“So, you remember Buffy was the chosen slayer, the one woman in all the world with the power to deflect evil. But there can only be one slayer, so when Buffy dies, a new girl would inherit her powers.”
“Right…” He vaguely remembered that.
“So at the very end, Buffy and the gang find a way to release her powers to every girl, even the ones not yet born but are destined to be the next slayers. Suddenly they all have their powers. There is the most amazing montage where you see girls of all ages being turned into bad ass versions of themselves. They conquer their fears, stand up for themselves and others, and become the heroes they were meant to be. It’s a beautiful message for all women about confidence and self-empowerment.” A fresh blush tinged her cheeks. “Guess that sounds a little silly when I say it out loud.”
“Not at all,” he said quite seriously. “Female empowerment is the opposite of silly.”
“You think so?”
“I was raised by one of the best heart surgeons in the country. The things she’s done, the accomplishments, not to mention the lives she saved…”
“Your mom?”
He nodded.
“What about your father?”
“A former investment banker. He works in real estate with me now.”
“You work with your father? That must be fun…” She smiled a little. “Or maybe tough.”
“Mostly fun,” Thad smiled fondly. “He’s not nearly as fierce as I am.”
“You’re fierce?” Veronica was watching him with an amused expression.
“Oh yes,” he waggled his eyebrows. “I’m a beast in the boardroom. You should hear me roar!” He mimed the swiping of a clawed paw at her and she laughed. The sound, so sweet and honest, hit him behind the knees.
She gave a playful smirk. “The beast of the boardroom, huh? So what do you do during the average boardroom safari, Mr. Beast?”
“Mostly negotiate tough deals on properties I want to buy. My father is the man who comes prepared with all the research, but he doesn’t like the negotiation stage. That’s where I come in. We work well as a team.”
“That sounds nice.” Veronica’s gaze drifted to the art around the room. Then she suddenly gasped as she saw the clock.
Thad inwardly cursed. “We have to go, don’t we?”
“Yes,” She sounded hesitant and disappointed. “I’m sorry…”
“Or… We could stay longer. You won’t turn into a pumpkin after midnight, will you?”
“No,” she laughed again. “But sometimes it feels like I might. I really have to go home.”
“Okay, no problem. Let me return the chat pack to the bar and I’ll get Simon to pick us up.” He collected the cards returned the set to Maya.
“Well? Did it work magic?” Maya asked.
“Actually, it did.” He’d gotten Veronica to open up in a way that felt like more of a victory than any of his other dates had.
“Glad to hear it. Have a good night, Romeo.” Maya blew him a kiss and he winked at her before he joined Veronica by the elevators.
“So, was tonight okay? Be honest.” He put his hand on the small of her back as they stepped into the elevator. It might have been premature, but the need to touch her in some small way was overwhelming.
“It was great… Better than I expected.” Her face reddened at the admission.
“And what did you expect exactly?” He reluctantly let go of her back, knowing it would be too much too soon if he continued to touch her.
“You’ll probably laugh.”
“Maybe, but not at you.”
“You struck me as a clubbing kind of guy. But not the dance floor type. More like, all private VIP lounge with big bass music, champagne, and limos.”
This time he was the one who blushed. He rubbed the back of his neck and glanced away, but she noticed.
“Oh my God. You are that guy, aren’t you?”
“Yeah, usually. But not this time.”
“So why not take me to a club for drinks?”
“You know how loud those places are? Hard to have a real conversation there. Besides, you’re different.” He kicked himself because of the way she reacted to that. “I mean that as a good thing.” She still didn’t look convinced.
The elevator door opened, and they passed through the lobby. A bellhop waved down Simon, who was ready to take them home. They were both quiet as his car stopped in front of the Chi-Bean. He wanted to say a dozen things to her, but he felt awkward as hell after she’d pegged him for being the kind of guy to take a date to a VIP club room. He’d wanted a different experience, and he’d gotten it, but he wasn’t sure he’d actually given her a fun night or if she was just ready to get home and put the whole experience behind her. Veronica was excellent at sending mixed signals.
“Are you okay to get home from here?” Thad asked.
“Yeah. I need to close up with Zelda.” She got out of the cab and Thad instructed his driver to wait for him. He got out and followed her to the coffee shop.
“Assuming I didn’t somehow scare you off, can I take you out again?” Thad wanted to touch her again, to pull her into his arms and kiss away the tiny lines of worry creasing her brow. She pulled at something inside of him that wanted to protect her, to care for her. He’d always been a gentleman for women, always respectful and protective, but Veronica was different. She seemed to exist on another level for him in no way any other woman he’d dated ever had.
She played with the set of keys she’d retrieved from her purse and bit her bottom lip. “You really want to see me again?”
“Yes. Very much so.” Her puzzlement bothered him. She didn’t think he would want to?
“Why?”
Thad heard a plethora of questions in that single word.
This time he couldn’t resist. He cupped her chin and their gazes locked. “Because you’re real, and I need some reality in my life.” He leaned in, closing the distance between them and he pressed his lips to her forehead before he stepped away. She released a small exhale that he felt deep within him as if he’d released the same breath.
She lifted her gaze to his, and those blue eyes of hers burned through him so sweetly. “Okay.”
He smiled. “Great. How about after open mic night next Thursday?”
“I think I can do that.”
“It’s a date. Have a great night, Veronica.” He couldn’t resist caressing her name on his tongue. He liked it far too much. She reminded him of Veronica from the Archie comics, a gorgeous figure with long glossy black hair, except without Veronica’s brazen attitude. She was sweet and shy, way more of a Betty if he had to compare her to comic characters. What would she be like when he got her out of her shell? She would kill him, that’s what. Kill him with her sweetness.
“Good night, Thad.” She bit her lip again, but this time he saw it was to hide a smile as she slipped inside the coffee shop. He watched her a second longer before he slipped his hands into his coat pockets and walked back to his car.
“Okay, spill it. Tell me everything that happened!” Zelda squealed. She practically pounced on Veronica when she stepped behind the counter.