Part 7 (1/2)

”I am, too,” he said, taking a deep breath. ”He loved coming out here. He had me and my sisters here from the time we were kids. He would hit up the casinos while we hung out at the hotel. And then at night he would take us around to all of his favorite restaurants. I loved those vacations.”

He seemed happy enough remembering it, and I breathed a sigh of relief. When he looked sad like that I had an overwhelming urge to wrap him up in a big hug. A thought that was way too maternal-not a very Annie-like inclination.

”What about you?” he asked, looking up at me. ”Are both of your parents still around?”

c.r.a.p. I so did not want to talk about this. There was a reason I liked to keep things light with the guys I dated. But he had told me about his dad and it would be pretty rude not to reciprocate.

”Um, my parents split up when I was younger,” I explained, trying to get it over with quickly. ”My mom brought me up. She's still around; she lives pretty close to Jen and me. But I don't see my dad.”

”Really?” he asked, sounding surprised. ”Like, not at all?”

I shook my head, wis.h.i.+ng he would drop it. I hated talking about my dad. ”Nope, haven't seen him in years.”

”I'm sorry, Annie,” he said, and I hated the pity in his voice. I had to remind myself that what he had been through was worse.

”It's not a big deal. Like I said, it happened when I was little,” I replied. Where the h.e.l.l was our waiter? If this line of conversation continued, I was going to be desperate for a beer in no time.

”How's your mom?” he asked. ”You guys pretty close?”

I sighed, starting to feel irritated. Why did people always feel the need to have these drawn-out question- and-answer sessions?

”We're not very close,” I replied flatly, hoping he would catch my tone. ”We don't have a lot in common and she can't believe that I could be happy without being married.”

”My mom is like that, too,” Nate said, laughing. His lightness surprised me. ”She's determined to marry me and my sisters off. Probably because she feels bad for us, being fatherless and all. Its like she's desperate for us to have families of our own.”

I smiled in spite of myself. ”That sounds just like my mom,” I said. ”It's annoying, but what can you do?”

The waiter finally returned to take our dinner orders. I decided on the lobster ravioli while Nate asked for a steak. I also made sure to order a large beer.

”So,” Nate said. ”You clearly want to change the subject.”

I had to laugh. He had a knack for reading my mood, that was for sure. ”Why don't you tell me about your friends? You guys seem pretty close.”

My mood brightened considerably after that. I could talk about Ginny and Jen all day. By the time the server returned with our food, we were laughing and I was having fun again.

”How do you feel about cheesecake?” Nate asked once my plate was cleared. Like the very ladylike girl that I was, I had eaten every single bite of my delicious lobster ravioli.

”I adore cheesecake,” I said. ”My friend Jen actually makes the best cheesecake in the world.”

Nate shook his head seriously. ”I've never had Jen's cheesecake, but I think I need to challenge it. The chef here is the cheesecake master. It's so good you might cry.”

”Okay,” I said, grinning at him. ”Bring it on.”

After dinner, Nate suggested we find a bar to relax in. ”Unless you're in the mood for dancing?” he asked solicitously.

”Naw,” I replied. ”I'm too stuffed for dancing.”

Nate had been right about the cheesecake, but I made him promise not to tell Jen that I thought so.

We ended up at the Extra Lounge, one of several clubs in our hotel. It was packed, which was hardly surprising for a Sat.u.r.day night. We found ourselves at a high-top crammed back in a corner. I couldn't complain about the accommodations-the close quarters meant that I was practically on top of Nate.

The strange thing about Nate is that the more I got to know him, the more I liked him. Usually my experience was the polar opposite. But I was starting to think that his kindness and his interest were actually genuine.

Just listen to yourself, I thought. Carrying on like this might turn serious. It's just some fun.

Nate kept the drinks coming all night. I knew I should probably slow down, but I was having such a good time with him. Between the buzz of people in the bar, the alcohol, and the intensity in his eyes when he looked at me-well, it was all getting very heady.

”Tell me about your favorite trip ever,” Nate said, leaning over the table. I screwed up my face.

”I gotta say, this one will be hard to beat,” I told him. ”I haven't really traveled much. Never had the money growing up...or since, for that matter.”

He chuckled. ”That's rough,” he said. ”I love to travel.”

”I wish I could more often. Before this, the most exciting trip I'd taken was with Ginny, Jen, and Danny over to Lake Michigan. It was a disaster. It rained the entire time and they messed up our reservations. And Danny was a little terror.”

”That sucks,” he laughed. ”Well, all the more reason to make this an amazing vacation.”

When he said it, he caught my eye, staring at me intently. I felt my stomach lurch. If I leaned forward, just a little bit, I'd be kissing him.

Just as I was about to act on the impulse, my phone beeped, surprising me so much I nearly fell off the chair.

”Whoa,” Nate said, grabbing my arm to keep me upright.

”Thanks,” I said, looking down at the screen. ”Text from Ginny.”

”Checking up on you?” he asked.

”Making sure I'm okay,” I corrected. ”We have a long-standing rule about checking in when we're out with strange men.”

”I'm a strange man now?” he asked. ”I think I'm offended.”

”All men are strange,” I replied, winking at him.

He moved a little closer and b.u.mped my shoulder with his. Mmm. Very muscular shoulder. It felt great against mine. I had a flash of the way he had looked in his swimsuit down by the pool and felt an urge to get closer to him.

To distract myself, I opened the message and read it.

”She's wondering when I'll be back,” I told him. He didn't respond. When I looked up, his eyes were trained on my lips. The look on his face sent a rush straight through my chest.

”Why don't you tell her you won't be in tonight,” he said, his voice low.

I felt my heart start to beat faster as I met his eyes. He was so gorgeous in that moment that it almost took my breath away.

”Okay,” I whispered, feeling totally blown away by him. ”I'll tell her.”