Page 21 of The Singles Club

Justin’s place was modest but gorgeous and in a great area. He had that historic exposed brick wall and those arched windows I loved. The kitchen, dining, and living areas were open in one spacious room. I watched as he uncorked a bottle of Pinot Grigio. He wore a light grey V-neck cashmere sweater and dark Levis. Considering he seemed to want to fit in, I was surprised by the jeans, but they did frame that beautiful butt of his perfectly. His hair was a bit mussed, but still neat in his own way. I had almost forgotten how intimidatingly sexy he was in person.

He walked over and handed me a glass of wine. “Thank you for coming on such short notice.”

“Not a problem.” I sipped the wine. Very crisp and light with a hint of apple and pear. “It’s excellent.”

“I’m not much of a wine connoisseur, so I can’t take the credit. It was recommended through a Google search.”

I laughed. “I think I’m going to like this honesty thing.”

Something to add to my experiment.

“I always found it strange how people never really say what they mean… but we all do it, for the most part.”

“Saying what you mean in every situation would probably get you into a lot of trouble. Ever seen the movieLiar, Liar?”

His laugh was deep, and I liked the sound of it. “Very true.” He swirled the brandy in his hand. “How about this? We don’t need to offer every detail of our thoughts, but if one of us asks a question, we agree to answer truthfully. And, of course, no games. Our date is all business.”

“What if there is a question one of us doesn’t want to answer? We should be able to respect each other’s personal privacy.”

“Agreed. If that scenario comes up, we can pass… but no lies.”

I held up my glass. “‘Louis, I think this is the beginning of a beautiful friendship.’”

Justin paused and cocked his head. “You knowCasablanca?”

“Of course I do, it’s one of my favorites. I love the old black-and-whites. The style, the dresses… and there’s nothing sexier than a man in a fedora.”

“Have you ever seenIt Happened One Night?”

I gulped down the wine swirling in my mouth as a rush of excitement burst through me. “Yes! Clark Gable and—”

“Claudette Colbert,” we said in unison.

“Definitely in my top ten,” I said.

“Mine too.”

Okay, the dopamine was kicking in, or maybe it was the serotonin? I was completely relaxed around him at this moment.

“We should probably get started before we get too deep into the Hollywood classics conversation,” I said. “I have a feeling we could be up into the wee hours with that one.”

“You’re right. I know I could.”

“Well then, lead the way.”

I followed Justin into his master bedroom. Instead of paintings, he had framed images of scenes in various film classics. His whole bedroom had an other-era theme; how he had made antique seem modern and in style was amazing, really.

“Who designed this room?”

“I did for the most part, but I did have some help. I knew what I wanted.”

“I love it.”

“Thank you.” He opened a door, revealing a large walk-in closet. “Myout-of-datewardrobe.”

The tie I had given him was hanging neatly on his tie rack. I ran my fingers over the silk.

“Out of curiosity, why do you feel this tie is the right one?” he asked.