And that made her happy as well.
“What about you?”
Lost in her thoughts, it took Scottie a few seconds to realize he’d just spoken to her again.
“What about me?” Her brows dipped low.
“Well…” He rested his elbows on the table and sighed. “We’ve been talking about me from the minute you sat down. You know why I left the Navy and what I’ve been doing since. Hell, you’ve even met three of my closest friends. All I know about you is where you work and the fact that you’re single. I mean, for all I know, there could be half-a-dozen little Scotties runnin’ around out there somewhere.”
A shoulder-shaking laugh parted her upturned lips. But the humor in his teasing comment was almost instantly overpowered by the reality of her upcoming response.
“No little Scotties,” she revealed without letting her expression fall.
No husband. No kids. No real life outside of the shelter.
At only thirty, it wasn’t as if her biological clock was approaching its final hours. And Scottie had never held the belief that women needed a man to truly be happy.
Even so, she couldn’t deny the bottomless hole carved deep inside her heart the night she’d walked away. A hollow crevice that, no matter how hard she’d tried, was still very much there.
“See? Now we’re gettin’ somewhere.” Chase’s grin was proof he was unaware of her most recent thoughts. “Okay, so last I knew, you were enrolled in some fancy culinary school in Cincinnati.”
“That was like twelve years ago, Chase.” She chuckled softly. “But yes. I went there right after graduation. I worked a few jobs here and there between classes to save money. Mostly fast-food and local diners. That sort of thing. But then I started vlogging the dishes I’d make for myself at home, and before I knew it, I had a bunch of followers, and…things sort of took off from there.”
“Vlogging?”
“Yeah, it’s like blogging but with videos instead of just?—”
“No, I know what vlogging is.” Humor shimmered in mesmerizing eyes. “I’m just trying to picture you in front of a lens. You used to be so camera-shy.”
A rush of emotions swept over her. On the one hand, she was secretly thrilled that he even remembered that about her. That he remembered anything about her, really. But on the other, it was just one more reminder of the precious moments that had been casualties of life’s cruel game.
“I never would’ve imagined putting myself out there like that, either. But in this day and age, social media is the fastest way to get noticed. And as much as I disliked the possible perception of being a sell-out, I also knew if I didn’t roll with the ever-changing trends, I’d get left behind.”
“So, how’d you go from being a social media influencer to working for Sloane at the shelter?”
It was the question she’d dreaded answering from the moment he’d unexpectedly reappeared in her life. But she would’ve been a fool to think the subject of what brought her to Seattle wouldn’t come up. And while she’d briefly considered making up a happier story to explain what had led her to move to this part of the country, Scottie ultimately decided to go with the truth.
“About a year and a half ago, I was contacted by an agent with a television production company. Apparently, she’d stumbled across my social media accounts and thought I’d make a good contestant on an up-and-coming reality cooking show.”
“No kidding?” His lips spread into a wide, toothy grin. “Good for you.”
“Yeah, I thought so, too…at the time.”
“Uh, oh.” Chase settled back into his chair, his expression turning a bit more serious. “I take it things didn’t go as planned?”
“Not exactly.”Not even close.“It started out great, but?—”
“Sorry it took me so long to get back to you.” Their server reappeared out of nowhere. “Did you decide what to order?”
Thankful for the temporary respite, Scottie eagerly expressed her desire for the risotto with seared scallops. Chase, on the other hand, went with a sixteen-ounce ribeye, roasted potatoes, and sauteed and stuffed mushrooms. And when the young woman left with their orders in hand, he wasted no time picking up where their conversation had left off.
“So…did you do it?” His gorgeous stare held hers. “Did you do the show?”
“I did.” She reached for her glass of sparkling white wine, tipping its delicate rim to her lips. An onslaught of sweet, tiny bubbles burst against her tongue as she tipped her head back just enough for a modest taste.
Delicious.
“Did you win?”