Reluctant Mate

Chapter 20

We had settled into dinner with a pleasant game of answering questions about one another. I had persuaded him to try the blooming onion, which he declared his delight for and even snagged the last bite, taunting me with it. We were finishing up our entrees’ when he made a suggestion.

  “Wanna take a picture with me?” 

  “Sure,” I replied, maybe a little too excited for a simple photo.

  Looking over my head, Alex held up a hand, and then the waiter appeared. “Yes, sir?” 

  “Good man, would you mind taking a picture of us?”

  I looked from Alex to the waiter, who was more than pleased to do the favor.

  “Sure thing,” the man agreed.

  Alex offered him his phone before reaching across the table to take my hand, and we both posed for the photo.

  “Thank you,” he politely said, then checked the picture out.

  “Is it a good one?” I asked.

  “It’s perfect.”

  He twisted the screen, allowing me to witness the grinning couple, who actually looked well together. 

  Pleased, I made a request. “Will you send that to me?”

  “Sure,” he agreed, but he placed his phone back on the table. “You were right about this place. I think it's my new favorite spot.”

  “Until tomorrow night for dinner.”

  “Right. The famous Chick-Fil-A.”’

  I rolled my eyes at his mockery. “Thank you for the day, by the way.”

  “You're welcome. Thank you for saying yes. My plan to trick you into liking me has worked.”

  “Oh, that was the plan all along? Well, honestly, you failed,” I falsely stated.

  “Well damn, there goes desert.”

  I bit my lip before mustering up enough courage to speak my thoughts, which contradicted my previous lie. “I like your taste in music, Alex, but I more than a little bit like you,” I admitted, knowing he would appreciate the compliment.

  “More than a little bit,” he repeated. “I’ll take it,” he finally decided.

  The way he said it gave off the impression he had doubts about my feelings toward him. Or perhaps something could change how I felt? The idea forced me to once again acknowledge that there was a mysterious aspect to Alex. Something I couldn’t identify lingered, and even after constantly being near him, I had a suspicion that he was shelving a lot of himself from me. Was it out of fear?

  Actually, the real question was, why did he always seem on the verge of saying something more than he ever did? And what was it that he reframed himself from revealing?

  “Let’s get you home before you start professing your love for me,” he joked.

  “You should be so lucky,” I tried saying in a humorous tone without spilling how the mention of the L word forced me to once again consider it.

  I couldn’t think about that sentiment right now…

  “You don’t believe in luck,” he stated. 

  Usually, our previous conversations about luck or magic resulted in me responding with one word. But now…

  There was something cunning about it this time. He could predict my next word from experience and perhaps expected it this time, but I hesitated. Something different rendered me silent and had me considering a few things. If I said my usual response, then it meant I was denying my affectionate feelings toward him. Yet, if I didn't speak the word, it opened the door for him to wonder why this time was so different from the others…?