The Distance Between Us (MAC Security 3)

“You sure?”

“Of course.” She looks down at the menu with a smile on her face, her eyes scanning it.

I could watch her all day long and not get bored. The faces she pulls and the way her nose scrunches at things that she likes or doesn’t like. The best face is the one she pulls when she’s laughing, and I don’t mean your standard laugh, I’m talking head thrown back, not a care in the world, snorting kind of laugh.

“Are you ready to order?” the waitress asks, but I don’t look at her, my eyes are firmly on Kitty as she looks up at her, smiling and telling her that she wants the chicken. My eyes focus on the way her lips move as she talks and I can’t get enough of it. Of watching her.

“Charlie?”

“Oh, right. I’ll have the steak and a beer.”

“Any kind of beer?” the waitress asks.

“Any bottle will do.”

She writes it down on her small notepad and takes the menus from us and that’s when Kitty looks back at me.

“So…” Kitty says. “How’s work?”

“Good. Closed another case yesterday so that’s another criminal off the streets,” I say robotically. I don’t want to talk about work with her, I want to know more about her, what she likes, what she doesn’t like. Her favorite fucking color.

She chuckles and thanks the waitress as she places her water down and my beer. I pick it up and take a swallow.

“How’s work for you? Are you back fully now?” I curse myself. Why am I asking how her work is?

“Yeah,” she says, putting her water back down on the table. “My arm is all better now and I’m back to training every day. God I missed training.”

“I know what you mean, I can’t imagine not being able to go to the gym.”

“Right?” She smiles. “I love the feeling I get afterwards. You know what I mean, the adrenaline that pumps through you?”

“Yeah, I do.”

To say I was nervous to go out on a date with Charlie tonight is an understatement. I was physically shaking when he knocked on my door, but as the night went on, I became more and more relaxed.

Everything that normally swirls around in my mind quiets when he’s around, and now I sit here trying to eat my cheesecake while the nerves get worse. The night will be over soon and I really don’t want it to be.

“What’s your favorite color?” Charlie blurts out, his eyes wide as if he hadn’t meant to say anything. I stare at him for a beat and then chuckle.

“Purple,” I say, pointing at my hair.

A slow smirk starts to spread across his face and he nods slowly. “Thought so.”

“Yours?” I ask, bringing a piece of cheesecake up to my lips. The best goddamn cheesecake I’ve ever eaten.

“Blue.” I open my mouth to say something when he interrupts me. “No, green. Wait, yellow. Ah fuck, I don’t know.” He shrugs, his eyes moving from his cheesecake to mine and then up at me. “I don’t think I have a favorite.”

I smile at the look on his face, his eyes sparkling and his lips lifted into a small smile. I still can’t believe I’m here, with him, on a real date. The amount of times I imagined this happening, and none of those daydreams ever did this justice.

“I’m stuffed,” I announce, leaning back in my seat and resting my hand on my stomach.

“You don’t want that then?” He points to my half-eaten cheesecake, a hopeful expression on his face.

“Couldn’t manage another bite,” I say, pushing it toward him.

He takes it and eats it within seconds, well, more like inhales it. To be fair, it’s really good cheesecake.

“This is good,” he mumbles around a biteful.