Stealing Harper (Taking Chances #1.5)(73)

But then Friday night was just . . . odd.

Blake had picked me up in his silver Lexus convertible and taken me to The Oasis, a restaurant sitting on the lake with the most amazing view as the sun set, which had begun just after we’d arrived. I honestly don’t think I’ve ever seen anything more beautiful, and just as I began to tell Blake that, our waiter arrived to take our drink order. Without a word, Blake handed him both menus and placed our order for our food and drinks. I hadn’t even looked at the menu yet. The food was just as he said it would be, to die for. But from the way he continued to treat me I was expecting him to cut my meat and feed me himself by the time our food got there.

Conversation was at a standstill until we were back in his car.

“Want to go for drinks again?” He asked suddenly, halfway back to campus.

Obviously he had missed how awkward the last hour had been. “Two margaritas are more than enough for me. I’m good.”

His laugh had boomed throughout the small car, as his hand fell onto my upper thigh and gave a little squeeze. “Okay, no drinks. Anything else you want to do?”

“Um . . .”

“Do you like horses?”

“Horses?” That wasn’t something I’d been expecting. “Of course I like horses.”

“So how about we go for a carriage ride down 6th Street before I take you home, sound good?”

“I don’t know.”

“Rachel, did I do something? I feel like we’ve gone back a few steps.”

“No, I’m sorry . . . I’m just tired. I’ve felt off all day, is it okay if you take me back?”

“Of course, there’s always tomorrow!”

I’d stifled a groan and smashed myself as close to the side of the car as possible. The entire way back he kept his hand on my thigh, and continued to rub his thumb back in forth. In an effort to not smack it away, I’d crossed my arms under my chest and resorted to burning imaginary holes in his hand. After we got to campus he walked me all the way to my room before trapping me against the doorframe and leaning in. I’d turned my head away at the last minute but that didn’t seem to faze him. Grabbing my hips and pressing his body closer to mine, he started kissing a line down my neck; and I swear he smelled my hair before groaning. I’d tried not to gag.

“Blake, please? Can we not do this?”

He’d pulled back and his blue eyes had flashed. “Fine.” The way he looked at me from under his eyelashes caused a chill to run down my spine. And not a good one. “I’ll see you later.” Without another word he’d pushed off me, turned and stalked down the hallway.

“RACH, WAKE UP and tell. Me. Everything!”

Cracking my eyes open the next morning, I looked at a too-perky Candice and groaned. “Where were you when I got back last night?”

“With Jeff,” she dismissed his name with a wave of her hand, “now tell me about your date!”

“Wow, Jeff too, huh? Good one, Candi.”

“Don’t stall!”

Pulling myself up so I was resting on my elbows, I didn’t even feel like sugar coating the prior night. “It was awful.”

Her eyes went wide, “What do you mean? What’d you do?”

Bitch. “Why is it that I had to do something?”

“Um let’s see,” she started counting on her fingers, “One, you didn’t want to go out with him in the first place. Two, unlike Wednesday and Thursday, Blake didn’t text me after to tell me about your time together. Three, you didn’t want to go out with him in the first place.”

“You already said that.” I pointed out.

“Exactly, that’s a big enough one that it counts for two! So what happened?”

I sighed and flopped onto my bed. “It was just weird, it’s like we had nothing to talk about. Which was crazy because we talked the entire time we were together on Wednesday and Thursday. And, he didn’t even let me see a menu, he ordered for me. Like I was a three-year-old or something.”

“Is that all?”

“Well, yeah. Oh! And when we were on our way back he just started acting like the night had been completely normal and not awkward in any way. Then we got back, he pushed me up against the door and started kissing me neck. I kind of asked him to stop and he got weird. Like creepy, scary, weird . . . and then he just up and left. I don’t know, the whole night was just a bust.”

Candice didn’t say anything, she just sat there staring at me.

“What?”

“Are you insane? You told him to stop kissing you?!”

Really? That was all she got from what I told her? “Yeah, we had a bad date, why would I want him to kiss me? Maybe if it had gone something like the first two nights I wouldn’t have—”

“No, no. Rachel. Oh my God. We need to fix this. I can’t believe you still managed to mess up the date after everything I went over with you yesterday!”

“Wow.” I shook my head and let my arms give out so I face-planted into my pillow again. I was so dumbfounded I didn’t even know what to say anymore.

After running to the café to grab a quick breakfast, we made our way back to hopefully study for finals that were next week. But from the way Candice had tried to lecture me on all I probably did wrong on the date during breakfast, I’d doubt much studying would take place if it involved her.