Baby Be Mine(Spinsters & Casanovas Series Book 1)(30)

Hunter continued to eye his surroundings. There were only two other occupied tables—one with an elderly couple eating noodles and another with a young man, slightly younger than him, holding a pink rose.

Pink rose? Blind date maybe. In fact, he was intrigued now as to who might be this mysterious girl who would soon make her appearance. He was glad he was sitting facing the entrance, as this gave him ample opportunity to glance at the door every few seconds without twisting his neck in the process. But after a good five minutes, he grew bored again. Trying to think of a way to make time go faster, he decided to go to the bathroom and clear his head a bit. The chair made a screech as he pushed it out.

“Where are you going?” Caroline asked, looking nervously up from the table.

What was her problem? Why was she so afraid to speak to him?

He took in the sight of the jukebox in front of him, her eyes scattering from left to right. She definitely reminded him of a timid mouse desperately wanting to steal the cheese but afraid the cat would get her. Well, obviously he would be the cat, but come on. It wasn’t like he was going to bite her if she came after his cheese. But maybe he would, if she were his type. Then he would nip her on the neck and take her straight to bed. But in this case, it wouldn’t happen.

“Bathroom,” he answered. He eyed her mischievously before further saying, “Wanna join me?”

Hunter couldn’t help it because he wanted to check her response, whether she would jump out of her chair in fright or just timidly look down again at that tablecloth like a scared mouse.

Both didn’t happen. Caroline looked shock instead to hear him say this. What could he say? Of course she should be shocked by his suggestion. Then again, most sensible girls would be shocked to be in his presence anyway. So her reply was a vigorous shake of her head.

“Thought so,” he commented. “Be right back.”





* * *





Through the restaurant window, Clarice stared at the young man sitting near the large flower arrangement, twisting a pink rose in his hand. The man had shaggy brown hair that would benefit from a cut. His face was adorned with square-framed lenses.

It was him, the one youandme.co.nz had emailed to her last night. Her very first date.

He looked… young. Very young.

Would he find her repulsive if he knew her true age?

No, he looked pleasant. Yes, pleasant. That was what Elise would say. Pleasant men would never hold a grudge against age.

Staring at the man again, Clarice’s heart did a little jump, not because she found the man beautiful and handsome, but because she was so nervous. Was this the man who she wanted her baby to look like? Would he be the one? As more thoughts clouded her mind, she began shaking all over again.

“Get a grip of yourself, Clarice.” She shook herself. “You will not behave this way. This is your first date. I expect a good turnout.”

Her eyes reverted back to the man through the window. What was she saying? This was her first date; that was why she was feeling out of sorts. She had to go to the restroom first. Clear her head and compose herself before showing herself to him.

Clarice knew the layout of the Cambodian restaurant like the back of her hand since she frequented it so many times with her friends, so her escape through the door and to the bathroom without anyone even spotting her was an easy task. Just as she was about to make it to the women’s door around the corner, though, she unexpectedly collided with a large body mass, exerting enough force that it sent her toppling onto the floor. Before her body made impact with the dark tiles, she saw an arm and hung on to that arm for dear life, hoping it would provide her with some support to stop her fall, but in the end, she ended up sprawled on the floor anyway. A second later, she felt her lips smashed against something soft, and that was when she lost all sense of herself.