing as that sounds, I have to decline. I really should get going.”
“So soon?” He eyes me expectantly, maybe hoping that I’d change my mind and spend more time with him. But the more time I spend with him, the more I want to know, and he’s a complication that I don’t need, not ever. I think about my last attempt at a relationship with Collin and about how miserably that ended. I don’t want to go through that again.
“Yes, thank you so much for the coffee and the invitation. It was nice.”
“I’m always nice. Can I at least get you to agree to dinner? How about tomorrow night?”
“I don’t think so.”
“You know, you’re really starting to give me a complex.”
“I just… it’s not you, Nathan, it’s…”
“Please don’t give me the ‘it’s not you, it’s me’ line. Please,” he says with a chuckle.
The damn smile I keep fighting creeps up onto my lips again. “It’s not a line, it’s actually true. I’m a very busy person, you know. I don’t have a ton of time for dating.”
“It’s a good thing I’m not asking for a ton of time then. An occasional meal here or there wouldn’t kill you. In fact, it would probably do you some good.”
This guy just doesn’t give up,