letting me see the check and discreetly hands his card to the waiter. I’m pleased, and I decide to insist on paying for dessert as a thank you for what was likely a very pricey dinner.
We step outside onto the sidewalk. I look up and see only dark sky with no stars and a sliver of moon in the distance. This is one negative about the city. The lights make it too bright to see the stars at night. Jason smiles at me and takes my hand as we stroll down the street. It’s getting late, and the city is quieter now. Jason moves closer to me. It feels nice to be beside him, my hand firmly in his. We arrive at the café and stand at the counter, studying the offerings posted on a menu on the wall. I glance down and admire the cakes and cookies in the display case.
“Cappuccino, latte, espresso?” Jason lists, raising his eyebrows at me.
“No espresso. Too much jolt for this time of night. Cappuccino sounds good.”
He nods in approval. “Want to share some cheesecake, too?”
“Sure.” I smile. There really isn’t any dessert that I don’t like.
Jason orders two cappuccinos and a slice of cheesecake. When the woman rings up the order, I move beside him. “Let me, to thank you for the great dinner.”
He studies me, hesitates, but then puts his wallet back in his pocket. “Thanks,” he says graciously.
The cheesecake comes with strawberries, and the cappuccinos are tall--topped with a layer of white foam. We sit close to each other at a small table by the window. There is only one other couple in the café.
Jason’s fork politely waits for mine to retrieve a bite as we take turns with the cheesecake. He grins at me, his eyes appreciative behind his frameless glasses, and I can feel my cheeks heating. It’s very intimate and cozy. Once finished, we linger for a bit as Jason laces his fingers through mine on the table.
Later, back on the sidewalk outside the café, he takes my hand again as he leans down and kisses me. It’s a hesitant first kiss as his lips feather over mine. “Are you headed my way?” he asks in a whisper by my ear, indicating the T stop across the street.
I shake my head. “I drove in. I’m parked by the restaurant.”
“Would you like to come with me?” he whispers, his breath warm on my cheek.
I lean back and raise a skeptical eyebrow at him. It’s only our first date.
He smiles good-naturedly, unbothered. Then he kisses me again. I feel his hand tighten on my waist and this time his lips linger on mine. The night has become still and cool, but I feel only his warmth against me. There aren’t many people around now, but I probably wouldn’t notice if there were.
“I had a really nice time,” he says, leaning back, looking down at me.
“Me, too,” I reply, feeling a little breathless.
“We should do this again.”
I smile in response and nod.
He grins back at me. “Goodnight, Andrea.” Then he turns and walks to the underground T station across the street.
“Goodnight,” I manage to say as I stand rooted there in disbelief. Once he disappears down the stairway, I give myself a mental shake before swiftly turning and backtracking toward the restaurant. From there, I cover the two blocks to the parking lot in record time considering my feet are protesting every step of the way in the sandals I have now decided to toss into the trash. I retrieve my car, tipping the attendant and taking my outrage out on the steering wheel, which now suffers beneath my grip.
How could he walk away and leave me standing alone on a city street after midnight? I couldn’t believe he didn’t offer to walk me to my car. I guess I read the whole thing wrong. Maybe he isn’t interested in me, and he couldn’t care less if I got back to my car safely. Or maybe when I wouldn’t go home with him, he acted as though it was no big deal, but he was really writing me off and just wanting to get away.
I crank up the radio and look forward to just getting home and getting into pajamas. I hate dating. I hate it more and more each time.
nine
After another surprisingly uneventful day at work, I invite myself over to my sister’s apartment for dinner. I feel badly leaving Tiger on his own for the second night in a