Page 13 of Snowballing

“You look stunning. I’m speechless,” I said, pulling a chair out from the table for him to sit down.

“Thank you. I’m glad you said this place was a little dressy.” He finger quoted. “Because I looked it up. I almost wore jeans. I would’ve been horrified.”

“I should’ve known it would be a little extra.” I gave him an apologetic smile. “It’s Christmas weekend, after all.”

“You look fantastic, too. I should’ve said that before complaining about the dress code. I’m sorry.”

“Don’t apologize. You didn’t say anything wrong. Any problems with the car service?”

“Oh, no. None at all. It was amazing. I-uh…thank you. You really didn’t have to do all this.”

I smiled and pulled a bag out from under the table, handing it to him.

“And a gift?! You didn’t need to-oh. My sweatpants,” he said, glancing inside. “Thanks. They don’t seem too stretched out.” His playful smile disarmed me, transforming his face from sexy to stunning.

The server came and took our drink order. I smiled when Jayden ordered an amaretto sour. It was my mother’s favorite drink.

“What?”

“That was my mom’s favorite drink.”

“She has good taste.”

“Had. Both my parents have passed.”

“Wow, shit. I’m sorry to hear that. You’re so young. I’m sorry, that came out wrong. I-”

I smiled to put him at ease. “You apologize a lot.”

“I’m sor- I’m not usually like this.”

“Are you nervous?”

“Fuck, yes.”

I chuckled. “So meeting a stranger at his house to seduce him by pretending to be sore after baseball practice is easy, but a nice dinner out in public is somehow harder?”

“You never said it was baseball. I was thinking I was more of a tight end.”

There he is.

Our drinks came, and the first sip of my white Russian was perfect.

“Are you ready to order?”

I looked at Jayden, who nodded, so I gestured for him to go first.

“I’ll have a cup of minestrone and the Sicilian escarole salad.”

“And for you, sir?”

“I’ll have the bistecca alla Fiorentina. Medium rare.”

“Very well, gentlemen. I’ll be back shortly with a sampling of our homemade breads.”

I thanked him, then once he left, asked Jayden, “Aren’t you going to eat something more substantial?”

“Well, if you have to ask me that, then I know you weren’t lying when you said you haven’t done this in a while.”