reading. It would make sense for her to choose someone else who enjoyed it too. But I didn’t want to walk over, just in case I was wrong. I walked up to the hostess stand. “Hi. I have a reservation under Matthew…”
“Matthew Caldwell,” the hostess said. “Yes, I know.” She gave me a smile that I could only describe as seductive.
I smiled back. She was exactly the kind of girl I’d invite to spend the night in a hotel. She knew who I was. Or had at least heard about me. It was an easy win. An easy distraction. Part of me wanted to just steal her away now and skip this date that would most likely be terrible. I didn’t date. I flirted and hooked up. There was a huge difference. One that Penny definitely wouldn’t understand. I doubted the woman with mousey brown hair would understand either.
“I’m Tamara,” the hostess said. “And if there’s anything at all you need tonight, I’m your girl.”
I bet you are. Tamara got me.
Her smile quickly turned into a frown when she looked down at her chart. “Oh, it says you reserved a table for two.” She cleared her throat. “Your other party isn’t here yet, would you like to wait at the bar or be seated?”
I looked over my shoulder at the girl with brown hair. So that wasn’t her? I glanced down at my watch. I was 15 minutes late. Where the heck was my date? “Are you sure about that?” I asked. I wanted to ask her about the girl sitting alone reading, but I felt like it wouldn’t be well received. If she was my date, Tamara would have taken me over there.
“Positive.”
Huh. “I’ll just sit at the table to wait.”
“Very well. Right this way.”
I followed her to the table and she handed me a menu. She took a step back and then took a step forward. Her cheeks turned rosy like she was embarrassed. “If your date ends up being a no-show, you know where to find me.” And with that, she turned on her heel and walked away.
Not embarrassed. Bold. My eyes landed on her ass as she walked back to the hostess stand. All I had to do was get through this terrible date and then I could take Tamara up on her offer.
I ordered a scotch. And then another. I checked my watch one more time. Maybe my date had come, scoped the place out, and left already. Or she was just a no-show. I looked over at the girl who had been reading. She’d been joined by her date. I was the last one alone in this restaurant, looking like a damned idiot.
And I wasn’t going to tell the waiter to wait any longer. I was about to wave him down to pay for my drinks when I saw someone running through the restaurant. She had bright, wavy red hair, and her face was bright red too. She looked around the restaurant feverishly. And for just a second, I was worried she was going to try to rob the place or something. Or burst into tears. Or…do something else that she really shouldn’t.
Tamara went up to her and they started talking. The redhead waved her hands around as she talked, still trying to peer around the restaurant. And then they both turned to me.
Oh no. God no. Penny, you have to be kidding me right now.
But instead of the hostess showing the redhead toward my table, she tried to show her out the door. I was about to breathe a sigh of relief when the redhead sidestepped Tamara and ran into the restaurant. She almost collided with a waiter, but somehow managed to reach my table unscathed.
“I’m so so sorry that I’m late,” she said. She was completely out of breath. “The subway broke down. I had to run. Luckily I wore sneakers.”
I looked down. Sure enough, she was sporting a pair of sneakers in a five-star restaurant. Which I actually found endearing. Brooklyn had this pair of beat-up Keds she used to wear everywhere. She even wore them with her homecoming dress.
“I really am sorry. I hate being late. Lateness is one of my greatest fears.” She sat down, still out of breath and red in the face.
“Are you thirsty?” I asked and pushed my glass of water toward her.
“So thirsty. But um…have you already put your lips on that? Because I really don’t like germs. I’m not like a germophobe or anything