Back in the Saddle (Jessica Brodie Diaries #1)(48)

We sat down in a booth in a corner of the restaurant. It did seem better than other Chili’s I had been in, but I didn’t know if that was because I hadn’t been to one since I was a kid, or this restaurant was making a valiant effort to improve their image and clientele. Unfortunately, the menu was the same. Standard fare.

We ordered food accompanied by large beers each. Then the small talk started.

“So…where did you grow up?” I began.

“I didn’t really grow up anywhere in particular. Or maybe I just grew up everywhere. I was an army brat, so I moved around a lot.”

“Did you like moving around?”

“Well, I didn’t really have a choice, so I never thought about it in terms of like or dislike. It was hard most of the time. I would make friends in a new school then have to move. I have always been a little shy, so it takes me a little while to make friends. Then, when I finally did, I would have to move.”

“What parts of the country did you live in?”

“Well, I was born in Florida. I lived there until I was five…or six. I don’t remember much of it. Then I went to Virginia for a while, then off to North Carolina, then to Hawaii for a while—“

“Hawaii? Nice!”

“Yeah, Hawaii was actually where some of my best memories came from. I was thirteen and wasn’t watched too closely because I had three younger sisters, so I went off and explored a lot. I surfed and fished and went boating with the locals. It was pretty cool actually. Short lived, though. We were only there about a year and a half, and then we went back to Virginia.”

“When did you move out here?”

“I was out at eighteen. My family was moving yet again, and I just jumped ship. I finished up High School and headed to college here in Texas. Been here ever since.”

“And you are…”

“The sexiest man alive?”

I laughed. “Yes, that is what I was saying, exactly. Uh, you are how old…?”

He laughed with me. “I am thirty on the nose.”

I nodded. Five year age gap was nothing.

We sat in silence for a second as our beers arrived and we each took a sip. Then the conversation lulled, as it usually did with first dates. The problem was, he seemed content by that fact, while my forehead was beading in sweat from the awkwardness.

“Well, I’ll just…ah, go power my nose.”

He looked at my nose and frowned.

“It means use the ladies room…”

Dawning. He nodded and reached for his beer.

All right then. I made a graceful exit, a graceful, half sexy saunter down the aisle, then ducked into the kitchen. A male cook looked up from his steaming pot, and smiled.

“Oh! Sorry!”

I had an extremely embarrassing walk to the other side of the restaurant where the restrooms were. Randall watched me the whole way, a small grin fixed on his face.

He obviously knew the layout of the restaurant.

The food was served when my stalling restroom trip was completed.

I washed most the meal down with artfully placed sips of beer to cover the halting conversation. He wasn’t kidding when he’d said he was shy. He was happy enough not talking. Which he proved.

When the food was gone, so was my way to stay busy. We were forced to resume small talk.

Thankfully, he started this time. “You come from L.A., huh? Is there much difference to here?”

I smiled. “Yes. There is a lot of difference. A lot of difference. The whole mentality is different.”

“Yeah, people here tend to think westerners are long-haired hippies.” He smiled warmly. “Well, I shouldn’t make that statement so generic. A lot of people in the bigger cities and most people in Austin don’t share that view exactly. But generally speaking, y’all are long haired hippies.”

“And Texans, what, like their women with a butch haircut?”

He put up his hands in surrender. “Just saying!”

My turn for topic. “So what do you do for fun?”

“Oh, I play role-playing games mostly.” To my blank look, he elaborated. “Online games. I play with people from around the world.”

“Oh wow, that sounds cool.”

“Yeah, I don’t go out much. It’s comfortable at home.”

“Oh, uh huh.”

His turn for topic. “You?”

Cheater.

“Well, right now, I am just kind of hanging with my landlady. We have drinks and dinner most nights. All my good friends were left behind, and my new friend Candace—you know her—well, she met this guy Ty, and they are attached at the hip!”

He reached smoothly for the bill as it showed up, nodding all the while. He might not be a talker, but at least he listened. That was nice.

Out in his car it was decision time.

“So, where to?” I asked.

He shrugged. Not planning to choose.

“This is your town, what do you think?” I prodded.

He was looking at my lips. He leaned in slightly. Going in for a kiss, I’d bet my life on it. It was our first date, dinner had been conversationally tough, and he was giving me a good-night kiss in the middle of the date. I wasn’t sure, but it seemed like this was slightly jumping the gun.

I took out my cell phone. “How about we meet up with Candace and Ty? Have a few drinks? That might be fun. Get a little dancing in?”