Page 18 of Man Seeking Woman

Chapter Five

Ella

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Standing outside therestaurant, I held my clutch tightly against my waist, just staring at the doors.

I wanted to go in, I wanted to jump back in a cab and drive anywhere that wasn't there. Every single man that walked by me and went into the restaurant I wondered if that was August.

Was it the man with gray hair and thin mustache that glanced at me briefly? Was it the tall slender guy, with a shaved head and big beard? Maybe it was the man standing at the entrance with two cranky kids, wondering why they had to get dressed up?

You won't know unless you go in.

Letting out a weighted breath, I started for the doors, only to stop midway and turn around, walking back to the edge of the sidewalk.

"Okay, what are you going to do, El?" I asked myself quietly. Pacing in a small circle, I faced the building. "I can do this, I can go see what he says. I need a job, that's why I'm here." Taking a step forward, I stopped again. "What if Kayla is right?"

I was torn between curiosity and fear of the unknown. What if he was a creep? Then what?I can always get up and leave. It's not a hard desicion. I got this.

"I'm going in." With a little pep talk and firm steps, I walked with confidence into the restaurant.

Despite the nerves and butterflies in my stomach, I wasn't going to let that hold me back. I didn't know a fucking thing about this job, or August, and the whole point of calling was because I needed a damn job and I needed one quick.

I felt the doors close behind me as I looked around the room. It was gorgeous, elegant and sleek. The hostess was standing at a podium that had deep fancy grooves carved up and down the front, her eyes set on the book open in front of her.

The room was open with high ceilings, long black leather benches lined the walls against the street side, and tall glass windows ran from ceiling to floor. A sparkling crystal chandelier hung above my head, speckling the room with soft bursts of light. It was beautiful, drawing my eyes up, and keeping me mesmerized.

"Can I help you?" the hostess asked, pulling me back to reality.

Walking up to her, I smiled. "Hello," I said, waving awkwardly.

I had never been in such a fancy restaurant before. Most of the time Kayla and I would meet up at a little coffee shop that sat mid-way between her place and mine, or for late nights we'd meet at Two O'clock Nellies, a run down bar that was open till four in the morning.

Fancy for me was getting dressed to go substitute and having runny nosed kids wipe their hands across their face, and then pull on my dress to get my attention.

This was different.