Page 51 of It's a Date (Again)

“Do you want to get a matching one?” he says playfully.

I shake my head and laugh before biting into my burger once more. I set it back down on the plate, leaving two bites behind.

“Even with the live, laugh, love tattoo, I think it’s a cool look.” I smile at him and wipe my hands and face with the cloth napkin.

“Thanks.” He pops the last bite of his burger in his mouth.

The lock on the front door clicks and the door swings open. A younger guy with a goatee and dark hair walks in. He jumps a little when he sees us.

“You startled me, boss.” The man holds his hand to his chest and chuckles in relief.

“Sorry, Vince,” Nash says. “This is Peyton.” He gestures to me. “And this is my sous chef, Vince.”

He waves and tells me it’s a pleasure.

“I thought I was your sous chef,” I say to Nash flirtatiously. He blushes as I look to the real sous chef. “Nice to meet you, Vince.”

“He put you to work on your date, didn’t he?” Vince cracks a smile. His gaze darts between Nash and me.

“He did,” I banter. “Made me cook my own fries and everything.”

“This is why you’re perpetually single, Nash.” Vince chuckles.

“All right, get to work,” Nash says with a lighthearted tone.

Vince tells him he’ll be in the back prepping. He waves us off and disappears through the swinging door into the kitchen.

“Do you have to work too now?” I ask. There’s an air of disappointment in my voice.

“Unfortunately.” Nash slides out of the booth and grabs our plates. “I’ll just clean these up quick.”

As he walks toward the kitchen, my phone buzzes with a text from Maya.Hey, I can swing by and pick you up from your date if you’re ready. I’m in the area because I’ve gotta return a pair of pants to Nordstrom anyway. But no worries if not. Let me know.

I text back.Actually, now’s perfect.I figure I may as well have Maya pick me up so I don’t take up any more of Nash’s time, especially since his sous chef is here.

“Ready to head out?” Nash dusts his hands off as he walks toward me. He’s so much more confident in himself here. I wish I could see that side of him outside the restaurant, but perhaps all our dates will have to be here. I slide out of the booth and slip my jean jacket on.

“Actually, Maya is on her way to pick me up. She was in the area anyway. Is that okay?”

His brows pull together and disappointment washes over him. He almost seems to deflate, but he quickly unfurrows his brow and picks his shoulders back up. “Yeah, yeah, of course.”

“When would you like our next date to be?” I ask.

His face brightens, and he closes the distance between us, standing only a couple of feet away. “How about Sunday night, say 7:00 p.m.? I’d like to take you on a date at a proper time.”

I smile up at him. “That sounds great.”

He stares at me and licks his lips like he’s preparing to kiss me, but I’m not sure he will. So instead I make the first move. I stand on my tippy-toes and lean in. My lips find his, and he kisses me back gently. It’s warm and tender. It only lasts a few seconds before we both pull away. When I open my eyes, he’s smiling back at me.

“Was that our first kiss?” I look up at him.

“Yeah.” He blushes. “How’d you know?”

“I could feel it.”

CHAPTER10

“So, how’d it go?” Maya asks as I slide into her Nissan Altima. She raises her brows twice and slightly lowers her oversized sunglasses, showing just the top of her light-brown eyes. Her lips are painted a bold red, making her teeth appear even whiter.