With the din of chatter and clink of silverware surrounding us, the waiter takes our drink order.
A glass of chardonnay for Autumn. I make a mental note of which wine she’s having. If my father taught me anything before passing, it’s that love is in the details. Small gifts that bring memories will go a long way. I intend to have that with the woman I share my life with.
I’m almost certain it’s Autumn.
Every moment with her, the tension gets thicker.
Every moment without her, she’s all I can think about.
“This is a really nice place,” she says and her voice is gentle with more than a hint of gratitude as she lays the napkin across her lap.
“This is the only place I thought to take you tonight.”
“Really?” She sounds surprised.
“You’re a single mom and from what I can tell, a workaholic.” I answer her with complete honesty. “When’s the last time you treated yourself to a night out?”
“I have my friends. We do get-togethers … but not like this.”
“Exactly.”
“So you want to spoil me?” She lays the question out as if it’s a joke.
“Most definitely,” I answer with as much charm as I can manage. The nerves are gone, the fears of ruining this with her nowhere in sight. It’s just me and her and a date that is long overdue. “I really like you and I wanted to make sure I made that clear tonight.”
There’s a pause as the beat of my pulse and everything else slows when she looks back at me. Until she answers with five little words, “I really like you too.”
The waiter is silent as he drops off our drinks, interrupting the moment, but it’s pleasant enough and we place our dinner order.
The atmosphere mixes just right with the jack and Coke and her glass of chardonnay.
After a moment, Autumn seems to remember where the conversation was and picks it right back up. “As my son might say,” she says and the words leave a beautiful smile on her lips as she sips the sweet-smelling wine that carries all the way across the table. “I kind of sort of, maybe, quite possibly, like you a lot.”
“Is that flirtation I sense?” I tease her and she lets out a small hum of amusement as she nods her head.
“How am I doing? I may be a bit rusty.”
“Well, this is a compliment I never thought I’d give, but I like you rusty.”
Her shoulders shake with the laugh and her hair flows over her shoulders. In this moment, she’s beautiful and I know I was right to wait for her to finally come around and give me a chance.
“Oh, aren’t you just the charmer,” she says but lays her hand on the table, palm up. I’m quick, but not too quick, to lay mine on top of hers and she threads her fingers through mine.
The conversation flows easily, a bit of laughter, a bit more of deeper conversation.
The only interruption comes when she checks her phone and then peeks up at me.
“You don’t get out much, do you?” I jokingly scold her for checking on the boys again. “My mom has some experience here, you know?”
“Oh, come on, just text her and ask how they’re doing.”
“They’re fine. I’m sure.”
“Please,” she says as the waiter refills her water goblet.
“You could message her,” I say just to tease her. “I’ll send you her number.”
“I’m not texting your mother while I’m on a date with you.”
“Ooh, so you admit it? We’re on a date?”
Bright red stains her cheeks but she doesn’t waste any time flicking her cloth napkin at me and saying, “Just ask her, please.”
“She already messaged ten minutes ago and said they’re watching Batman and the two of them ate an entire bag of popcorn.”
Her smile grows and she slips her phone back in her purse with a simple thank you.
Before I can tell her she doesn’t need to worry, before I can remind her she’s on a date, she tells me, “You’re lucky you have your mom. I don’t have much family and none of them live around here anymore.”
“I know I am. She loves watching Chase.”
Her eyes spark as if she’s about to say something daring. “So, I’m just going to put the obvious out there … if we were to do this thing, really date I mean. I think we’d make a cute little family.”
I take a moment to let it sink in that she’s considering things I’ve considered. This may be our first date, but it’s not like we didn’t already know what we were getting into.
I voice aloud a thought I’ve had ever since she agreed to that coffee date. “People might think Chase and Henry are twins … not the identical kind, but because of their age.”
With bright eyes and a soft smile, Autumn replies, “So that didn’t scare you? Because if we do this, really do this … I don’t want just a fling.”
“Men aren’t scared off by the thought of a family. I know what I want, and I’m not looking for a fling either.”
She bites down on her plush bottom lip and all I can think is that I want to do that nibbling. With my cock hardening, I readjust in my seat and thankfully, I’m saved by the waiter.
“The rib eye,” he says as I lay my napkin across my lap, “and scallops and medallions.” Nodding toward our drinks, I answer him before he can ask the question, “Another for each of us, please.”
Autumn looks giddy staring down at her plate with a small hum of satisfaction. One thing I hadn’t realized before tonight was how laid back and easily pleased Autumn is. She’s all smiles all the time although there has to be something that gets to her.
“You look like a kid at Christmas,” I say as she pops a roasted potato into her mouth the second the waiter is gone.
“I love good food.” Autumn doesn’t hesitate to cut into one of her scallops. “You’re going to wish you got these,” she taunts playfully, the chunk of caramelized scallop speared on her fork.
“I think I’m going to be just fine with my steak.”
“It does look delicious,” she says and eyes my meal like she may steal it if I don’t eat fast enough.
“Where do you even put it away? You’re a tiny little thing.”
“All the way down to my toes,” she says and the joke makes me grin. “So … this is a date-date?”
“It’s a date-date,” I say, nodding in agreement.
All she does is smile at my answer and I comment, “You like to smile, don’t you?
Her head tilts with a small nod. “Happiness is a choice.”
“I want to be happy.” I don’t know why the words slipped out, but they do.
“You aren’t now?” she asks with all seriousness, giving me her full attention.
“Happier,” I say, amending my statement.
“What would make you happy?”
You. The word stays at the back of my throat and I shrug, taking a swig of my drink rather than answering. “Life is good, but I just want make sure it’s everything it can be for Chase.”
“I don’t know a lot of single dads, and only a few single moms. But I know you’re doing a good job. Chase is a sweet kid and he’s happy.”