iving the restaurant a casual but romantic feel.
“I hope this is okay. Our town has some good places to eat, but sometimes I don’t want to be seen at the cop everyone knows.” Noah pulled out chair and I sat down adjusting my skirt.
“Are you kidding? This is perfect. I love Italian food.” I picked up the menu and eyed the choices offered. Fresh fish, chicken parmesan, bruschetta, hand rolled pastas. My mouth watered.
Noah leaned over the table with a conspiratorial glint in his eye. “Do you mind if I order?”
I had no idea what to expect with this guy. Again, nothing more than friendship was going to happen but he had the kind of charisma and this gentlemanly need to take care of someone that I couldn’t help but concede a little.
“By all means, practicing your wooing.” I put my menu down and listened as Noah spoke to the waitress in Italian surprising me yet again.
It seemed that Noah ordered a sample platter of all the house specialties. The small tasting plates kept coming and my stomach was filling with delicious carbs and herby selections until I had to push my plate away.
“So tell me, how does a small town cop know Italian?” I asked incredible curious.
Noah tipped the wine bottle in my direction and he filled my glass before finishing the bottle in his own glass.
“This place is my aunt’s restaurant. Come to a small town and everyone will basically know everyone at some point.” He said.
“I guess I should enjoy my anonymity for as long as I can, huh?”
“It’s also the best place to bring a date, even when you’re sure it’s probably not going anywhere.” He winked forcing me to laugh out loud.
“So it’s like that, Noah?”
He shrugged. “I don’t know. You tell me Miss Baker, but not until you’ve tasted my aunt’s cannoli.” He pushed a dessert plate my way and I picked up the filled treat biting into the delicious cream.
“Oh my god, this heaven.” I mumbled between bites.
“You still want to go dancing? I can take you home if you’d rather.” Noah looked a little sad and I felt a little sad trying to navigate this.
“So this is the part of the evening where I come clean?” I sipped my wine feeling tipsy, but not drunk.
“I respect women, Carmen. You don’t have to tell me anything you don’t want to and if all we end up being is friends that’s okay too. I mean, I’m still attracted to you, but I’m not an asshole. I can take a hint.” Noah sat back in his seat fiddling with his napkin and I bit my lip to spit it out.
I looked around the bistro finding us the only couple still here and said quietly, “I’m bisexual, but monogamously.”
“And you just had a guy cheat on you.” He grumbled completely non-pulsed about my disclosure. He sounded more pissed about my ex and then grabbed the last cannoli shoving it in his mouth. I wanted to eat my feelings too, but dancing did sound fun.
“You want to get out of here? Go dance the rest of night? I get the feeling we’ve both had shitty times recently.” I stood up and offered Noah my hand. He smiled and took it walking me down the block to a cute speakeasy looking club I would have expected in Soho.
Dancing it was.
We spent the next hour casually talking and drinking. I stayed with wine and Noah changed to a whiskey saying he hadn’t been out in a while. We decided to leave his car at the bistro since his aunt owned the place and call for an Uber when the night was over.
It was fun. Carefree. It was the most I’d let go in a long time. I told Noah about my family in Connecticut and how my best friend Taylor who he seemed to know by extension of the small town rules asked me to design her wedding her cake. The night was everything I needed and the more we drank, the freer I was lightly touching Noah. He wrapped his arms around me as we swayed to a slower song. I gripped his hips and let my short nails rake up his back. He sighed against my neck and it felt–nice.
“I really want to kiss you, but I’m half afraid you might slug me.” Noah leaned back winking and I laughed at his assessment. Was I really that transparent with my feelings?
“You can try. I left my wooden spoon at home tonight. Wouldn’t fit in my purse.” I held up the tiny bag joking.
Noah shifted in closer and slid his hand to my back to pull me in closer. Warning bells went off because I wanted to feel butterflies, birds flapping, anything that indicated this was it for me. I let my eyes flutter closed. Noah was a nice guy and when his hand stroked the back of my neck and he leaned in kissing my lips with his soft warm ones my hope deflated.
Nothing.
De nadda.
Not even the mix of whiskey and cinnamon on his breath stirred anything for me. I tried though. I tried to get into the kiss and opened my mouth a little letting his eager tongue slip inside with my less active one.