Finding Mr. Write (Business of Love #5) - Ali Parker Page 0,33

her ribs hurt.

Thankfully, our food arrived shortly after that.

Briar licked her lips as she stared at her plate. She hadn’t been shy about ordering what she wanted once she realized I had the funds to cater to her desire for a steak with mashed potatoes and broccoli. She told me she hadn’t had a meal like this in months because she’d been saving for her plane ticket and her time in New York, and it felt good to buy her something that hadn’t been an option for her recently.

She ate like it was her last meal.

Every bite was savored. She chewed slowly, washed every second bite down with a sip of wine, and switched bites between everything on her plate. A little of this, a little of that—it was all balanced. She truly made the most out of her meal, and when she sat back in her seat to finish her wine, her plate was empty.

“That was so good,” Briar said. “I haven’t eaten like this in ages.”

I liked how humble and grateful she was. Briar was a nice change of pace compared to the women I’d entertained dating before her. Then again, all of those “dates” were a long time ago indeed. I’d been living the single life for quite a few years, chalking it up to not having time to write and give energy or affection to another human. However, Briar had kickstarted my writing process after weeks of struggling to put any words on the page.

Maybe having a someone in my life wasn’t necessarily a distraction.

We corked the bottle of wine and took it with us when we left the restaurant and embarked on our long walk back to the car. Central Park was just as beautiful to walk through at night. Lights lit up the tree canopies, lined pathways, and reflected on the water beneath the couple of bridges we crossed.

It was magical.

Story-worthy, one might say.

Just like Briar was.

She was unique in the sense that she was inspiring and brave. I didn’t know many people who were willing to pack up only their clothes and start over in a city where they didn’t know anybody and didn’t have a plan. She’d come here with no job and no place to live. She’d thrown herself into it, trusting herself to figure it out along the way.

And she’d done it within a matter of days.

That took sacrifice and guts. Two things Briar clearly had plenty of willingness to exercise.

“Thank you again for dinner,” Briar said as she strolled along beside me. “I had a really nice time.”

“So did I. Maybe I can take you out again sometime soon?”

“I’d like that, Mr. Parker.”

I chuckled.

“Can I ask you something?” she asked.

“Of course.”

She was quiet for a moment. “Why are you being so nice to me? Why do you want to spend so much time with me?”

I shrugged. “It’s simple really. You’re an impressive woman. You’re brave, and funny, and intelligent. And I like being around you. You also happen to be the sort of woman I would like to write about one day.”

She blushed. “So I’m a case study?”

“You’re more than that.”

Briar hid her burning cheeks from me. “Is that a line you use on all the pretty girls you like?”

“It’s not a line. It’s the truth.”

Chapter 15

Briar

Riley and Madison would never believe me if I told them that W. Parker took me out on a date in New York City.

Hell, I doubted anyone would believe this. I hardly believed it myself and I was the one whose hand he was holding as we approached the parking lot. Did I feel all giddy inside because of who he was, or had I felt this way since before I found out?

You’ve felt this way since Thai food.

That thought was true. There was something so disarming and kind about Wes that he’d effortlessly wandered into my heart and started making a residence there. It was a little unnerving how quickly I’d started to like him, and learning his real identity wasn’t making it any easier for me to keep my head on straight and approach this with one baby step at a time. I didn’t like moving quickly in relationships. I believed in little steps so that we could savor each stage of the relationship.

I almost laughed at myself.

Who was I to go off thinking I knew how to properly court someone like Wes? The only guys I’d dated were younger than him by at least five years, and I hadn’t been