But at that moment, right in front of me, sat a guy who definitely seemed interested. My radar could have been off, but I didn’t think so. Not with the attention he’d been giving me all morning. In fact, if I was honest, I could get used to that sort of treatment. In a heartbeat.
“You still haven’t revealed anything about yourself. What do you like to do?” His eyes told me he was being truthful; he really wanted to know. “Elizabeth?” he prodded.
My brain blanked out. I tried to think of something interesting to say, something that would make me out to be more than a divorcée with too much time on her hands. When nothing else came to mind, I said, “I watch a lot of television and I’m into crafts.”
Oh My God. Could you get more boring?
“Cool,” Kevin said. “Anything else?”
Anything else? I needed to say something. Fast. Something desirable. Something he wouldn’t expect to hear. My mind flashed through various topics, disposing of them as quickly as I thought of them. I latched on to the first semi-interesting one that came to me. “I also collect sex toys,” I blurted.
Apparently, my voice was louder than I’d expected, because at least four tables of people turned to stare at me. Heat suffused my face. I scooted down in my booth. I wanted to disappear. And then, a bit too late, I remembered the quiet-equals-mysterious lesson. I should have just shook my head and smiled serenely.
A glance at Kevin told me all I needed to know. His tawny face had lightened a few shades. It appeared I’d shocked him, and not in a good way. “Um . . . well, that’s nice,” he said.
Great. Probably, he thought I was a sex-starved maniac. Or a pervert. “I don’t really collect them,” I murmured. “I just have a few.”
He didn’t say anything. After a sip of his water, a bit of color returned to his complexion. The air between us had changed and, suddenly, I was ready to go home. The waitress appeared, bless her heart.
“Here you go.” Setting the food down, she said, “Enjoy! Let me know if you need anything else.”
A moist blob of gooey beige cereal sat in front of me. At least the waitress had also brought brown sugar and butter. Fat and sugar might make the liquid cement edible. And honestly, I needed to put something in my mouth other than my foot.
After I doctored my cereal, I pushed it around with my spoon. I wanted to put things back on an even-keel. Looking up, I said, “I’m sorry about that.”
He ate a spoonful of oatmeal before answering. When he did, his voice was calm. “Intimacy is unique for each person. I guess it just surprised me. Let’s just move on, okay?”
“That would be terrific.” Probably, the timing was off. I mean, if we were alone, he’d probably like the sex toy idea a lot more. As far as I knew, most men were into a little creativity in the bedroom. At least that’s what I’d heard.
I swallowed a bite of the now-too-sweet cereal and then asked, “Why did you decide to become a physical fitness trainer?” Being the asker of the questions was much better. It made it easier to breathe. Not to mention I was way less likely to make a fool out of myself.
“Nothing remarkable. I’ve always been into sports, and I like exercising. I also like to help people reach their dreams.” He shrugged. “It’s a good career for me, because I can do both.”
“Wow. That’s great. I kind of feel the same when I’m baking a wedding cake. It’s the start of someone’s marriage, and I get to be a small part of it.” I was talking too fast. I inhaled a breath to calm myself.
“My brother is getting married soon. I wish I’d known you when they were planning their wedding, I’d have set you up.”
“Have you ever been married?” I asked.
“Not yet. Came close once. But let’s not talk about past relationships. I do have a question for you, though.”
“Ask away.”
“What are you doing next weekend?”
I didn’t have plans, but I didn’t want to go to the gym again at the crack of dawn on my one day off, so I answered carefully. “Other than working, I’m not sure. Why?”
“I have tickets to Blue Man Group on Saturday night. Would you like to go with me?”