She pressed her fingers against her mouth, her eyes glazing over as she recalled that she was seeing Benson that night.
“Ah, I’m sorry. That was too forward of me. You’re probably already spoken for outside of work, anyway.”
“I’m not a…” She shut her eyes and instantly regretted saying it like that. “The island was a, uh, a one-time thing. For cash.”
“Hey, I’m the last guy to judge.”
“Pretty sure it was, anyway.”
“Like I said, no judgment.”
“And I’m not attached to anyone,” Eden told him. “I’m just also kinda dating around right now. If I’m being honest.”
“As it so happens, I am also dating around. In fact, I had a terrible date last night.”
“Really?”
“The apps are truly the worst. She tried her luck with another guy right there at the bar.”
“Really!”
“And all I could think was, gee, wish that beautiful woman from the island was here.”
He really was a charmer, wasn’t he?
“So, you’re seeing other people,I’mseeing other people… it’s perfect. We should also meet up again soon and see where it goes.”
“You’re not bothered by that?” Eden had to make sure before she followed the whim of this breeze blowing her way. “About you possibly not being the only man in my life?”
“Not at all. As long as you’re honest. And I appreciate your honesty.”
“I also appreciate honesty. Like you promising that this is all a crazy coincidence and I’m not insane for questioning my reality right now?”
“I can’t answer to the latter part, but I do believe ‘this is all a crazy coincidence.’ I was planning on thinking about you for the rest of my life without a chance in hell of ever seeing you again. Now I have a chance. Isn’t that something?”
“Boy, it sure is.”
He took out his phone. “Let’s exchange numbers. Ball’s in your court.”
“I see… not going to ask me out tonight?”
“Tonight?” Liam scoffed. “That’s a bit soon. Woman like you is already booked tonight. Right?”
She sheepishly blushed.
“Uh-huh. That’s all right.” He showed her the place at the top of his phone screen where she could punch in her number. “I have a work dinner tonight. I must lay it on thick with a couple of Gen-Z entrepreneurs who need angel investors for their fumbling startup.”
She stared at the blank space, but her focus was on him. “Sounds like you’ve already decided not to invest.”
“Ah, we’ll see. My instincts don’t usually fail me, so I might feel a pull when having steaks and beer with guys in sweats and broccoli haircuts.”
“That’s my generation you’re talking about, you crusty Millennial.”
Liam’s mouth fell agape as she wrote in her number. In the name field, she merely wrote an emoji smiley face before handing his phone back to him. “What?” she asked.
He slowly palmed his phone. “You called me crusty.”
“I called yourgenerationcrusty. And cringe.”