I grit my teeth and wished I was anywhere but here. “Liking her wasn’t part of the deal. I’m fulfilling my side by showing up.” I ended the call and shoved my phone in my pocket.
How was I supposed to figure out who this woman was? Whatever. If I never found her, that was fine with me.
I walked inside the restaurant and informed the host that my date was already seated and waiting for me. I turned to the left and stopped dead in my tracks.
Oh, no. No, she didn’t.
Charlotte knew better than to pull something like that.
But even as the thought crossed my mind, there was no denying what was in front of me.
Charlotte’s best friend, Maya Anderson, sat at a table, staring at her phone, her long brown hair resting over one shoulder. She wore a white blouse and there was no one else seated in her section. I scanned the room, looking for another woman who might be sitting alone, but it was useless because I knew who my date was. I inhaled a sharp breath, my pulse increasing by the second. She was my sister’s friend, so I’d seen her around from time to time, but we hadn’t had a real conversation since high school.
I’d been into her once. That much was true. Thought she was the most beautiful woman in the world. But that felt like a lifetime ago, and a lot had changed since then. She was still pretty. Still quite attractive. But I doubted she knew what she was getting into when she agreed to this blind date.
She hadn’t seen me yet, so I walked out of the restaurant and pulled out my phone, dialing Charlotte.
She answered right away. “Did you find her?”
“You set me up with Maya Anderson.”
“I did.”
“That was a dirty trick and you know it.”
“I didn’t do this to hurt either of you. I love you both and I think—”
“Save it. You knew there was bad blood between us, yet you still followed through with this.” I paused and held back the explosion that was about to take place. “Just answer one question. Did you tell her I’m her date?”
“No.”
I clenched my fist and glanced up at the sky. Why me? “And you expect me to go in there and act like I’m fine with this?”
“Yes.”
“She’ll lose it when she sees me.”
“We’re not in high school anymore, Easton. The two of you have been in the same room before and there was never a problem. Just make the effort. I know you can be charming when you want to be. At least…I’ve heard.” She snickered slightly, but I could sense the uneasiness there. “Think of this as a challenge. You love challenges.”
I closed my eyes and pressed my lips together, hating that she’d put me in this position. “Fine. I’ll go in there and fulfill my side of the bargain, but don’t forget that once this is over, you can’t bring up dating or relationships ever again. The subject is officially barred from conversation.”
“Got it. Now go win her over.”
I didn’t bother telling her that winning over Maya Anderson was impossible, but there was no sense in arguing on the phone while people passed by. I hung up and strode back inside. A few minutes had passed, and now I was late.
That was not how I conducted business, but it didn’t matter. Once Maya found out I was her date, she’d probably get up and leave, and that was fine with me. I felt no obligation to win her over. None whatsoever.
Maya was scanning the front entrance, and her gaze landed right on me. She visibly flinched, and a look of disbelief clouded her brown eyes.
Wow, okay. Figures.
I ignored her apparent repulsion and walked straight to her, taking the seat opposite her.
“Hello, Maya.”
Her mouth dropped open, and the stunned look on her face would have been comical if it had been under different circumstances. “Easton? What are you doing here?”
I sidestepped the question in favor of asking one of my own. “Have you been to this restaurant before?”
“Uh…no.”
“I recommend the filet mignon. The meat is tender and juicy. The lobster is also a great choice—”
“Sorry to interrupt.” Her head jerked back as if none of this made sense. She placed a palm on the table as if needing to brace herself. “I’m expecting someone. He should be here any second, and if he sees us sitting together, it might…you know…ruin things.” She smiled thinly, no warmth in her expression at all.
She was still under the impression that another man was on his way, or maybe it was pure denial, but either way, I decided to go along with it for a minute. “You have a date?”
Red splotches broke out over her cheeks and down her neck. “Yes, I do.” Her eyes flickered with vulnerability, almost as if she were pleading with me not to comment.
“What’s his name?”
“Why?”
“Just curious.”
“I…” She glanced down and then picked up her glass of water and took a sip, gulping it down. After a few seconds, she met my gaze, appearing horrified. “Charlotte hasn’t told me yet.” She quickly glanced away as if waiting for me to mock her for not having that information.
“Ah…so Charlotte is the one setting you up. Doesn’t it bother you that you don’t know his name? If it were me, I’d want to know.”
“Charlotte said it was better this way, and I trust her completely.”
“You may be singing a different tune in a few minutes.”
She frowned and brought her gaze back to mine. “Why do you say that?”
I leaned back in the chair and crossed my arms over my chest as if I had all the time in the world and didn’t plan on leaving anytime soon. “Just a gut feeling.”
“Easton…” She didn’t get a chance to finish what she was about to say because a waiter appeared and asked if he could start us off with an appetizer while we decided what to order.
“Sure, why don’t you bring us one of everything,” I said, smirking. “I can’t decide what I’m in the mood for.”
“Very good. I’ll put the order in with the chef.”
Maya nearly jumped out of her seat. “Wait, that’s not necessary. This man is leaving in just a few seconds, and I want to save room for the main meal.”
The waiter shifted, appearing slightly confused as he looked from her to me. “No problem, Miss. I’ll hold off until you decide.”
I cleared my throat. “Actually, I think I’ll stay, so go ahead and put in the order.” I rested my forearms on the table and smiled confidently.
The waiter glanced between us and then nodded and walked away. I turned my smile toward Maya. “You can always take home what you don’t finish.”
She stared blankly at me, but I could tell by the way her fist opened and closed that she was boiling underneath. A beat passed and then she sat up straighter. “Whatever game you’re playing, I don’t find it amusing. Please leave.”
I could see she was starting to get agitated, so I leaned in and made eye contact, ready to come clean. “I can’t. I promised Charlotte I’d give this date a chance.”
Her eyes nearly bulged out of their sockets. “No. Not possible. Charlotte would never…”
I smiled, enjoying her discomfort a little too much, maybe because it validated my own shock at being set up with her. At least we had that in common. “Yep, I’m the blind date.”