Chapter 5

FIVE

Evie

Is this how I thought my first date would go?

No.

Do I regret it, though?

Also no.

Hendrix isn’t the usual Prince Charming type. He’s not charming or good with words. He’s rough around the edges, brusque, and not much of a talker, but I still would rather be out with him.

He might be grumpy, but he shows that he cares about me in other ways. He has been all day, and the more that I think about it, the more I start to notice that he was doing things like today for the whole time that I’ve known him. He always got me lunch. He knows all of my favorite foods, and I realize that they’ve been stocked in his kitchen for months. One day when I rubbed my lower back after sitting in the uncomfortable kitchen table chair, and the next day I walked in and had a brand new office chair. He’s been looking after me in his own grumpy, silent way all along. I was just too blind to notice it.

“Do you come here often?” I ask him as he pulls out my chair.

“No, never had a reason to before.”

“Yeah, it does seem romantic. Better suited for a date,” I agree.

I look around the restaurant and smile as I take it in. It’s a smaller place with only a dozen tables or so. Each one is covered in a white tablecloth with a tiny flickering candle in the center. Soft music plays, something light and classic sounding.

My smile dims when I see some of the other couples at nearby tables staring at us. I thought that I noticed some people watching us when we walked in, but I was distracted by Hendrix. Now though, I start to feel self-conscious.

“Ignore them,” Hendrix tells me, and I glance back at him.

“Hmm?”

“Ignore them. They’ll get used to seeing us out together soon enough.”

I nod and grab my menu, looking over the menu.

“Want to split an appetizer?” I ask him, and he grunts.

I smile as I look over the rest of the menu. The waitress comes over, and my smile widens when he orders the spinach artichoke dip. That was what I wanted, and before today, I would have assumed that he was just ordering whatever he wanted and not considering me. Now, though, I know that he just knows what I like and is ordering what I want.

Is this really just pretend?

I can’t stop thinking about Hendrix and how different things were today. Well, things weren’t that different, it was more like my eyes had been opened by what he said this morning, and now I can’t help but see him in a new light.

If this is all pretend to him, then he’s a better actor than I expected.

“Have you decided?” Our waitress asks, and I blink, looking up at her.

“Oh, um…” I quickly scan the menu and make a decision quickly. “I’ll have the chicken alfredo, please.”

“Same,” Hendrix says, passing the waitress his menu without looking at her.

She heads back to the kitchen, and I take a chip, scooping up some artichoke dip.

“So, tell me about yourself,” I say as I pop the chip in my mouth.

“What do you want to know?” he asks as he grabs his own chip.

“Well, anything. I don’t really know that much about you.”

“I’m twenty-eight.”

“Uh huh…”

“I was in the Marines. I got out two years ago after I was shot, and I moved here.”

“You were shot? Where?”

“My shoulder. Right here,” he says, pointing to his left shoulder. “I was on medical leave, and then I was discharged.”

“Do you miss it?” I ask him as we finish off our appetizer.

“Sometimes. Not for the last nine months, though.”

Nine months. When I started working for him.

“What about you?” he asks as our waitress clears the empty plates away.

“I’m twenty-three.”

“Uh huh,” he says, making me smile.

“I moved here nine months ago… or well, not moved, but I ran out of money, and I’m here until I can save up enough to make it back home.”

“How much do you need?” he asks.

“I think I’ll have enough after this month. Shit, I guess I should be putting in my two weeks notice to you soon.”

Hendrix’s lips thin, and he looks upset by that news.

“Where’s home?” he asks. “We can work from anywhere.”

I ignore the we in that sentence and the way that it makes butterflies take flight in my stomach as I answer him.

“Wolf Valley, Oregon. A couple of days drive west of here. I should be back before all of the holidays.”

He nods, and our food is set in front of us a moment later.

“Where are you from originally?” I ask him as we both dig in.

“Maine.”

“Why not go back there when you got out?” I ask.

“There wasn’t anything there for me.”

“No siblings? No parents?” I pry.

“Nope. My parents died while I was away. Or my dad did, anyway. My mom was never in the picture.”

“Mine was the opposite. I never met my dad, but I never didn’t mind. My mom was awesome.”

“Are you still close?” he asks.

“No, she passed when I was nineteen. That was what started me on this cross-country road trip.”

“You don’t like Sweetheart Falls?” he asks me.

“It’s fine, but it’s not home,” I tell him.

We eat in silence for a minute, and then he clears his throat.

“Tell me about Wolf Valley,” he says, and I smile as I start to tell him about the town and my friends.

At the end of the dinner, I’m relaxed, and all smiles as Hendrix pays the bill and moves to pull out my chair for me.

“Thanks for dinner,” I tell him as I stand, and he nods.

We start to head for the door, and I’m surprised when he reaches over and takes my hand. His hand is so much bigger than mine, and a rush zips through me as his fingers squeeze mine. I can see people watching us as we walk outside to his car, but I don’t let it get to me.

We drive home, and I talk to him about the newest client that starts tomorrow. His thumb rubs back and forth across the back of my hand as he drives.

