Chapter 10: Chapter 10: Second Date
Carrigan
The restaurant that Royce took me to was so much nicer than I had anticipated. I didn’t really have anything “nice” to wear. I explained that to him, and he told me to dress comfortably. I still knew we’d be at a nice restaurant, so I went to the thrift store near my apartment.
I just wanted a simple dress that would flatter my curves and be appropriate for dinner. I ended up finding a midi-length black dress that was perfect. It hugged my body in the right places, the straps from the back to the front over my shoulders were stable, and the pattern was a fake glitter.
The store was selling it for only twenty bucks, and though it meant I couldn’t spend any more money on luxury items for a week, the dress was well worth it. I had no heels or nice shoes, but Kaitlyn brought in a pair of black flats I could borrow.
I shook my head at my boss. “Wait, when I was telling you I had no nice shoes, that didn’t mean I wanted you to lend me any,” I said at my shift earlier in the day.
She shrugged, drying off a glass before returning it with the others. “Well, I guess it’s your lucky day. I don’t even wear those; they’re not my style.”
I tried to return them. “I can’t take these.”
“No? Cause I’m not taking those back.”
“Kaitlyn—”
“Take the damn shoes, or you’re fired.”
I put my hands on my hips. “Why do you always gotta threaten to fire me?”
“Because,” she smirked. “More fun that way.” She winked at me, moving down the bar.
We met at the restaurant that Royce had picked, a small place called In Lieu of Steaks—an incredible restaurant name. There was a line outside the door of people checking their watches or phones and chatting.
When I saw him coming, I stood up from the bench I’d been waiting at and waved to attract his attention. Many people were on the sidewalk, and I didn’t want him to miss me. Being short wasn’t always fun.
Royce’s eyes widened when he saw me, and with a few feet to go, he stopped in his tracks. He didn’t say anything; instead, he just kept looking at me. It made me self-conscious, like something was wrong.
He approached me, and I asked quickly, “Is something wrong? Am I not dressed right?”
“Oh, no! No, Carrigan, you look incredible. You told me you didn’t own anything nice, though?”
I smiled with half of my face. “I, uhh, went out and got something so I wouldn’t embarrass you.”
“Embarrass me?” He raised an eyebrow.
“I mostly just have black for work and a pair or two of jeans. I wanted to follow the dress code.” I felt my cheeks burn and had difficulty looking at him.
Royce laughed. “You’re adorable. Come on. I got us reservations, so we don’t have to wait.”
He held out his hand to me, and I looked at it. I had a thing with touching people. Messing with Kaitlyn or other females wasn’t a problem. Men were the problem. And after the last few nights with the nightmares plaguing me, I wasn’t sure what to do.
So as not to be rude, I gave him my hand. It made my heart immediately begin to slam against my ribcage. I was nervous, which wasn’t abnormal. His hand was soft in mine, and I could tell by how he gripped my hand that he was protecting me. Maybe I was making it up. I didn’t know.
We moved past the line of people and up to the host stand. “Hi there,” Royce smiled at the woman. “I have a reservation for two under Steele at seven.”
She looked at her tablet, tapping a few buttons on the screen. “Sure, just give me one second.” When she lifted her head again, she smiled. “Your server will be over to take you to your table in a moment.”
“Thank you,” I said, smiling. I knew her life, especially after these past few years. A remarkably tall redhead came outside, calling for Royce’s table, and we trekked inside.
It was as busy as I expected from the line outside, and we made our way toward the middle of the room. Waiting for us was a two-person table and a large “RESERVED” sign in the center, with cloth napkins, water glasses, and wine glasses.
Royce pulled out my chair, smiling as I took a seat before taking his own seat. The redhead handed us our menus and smiled. “Okay, y’all, go ahead and look over your menus. I’ll bring you some water, and if you want any other drinks, let me know. My name is Cassandra, and I’ll be your server tonight.”
We nodded at her, and she went to get the water while I looked at the gigantic menu. I leaned into Royce across the table and said, “This is the fanciest place I’ve been to in years.”
Royce laughed. “Yeah, maybe this was a little bit too fancy. I just wanted to give you a nice night out since you said you work basically every day.”
It was adorable to hear him say something sweet. I moved a piece of hair behind my ear, glancing at the drink menu. There was so much to choose from, and I didn’t know what the best drink to get on a date would be. My parents never had a chance to show me what was appropriate for what dating scenario. If I’d known this was what would have happened, I would have asked them when I was a teenager.
“Have you been here?” I asked Royce across the table. I was getting some severe anxiety over the drink menu alone.
“A few business lunches, yes,” he stated before looking up at me. “Why?”
Something stopped me from being honest with him. “Just curious.”
