Looking up on my walk across the dining room, I realized he’d been watching me. His expression was unreadable, sitting with his elbows on the table, his head in his hands making him look downright distraught until I approached.
There was something incredible about his intense blue eyes that made my breath catch. It was almost like he could see right through me.
I tried my best to act as normal and unaffected by him as possible, sitting his tea down with a shaky hand. I even remembered to pull out a straw and put it beside the glass.
“So, do you need more time or have you decided what you’d like to have?” I asked pulling out my notepad and pen again.
“I knew what I'd like to have as soon as I walked through the door," he said, his voice deep and soothing. "You.”
My head jerked up and my jaw dropped. Shit, now my sleep deprivation was causing hallucinations. I waited for him to finish with his order, hoping I'd catch some of, it but he just kept looking at me, his piercing blue eyes never leaving mine.
“I’m sorry, what was that?” I asked. I looked at him instead of my notepad to concentrate when he said his order this time.
“You. I'd like to have dinner with you tonight.”
I saw his mouth move, and I’d heard the words, so this must be a dream. That’s where I’ve seen him before!
I turned and looked around the mostly empty restaurant, out the window where traffic kept moving. Damn, this one seems so freaking real too.
“What’s today?” I asked, thinking my dream wouldn’t have a set time or day.
“Ah, Tuesday."
Shit.
“What time is it?”
He looked down at the watch on his wrist. “It’s about quarter to ten. Are you okay?”
“No. I haven’t slept much lately and I’m having trouble figuring out if you’re really here or if I’m dreaming again.”
He chuckled softly. “I felt the same way when I saw you, but it wasn't from a lack of sleep.” What the heck did he mean by that?
“So, I’m really at work talking to you right now? Because I’ve never actually talked to you before.”
I remembered my dream now. There, he’d been watching me sadly as he stood in the rain in a similar dark suit, but he had never spoken to me.
“Yes,” he assured me with a smile, looking breathtakingly handsome.
“And when I asked you for your order you said you wanted ...” I didn’t want to say the words in case I'd imagined them.
“You. To go to dinner with me. Tonight preferably.”
My mouth fell open again.
“I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have been so forward. Are you seeing someone, because I didn’t see a wedding ring?”
My mouth still wouldn’t work so I just shook my head no.
“Oh good,” he said. “So, dinner?”
Why the hell not. This probably wasn’t real anyway. I nodded.
“Great. Where would you like to go? I’m new in town so I don’t really know what’s around.”
Oh no, that would take words. I didn’t have words right now.
After a minute of silence he said, “How about I just meet you here and we can figure it out then?”
I nodded again. “Okay,” I squeaked out.
“Seven o’clock work for you?”
What time did I get off today? Three? Four? It was definitely by six and that would give me time to go home and shower and get ready. Shit, what am I doing planning to get ready for a date that's going on in a dream?
“Sure.”
“Okay, now with that out of the way, I think I’m ready for breakfast. Could I get a stack of pancakes, two scrambled eggs and an order of bacon?”
I was still holding my pen and paper so I wrote down his order then under it "date at seven o’clock" in case this wasn’t a dream and I forgot. I didn't even know his name and I’d agreed to go on a date with him.
I swallowed and tried to get my mouth to finally work.
“I should probably get your name since I've agreed to go on a date with you tonight, if this is really happening.”
“It’s Tom. Tom Adams,” he said smiling again.
“I’m Liz, but I think I’ve already told you that. Actually, it’s Elizabeth Maddox, but everyone calls me Liz. My mom is the only one, I mean, my mom was the only one who ever called me Elizabeth,” I rambled, then cringed at how much it hurt thinking about her.
“It’s nice to meet you Elizabeth,” he said using my full name. It sounded really nice to hear someone, especially him, use it again. I couldn’t help but smile.
“You too, Tom. I’ll be right back with your order,” I said before walking quickly away. I needed time to myself to figure out what the hell had just happened.