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I blushed even harder. “Stop. Anyone would have done it.”
Liam shook his head. “No. No, they definitely wouldn’t. To only be in high school and have to take care of yourself and your little sister—that’s a huge responsibility.”
“Enough about me,” I said, waving my hand. “Tell me about your fabulous life.”
Liam chuckled. “I don’t know about fabulous. I spend a lot of time on the computer or working alone in my office.”
“How’d you get into app development?” I asked, taking a sip of my wine.
“Well, I always liked video games and computers. I know this might be hard to believe, but I was kind of nerdy back in high school.”
“No, I don’t believe it,” I said, shaking my head.
“True story. I had glasses, braces, the whole nine. Finally switched to contacts in the tenth grade, but yeah—I spent way more time in chat rooms than locker rooms. I studied computer science in college, then went to business school. That’s when I really broke into the whole app development scene.”
“What made you decide on a dating app of all things?”
Liam shifted, a slight blush coloring his cheeks. “I thought about what types of apps would be useful to me. I never found one I liked, so I created it.”
“That’s ambitious. Makes sense...”
“I’ve never enjoyed the whole dating scene. Going out, trying to make a connection with a stranger. The process is exhausting. I figured other people probably had similar experiences and perspectives. So I developed SwypeRight and the rest is history.”
“Personal question—” I cocked my head to the side, chewing my lower lip.
“Shoot.”
“Have you ever used your own app? Outside of development, I mean.” I held my breath, waiting for his answer. Liam blushed again, breaking eye contact and glancing over at the fire.
“Yes,” he said in a low voice.
“And? Did it not work for you?”
My face flushed at my forwardness, but I needed to know Liam’s story.
And you want this to work.I shoved that thought aside, ignoring the anxiety swirling in my stomach.
Liam cleared his throat. “I had a few decent dates, one short-term relationship. But nothing stuck. And I know this sounds lame, but I was working—a lot—right up until I sold the app. I ended up hitting a wall and dealing with some burn-out. I probably wasn’t in the best head space at the time.”
“I’m sorry,” I said, my gut settling down at his honest answer.
“It’s okay, I’m good now. And I think things turned out for the best.” He held my gaze and my breath hitched in my throat, my entire body heating.
The waiter appeared with our food, shattering the moment. I inhaled, uncrossing and recrossing my legs, composing myself. It’d been a long time since I’d had such an intense response to a guy. Like, never.
“Bon appétit!” The waiter waved his hand through the air with flair, then spun, leaving us to our food.
Liam waited until I took a bite before he started eating, a small, sweet gesture. I couldn’t remember the last time anyone waited for me to do anything.
“How’s your food?” he asked, his fork paused mid-air.
“It’s great. Yours?”
“Also great.”
In between bites, we peppered each other with questions—favorite movie, book, TV show, food, season, place to visit. Conversation flowed easily between us, and I relaxed into the date, enjoying being the center of someone’s attention for once. Turns out, it is a lovely feeling. By the time I finished my food, I was pretty sure I was glowing like a firefly caught in a mason jar.
“Do you want dessert?” Liam asked, perusing the menu the waiter dropped on the table.
