Page 40 of Sparks Fly

Jason let out a short laugh that sounded more irritated than amused and leaned back in the booth. “Are you serious right now?”

I nodded once. “I am, yes.”

“This is just cold feet,” he said. “You get nervous and bolt. That’s what this is.”

“No,” I said gently. “It isn’t.”

Jason leaned forward slightly and lowered his voice as though explaining something obvious. “Addison, I’m good for you. I show up. I have my life together.”

My stomach tightened, but I held his gaze.

“Just take some time. Thank about it. Call me,” he continued confidently. “You’ll realize I’m right. No one else is going to know how to show up for you the way I do.” He pushed back his chair and stood while smoothing his blazer. “You’re not breaking up with me,” he said with a small shake of his head. “You’re just having a moment.”

And just like that Jason walked out of the restaurant while the surrounding noise filled the space he left behind.

I exhaled slowly and reached for my phone.

Me: Well. He just left me sitting here. Guess I’m ordering to go and heading home.

Sawyer responded almost immediately.

Sawyer: What an asshole. Where are you? I’ll come if you want.

I smiled slightly while typing.

Me: Yes please, I have a table for two at La Petite Perle. Want me to order you a whiskey?

Sawyer: Yes please. On my way, Sunshine.

About fifteen minutes later Sawyer walked in, she’d changed into slacks, a button down black shirt and moved through the restaurant with easy confidence until she reached the table and sat in the seat to my left.

“Well,” Sawyer said while glancing at my half-finished wine with a crooked smirk, “this worked out nicely.”

I leaned back against the booth and laughed softly. “Definitely.”

She took a sip of the whiskey I had ordered her and into the space with an ease that felt steady instead of overwhelming.

I was instantly calm.

When I told her what Jason had said, she winced and shook her head. “How does a man have that much audacity and not a damn clue?” Sawyer asked.

I laughed again, the sound full of relief this time.

Sawyer lifted her glass toward me. “To not settling for the walking LinkedIn profile.”

“Oh, absolutely to that,” I replied as I clinked my glass against hers. “To hot welders who ride motorcycles and actually listen instead.” I smirked.

Dinner was kind of perfect. The conversation shifted after that into stories and small moments that slowly drained the tension from my shoulders. At one point I poked at my food and admitted, “I almost didn’t come tonight because today was brutal and everything I did felt like it was for everyone else.”

Sawyer listened carefully before responding. “I know that feeling,” she said quietly. “When no one stops to tell you you’ve done enough.”

My throat went tight unexpectedly as I looked down at the table.

“So, I’ll say it,” Sawyer added. “You did enough. More than enough. And you look like someone I want to sit across from at the end of the day.”

Heat crept up my cheeks as I tucked a strand of hair behind my ear.

“That’s… really nice of you.” I said.