He pulls into my apartment parking lot and grumbles as he parks.

“What?”

“I hate this place. It’s not good enough for you.”

“It’s cheap,” I offer, and he glares at the building.

“Why don’t you move in with me?” he asks, and my mouth drops open.

“What?”

“Move in with me.”

“No! I-I…I can’t! And there wouldn’t be much point since I’m leaving soon.”

He glares harder at the building, and I clear my throat.

“Right, well, okay, I’ll see you tomorrow.”

“Wait. I’ll walk you in.”

He hops out of the car, and I unbuckle, grabbing my purse. He opens the door for me and offers me his hand as he helps me out.

“Thanks,” I say, and he simply nods in return.

We head towards my apartment in silence, but it’s not awkward. I feel more relaxed around Hendrix after today.

The stillness of the night is calming, and I close my eyes as a breeze ruffles my hair. It’s nights like this that remind me of Oregon. A pang of homesickness hits me, and I have to remind myself that I’ll be home soon.

“Thanks for dinner,” I say as I dig my keys out of my purse.

He just grunts, and I bite back my smile. That was Hendrix for you. He’s short and to the point, never one to over-explain himself. I’m starting to really appreciate his lack of words. It means that when he does speak, he means it and that what he’s saying is important.

“Well, I guess this is goodnight,” I say softly, and he turns to face me, his dark eyes scanning my face, lingering on my lips.

“Hendrix,” I whisper.

I’m not sure if I’m warning him away or begging him to finally kiss me. He doesn’t look like he knows either, and his dark blue eyes meet mine for a moment.

The air between us feels charged, like a taut wire ready to snap. I don’t want him to leave. Not yet. I don’t know how to ask him to stay either, though.

We both shuffle closer, and I hold my breath as his head bows towards mine. My heart hammers against my ribcage, each beat louder than the last. Time seems to slow, the world narrowing down to this one moment. Then, his lips are on mine, and all I can do is feel.

His arms wrap around my waist, pulling me closer until there's no space left between us. His lips move against mine, slow and deliberate, like he’s savoring every second. I melt into him, my hands instinctively finding their way to the nape of his neck, fingers tangling in his hair.

A soft sigh escapes me as his grip tightens, and I can feel the heat of his body seep into mine. His kiss is gentle but filled with a quiet intensity that makes my knees feel weak. It's not rushed, not hurried. It's like he's taking his time, learning every curve of my lips, every response I give him. Each brush of his mouth ignites something deep within me, a fire that spreads through my chest and down to my toes.

The warmth of his breath fans across my skin as he tilts his head slightly, deepening the kiss. My heart stutters, and for a moment, I forget to breathe. All I can think about is him—his hands on me, his lips moving in perfect rhythm with mine, the way he’s holding me like I’m the most important thing in the world.

I feel his hand trail up my back, fingers pressing gently into my skin, sending shivers down my spine. A soft hum escapes me, and he responds with a low growl deep in his throat, the sound vibrating through my body.

I lose track of time. The kiss feels endless, yet too short all at once. My body hums with an electric charge, and every inch of me feels alive, hyperaware of him. My heart pounds in sync with his. The only sounds I can register are the soft sighs and the quiet rustle of clothing as we move against one another.

When we finally pull apart, we’re both breathless. His forehead rests gently against mine, and I can feel his warm breath against my lips, still hovering so close that I could taste him again with just the slightest move.

My eyes flutter open to find his, dark and intense, locked on me. His thumb brushes over my bottom lip, swollen from the kiss, as if he’s memorizing the feel of it.

"You're perfect," he whispers, his voice hoarse, as if the kiss stole the words from his lips.

My heart swells in response, but words escape me. Instead, I lean into him, resting my head against his chest, my fingers still laced behind his neck. He presses a lingering kiss to my temple, his arms tightening around me, holding me close, as if he doesn’t want to let go.

And at that moment, wrapped in his arms, with the taste of him still lingering on my lips, I know I never want him to.

“Move it!” Comes a high-pitched voice, and Hendrix and I both jump apart. I turn to see who it was, but Hendrix is standing in front of me, blocking my view.

I peek around him, and he moves again, almost like he’s protecting me.

“People are trying to walk here,” someone says, and I roll my eyes when I finally recognize my neighbor’s voice.

“Sorry,” I say from behind Hendrix. “I guess we just got a little carried away.”

There’s no response to that, and their door slams shut, and I sigh.

“Sorry about them,” I say as Hendrix turns back to face me.

“Don’t worry. I guess it works in our favor. Now we have people who have seen us together,” he says.

It’s like a bucket of cold water has been dumped on me, and my heart sinks as I remember that this is supposed to all be fake.

“Right. Good.”

“Evie.”

“Night, Boss. I’ll see you tomorrow,” I say, unlocking my door and slipping inside before he can say anything else.

I lock the door behind me and sigh as I look at my empty apartment.

I knew that keeping my feelings out of this fake relationship was going to be hard, but after today and that kiss, well, now I know that it’s going to be impossible.

I like Hendrix. I might even love him.

Now how am I going to get out of this fake relationship without breaking my own heart?