Chapter 10: Computer Nerd or Not, He's One Sexy Man

Chloe

He laughs, head thrown back. Strong neck, too, I can't help but notice. It's thick and wide with muscles at the base that lead into broad shoulders. Holy shit he's good looking. I don't think I've been in the presence of a man like him before and it makes me all kind of wiggly feeling inside. I don't know what to do with myself.

When I got to Balance, I had to sit in my rental car for about fifteen minutes before I came inside. I know this isn't a date but Rex is so far out of my league, it doesn't even feel like I have the right to be sitting at the same table, much less eating with him.

It wasn't lost on me that the hostess looked disappointed when I was led to his table. The entire staff was probably hoping he'd been stood up and they could help lick his wounds.

"I figured you'd call me out on it. I can't help it. I'm a nerd at heart. Love computers. Video games. Technology fascinates me, how it's always advancing. Every day I can learn something new, so I never get bored."

"You were one of those kids who had to stand at the dinner table to eat, weren't you?" I tease.

"Guilty." His green eyes twinkle as he says it. He doesn't seem like the cocky type, but he also doesn't mind attention. Which is so different from who I am. I grew up wanting to stay in the shadows. I didn't participate in any sports or music programs. For a few months, my mom convinced me to become involved in the community art program and I enjoyed it. But mainly because it was solitary. The best thing she ever did for me was force me to come with her to the salon. I stayed hidden whenever possible and being there, I was pushed into the spotlight in a safe place. The attention I received was never over the top. No one ever made a big deal over the fact that the woman who I called Mom wasn't the same color as me. And eventually, Mom just gave up and realized that I was happy keeping to myself.

"So after all this sugar, will you be wired all night? All this pent up energy?"

His eyes flare, the bright green turning a dark shade the color of seaweed. Is he thinking I'm offering to do something about all that energy? If he is, he's looking in the wrong place. The last guy I slept with was married. Apparently.

"Possibly."

He licks his lips and I bite my lip. I feel like we're in the middle of a York Peppermint Patty commercial. Staring at eyes widening and tongues and lips, it's all so oddly sexual and not at the same time.

"I'm not sleeping with you," I blurt out.

His dark eyebrows kiss his hairline above the rim of his glasses. Glasses that make him so freaking sexy I can't think straight. Why is that? They're just glasses. But he wears them so well.

"Was I asking you to?" he asks.

Oh. Right. Of course he wasn't. I want to smack my forehead for acting like a dope.

"No. I was just saying, I guess. Wanted to get it out there."

"Well, now that we know sex isn't on the table, I guess I can tell you that it was cute when you snorted earlier."

Groaning, I cover my face with my hands. I knew he heard that. How could he not have? It was so embarrassing.

"Can I get you guys anything else?" our servers says out of nowhere.

"Nah, I think we're good. Just the check?" Rex asks.

"Sure thing. I'll just clear some of these plates for you."

"Thanks."

When I lift my head to look at Rex again, he's still smiling.

"I know a guy who can stop over and look at your water heater, if you want. I could fix it myself, but something tells me you'd be more comfortable with a professional."

"Why? You're not competent? Not a handy man? You need to hire someone to help you with all your home repairs? Screw in light bulbs? Your skills only lie on your keyboard and behind a bar?"

He glares at me. "No, smart ass. I'm just saying that I'm not a professional."

I shrug as if it's no big deal. I think what he's really saying is that he doesn't want to make me uneasy by offering to come to my house. We're still strangers, after all.

"I can give you one of my cards. Would that be okay?"

He smiles as if he just won. I realize giving him my card means that he now will know where I work, but that's not exactly anything he'd have to work too hard to figure out, if he really wanted to.

I dig in my wallet and hand over one of my cards I keep on hand. His fingers brush against mine when he reaches for it, pulls it out of my grasp slowly, then pushes aside his vest and slides it into the front pocket of his button-down shirt. He pats his chest and winks slowly.

"You look like you were pulling some crazy mafia move just now."

"Maybe I am in the mafia, ever think about that?"

"Ooh and my bad day all happened for a reason and you'd set it all up so I could come to The Flying Goat tonight and you poisoned the desserts and now I'm going to die."

"Right. Because you were my hit."

I snap my fingers. "It all makes sense now!"

"Any last words? Dying wish before I feed you to the fishes?"

Tapping my chin, I pretend to think on it. "World peace seems like too big of a request. I don't really care about getting my car or hot water heater fixed since I'll be dead soon. So, nope. Just let me go. None of it matters once I'm in the afterlife and can haunt you."

"Oh, so you're going to haunt me?"

"Of course. You killed me. Don't all victims haunt their murderers?"

"I would certainly hope so."

We're both grinning like idiots when our server places the leather envelope on the table. Before I can react, Rex already has a stack of cash stuffed inside and is standing from his chair, arm outstretched to help me up.

For a brief second, I consider not allowing him to help me stand. I'm obviously able to do it myself. But then I change my mind. It's been far too long since anyone has done something for me and sometimes it's nice to be catered to.

Everything in my life I do on my own. There's no one to help with things around the house or to grab dinner on the way home when I've had a long day. No family to step in and offer support or a shoulder to cry on, and I don't like burdening my friends with any of those things. So I hold it all in, take care of life on my own.

"Thank you," I tell him.

"You're welcome, Chloe."

"Not just for the chair or for paying for the dessert, which I would have done had you not had lightning fast reflexes and taken care of it yourself, but for tonight."

"I told you it would cure your bad day."

"Well, I don't know if it's cured, but it definitely turned it around."

"That's a start," he says, placing his hand on the small of my back to lead me out of the restaurant.

I can't help but think he's right.

Maybe today was the depth of the valley and tonight was my first trek up the mountain.