"It's a bit more complicated than that, but it's a date slash job interview. I want to get this girl a job with my company, but I need to see her in action. It's a date because I want her in my life."
"For the long haul?" Jared glanced over his shoulder. "You know your momma would be thrilled."
"I think so, but we just met a week ago. I need to get to know her a little better, but everything I've seen so far leads me to believe that she's the one." I chuckled. "Yeah, my mom's actually being reserved with this girl for some reason. She's been pushing at me so long, that having me actually find someone would leave her with nothing to bitch at me about. Then what would she do?"
"Start in on your brothers. You're just first in line. You know that." Jared smiled. "Come on back. Let me show you the room."
I stopped by the open door at the back of the restaurant and smiled. "This is perfect. Are you letting me use this private room tonight?"
"It's all yours, buddy." Jared glanced at a server who was working on the table. "Put these in a few vases and make the room look romantic. Low lights and such."
"Thanks, man." I let out a long breath. "I'm nervous."
"You? No fucking way." He turned and walked toward me, brushing down the front of my jacket. "There's nothing to be worried about. You're Easton Parks. There wasn't a girl at NYU that wouldn't have dropped her panties for you. I'm more concerned for the girl."
I laughed and pushed at him. "Get the fuck outta here. She's a tall, beautiful redhead. Her name is Vivian."
"I like her already." Jared patted my chest once more and walked to the door. "The menus are on the table. Just order whatever you want. It's on the house."
"No. I got this." I reached for him, but he turned, leaving me to grasp air.
"You're one of my good friends from college, East. It's not happening. Enjoy and good luck with the girl. I hope she's worth a good guy like you." He closed the door behind him as I picked up a menu and scanned it.
"It's me that needs to be worth her time and effort." I started to run my fingers through my hair and stopped. I'd put a little bit of gel in it and didn't want it jacked up before she got there.
Twenty minutes later, a knock sounded on the door behind me, and I moved to open in.
"Hi," I spoke softly as my eyes moved down her delicious figure. Her cream-colored dress looked like a summer day on her. "Beautiful."
"Thanks. This is incredible." She pressed her hand to my chest and looked up at me. "What are you up to?"
I laughed and bent down, kissing her cheek once before moving back. "Wouldn't you like to know?"
I moved back and her breath caught in her chest. "Easton."
"It's okay. Just a dinner and a bit of fun. I love overdoing things, but I didn't get a chance to in Miami. Let me have my fun, and you just relax and enjoy the evening. I ordered us a four-course meal to share. That okay?" I took her coat as she slid it off her shoulders. The dress hugged her breasts tightly and fanned out, but had no sleeves or straps. I yearned to press my lips to her shoulders and taste her skin again.
Soon. Chill the fuck out.
"Okay. I can do that." She sat her purse down on an empty chair near the door and walked to the table, leaning over and smelling the roses. "I don't remember this restaurant doing all of this."
"They don't." I pulled back a chair and nodded toward it. "Sit down and let's eat. We can play our twenty questions game and perhaps get through more than two questions."
She chuckled as she sat down. "Yeah, maybe we could start on something other than marriage and kids."
I moved around to take my seat, but paused to pull my jacket off. I loved the way she watched me, as if she were in a slight trance. If I were a third party observer, I'd have figured her to be as taken with me as I was with her. I could only hope my assessment was true.
"Okay, here's the other thing I want to do." I pulled my napkin into my lap, leaning forward to engage the beautiful girl a little more. "Let's have you critique each dish and then either I can write it up, or you can. I'd love to see how well your tastes align with my own reviews of Jaspers. I owe the owner another round of reviews on the place in a few weeks, and I refuse to send Kevin here."
"How fun." She smiled brightly and pulled her napkin into her lap. "I can type them up. Are you wanting to see them once I'm done?"
"Absolutely. I'll share them with my boss, Jon. If you're okay with that?" I sat back as a bowl of dark orange soup was delivered to the table and placed in front of us.
"This is our cream of pumpkin soup with sherry, bacon, and toasted pumpkin seeds. Enjoy." The waiter bowed to us and walked away.
"You wanna use your phone or mine?" I smiled as her face lit up even more. She couldn't have been more entrancing to me.