Page 4 of Sharing Shadow Secrets (High Five Novella #6)
“ W hat’s your last name?” I ask Taylor. She’s stunning. Curves for days. Wavy brown hair, bright blue eyes, maybe eight inches shorter than me.
At least she isn’t a tall brunette. Types. Why do they have such a chokehold on me? She’s feisty. That’s fun. I’ve never been into reserved girls. Maybe my life would be simpler if I were, but girls like Taylor? The ‘I don’t give a shit’ attitude? I love it.
“Williams,” she says, the corners of her mouth lifting.
She’s interested.
“Do you live in Wisconsin?” I ask.
“No. In Chicago—Old Town.”
Perfect. She lives in the city too, not far from me. I slide my phone out of my pocket and turn it on.
“Why was your phone turned off?” she asks, staring at it.
“Eliminating temptation.”
The run got my mind onto other things, and this party now has me solely focused on Taylor. She’s cool. And I haven’t been this intrigued by someone in a very long time.
She hums playfully, and I hand my phone to her. “Give me your number so I can take you out.”
“Why would I want to go on a date with you?” she asks, not grabbing my phone.
I scan her eyes, trying to understand. Is she being sassy? Is she challenging me? Is she not interested? We’ve been flirting.
Shrugging, I say, “Because I can get us in anywhere you want to go.”
“Cable?”
The hottest restaurant in Chicago. Made famous by their viral desserts. Of course, she would want to go to a place that is extremely popular on social media.
“Whenever you want to go, we’ll go,” I say, excited to take her out.
“They have a six month wait list.”
“Maybe for some people.”
“Not you?”
I shake my head because two of my friends are investors in that restaurant.
It looks like she’s fighting back a smile.
“Can you take my phone already?”
Smiling, she grabs it from my hand and starts typing in her contact information. “You don’t have to take me out on a ridiculously expensive first date,” she says, handing me back my phone. “Sneaking a glass of wine on the beach is just fine for me.”
I nod, hoping this doesn’t ruin things. “I’m sober.”
She tilts her head. “Like you don’t drink or you don’t drink?”
“Nearly six years sober.”
Some people say they’re cool dating someone in recovery, but they really aren’t. Others it’s a deal breaker for. I always feel awkward talking about this with someone new.
“That’s amazing.”
I smile but should set expectations. “On dates and when we hang out, I need you to be sober.”
“Brandon, it’s a little early to be negotiating boundaries.”
“It’s never too early to set expectations.”
“Well, you’re never going to eat my ass.”
My jaw clenches. We are being way too flirty, but it’s fun. She’s fun. “Noted.” I sharply inhale, pondering. Taylor’s sexy, but random hookups are something I’m not doing anymore. My thirties are for my priorities. One of which is finding my person. “I will respect your wishes.”
“I will respect yours too.”
Hopefully she means it. My ex always said one thing and did another.
“Thanks. So, what day are we going to Cable?”
She hums. “I’ll let you know before I leave this party.”
“You don’t want to go out?”
“I do … I just need to focus on something else right now.”
I raise my brow.
“I need to find Nicholas and pitch him to fire the agency I work with and work directly with me.”
“Business first. Very respectable.”
Taylor’s smart and sexy. She’s trouble—hopefully the good kind.