Royce was a few years older than I was, and I didn’t want him to regret bringing me to a nice place just because I didn’t know what the hell I was doing. So, instead, I pursued the menu. If there was one thing I knew well, it was alcohol, and I would figure out the perfect drink.
When Cassandra returned to our table, she asked if we wanted to order drinks besides water.
“Yeah, can I get a gin and tonic?” Royce asked, pointing it out on the menu for her.
“And for you?” She smiled at me.
I smiled back. “I’d love a glass of the chardonnay.” Simple, classy, and not too expensive.
“Wonderful. I’ll enter those drink orders and give you some time to decide what to eat.”
Royce ordered the ahi tuna with potatoes, mixed vegetables, and a glaze overtop. I ordered a seafood salad and fries for the table, unable to help myself.
As we waited for our food, Royce and I spoke more about our respective jobs, though I still had difficulty understanding what he did.
He’d told me he was a computer programmer, but what did he do with that? So, I asked.
“I’m working on an app,” he said breezily. “I think I told you it sorta fell into my lap. I’ve essentially been trying to complete the app for the original creator.”
I cocked my head to the left. “Oh? Who was the creator?”
He seemed to squirm in his seat, and I could tell I had struck a nerve. It was like when his voice cracked at Charm. Something I wasn’t expecting, but I didn’t know how to fill in the blanks I was being given.
“My sister,” he finally said. “It was my sister’s project.”
I smiled. “You have a sister?” I felt admiration flow through me. I wanted to be honest but didn’t want to say anything too personal, so I went with the easiest fact. “I have two—an older and a younger sister. I think I mentioned them when we met.”
“You did,” he told me quietly. “I forgot about it, though.”
I waved a hand. “It’s okay. I don’t talk about my family too much. We’ve sort of…grown apart.” I didn’t expect to almost give him my entire life story. I’m glad I could stop myself from giving away any more information.
If Royce noticed my mistake, he said nothing. “So has mine,” he admitted. “The last four years have been…a challenge.”
It was as if he knew everything, but I knew that wasn’t possible. “I get it.”
He raised a black eyebrow. “You get it?”
I nodded slowly. “Yeah. I’ve had a lot happen in four years. I told you I didn’t get to finish college, even my associate’s. Things just went awry, circumstances that weren’t foreseen occurred, and I’ve been figuring it all out since.”
I didn’t remember the last time I laid out my secrets for someone, and I forced myself to take a long drink of my wine.
I returned to my dinner and avoided saying anything too personal for a while, letting Royce talk to me about some of his hobbies. He mentioned running and working out were his favorite ways to burn off steam, but he spent most of his waking hours on the app.
I told him I learned how to horseback ride when I was a kid, making him laugh.
I crossed my arms. “Why’s that funny? It was a good time. I liked riding horses.”
“Because,” he was still laughing, “I’m seeing three strawberry-blonde girls on one horse together, giggling, laughing, holding on for dear life.”
“We didn’t ride together; we rode separately. Three of us wouldn’t have fit on one saddle.”
He shook his head, still laughing, as I took another bite of my salad.
When the check came, I didn’t bother trying to reach for it. I took care of the bill when we were at Charm, so he said he’d take care of this. Not to mention, I wouldn’t have been able to pay for any of it, even the wine.
I wondered if Royce knew I wouldn’t be able to afford anything. I mean, the little I told him was enough to know I had nothing. I hadn’t even told him I was wearing my boss’s shoes.
Poor girl meets rich man. I wondered if he looked at me like that.
Outside of the restaurant, Royce’s phone buzzed in his pocket repeatedly.
“Shit, I’m sorry,” he groaned, pulling it out. “80 new messages?” I was surprised he hadn’t begun to shout.
“It’s okay,” I said, touching his shoulder, the second voluntary touch of the night. “Get your messages. I’m honestly exhausted, so why don’t we call it a night?”
Royce looked into my eyes, and I could see the apology. My smile appeared, but I knew what was about to happen. I didn’t know if I wanted it, not because I disliked Royce, but more because it had been a long time.
“I had a wonderful time, Carrigan.” Royce’s voice was barely above a whisper. He shook his head and chuckled at the same volume. “I…I do want to continue seeing you. If you would like that.”
He grew closer. “I would, Royce. It’s just been…” He stopped moving. “It’s been a long time since I’ve been in this situation. Not just the, you know, dating, but a long time since…”
He drew back, and I think he saw it—the fear of the future etched in more than my eyes. It was carved into every inch of my body.
He gave me a subtle smile. “You don’t have to explain. It’s been a while for me, too. How about this? You tell me when you’re ready, okay?”
I felt my heart swell, and I kissed his cheek to thank him. “I will. I promise.”
Gifts
-- Gift
received Weekly Power Status
-- Power
Ranking 
-- Power
stone