“I’m glad that guy never showed up, because I wanted to be the one who brought you here,” he says, getting out of the truck.
The romantic Italian restaurant, the one I’ve always wanted to come to and got stood up in. This is by far the most thoughtful thing anyone has ever done for me.
Once inside we are seated and the waitress lights our candle, I don’t pick up the menu like I thought I would. Nope, I reach across the table and rest my hand on Tenn’s.
“This is the most romantic thing anyone’s ever done for me. Thank you, Tenn,” I say.
The waitress of course picks that moment to take our drink order. After she leaves, Tenn squeezes my hand.
“You don’t need to thank me. The thing you don’t realize is how long I’ve thought of doing things like this for you,” he says, a grin on his ridiculously handsome face.
“Where the hell were you when all those losers took me out?” I joke.
He laughs shaking his head, causing his brown hair to fall into his eyes. “I was waiting,” he says with a shrug.
“Listen, I’m not trying to start problems, this is our first date after all.” I wiggle my eyebrows and he laughs. “I mean, I love this whole thing, and I adore everything you keep saying to me; who wouldn’t…” I pause, trying to word it correctly.
Thankfully my wine is brought over, and we place our order. Although the longer I don’t continue with my thought, the more I want to kick my own ass for saying something in the first place. Why can’t I just accept things and leave it at that? Why do I need to dig around and cause unnecessary problems?
“But?” Tenn asks.
Oh fuck. “But you act like I didn’t know you two days ago,” I say with a forced laugh.
Lifting an eyebrow, he tilts his head. “Obviously. So what does that have to do with anything?”
Damn it. Why is he going to make me say it out loud? “Come on, Tenn, you keep acting like you’ve been pining after me, sitting around waiting for me to notice you, but we both know that’s not how it was. I’m not trying to start a fight, I’m just saying your sex life hasn’t exactly been a secret.”
And now I feel like shit.
“Regan, you’re right, and I know me saying ‘it was always you I thought of’ is a line and a pretty shitty one at that.” I smile, and he continues, “The truth is living with you, hanging out with you, eating dinner on the damn couch with you, made me walk around with a hard cock.”
The waitress clears her throat, and I want to die. “Chicken parm and shrimp parm. Enjoy,” she says with a big smile.
I look at Tenn with big eyes, and he laughs. “I don’t care. I want everyone to know how I feel about you.” He leans across the table with his shit-eating grin. “And they will.”
Shaking my head, causing my red curls to bounce around, I smile. “I’m sorry. Let’s let it go.”
“Nah, let’s not. Yes, I slept with a lot of women. Yes, I did it while my heart wasn’t in it. Yes, I only slept with blondes because I really wanted a redhead. I’m not proud of it, but hell, Regan, I’d been throwing hints at you for years, and I didn’t know if you really didn’t get it or if you weren’t interested. So, I’m not going to apologize for having sex, because that’s all it was for me. You also know the guy I am, you know that none of them were for me. That’s because I wanted you. Please don’t think it’s not true because I slept around,” he says with a bit of concern on his face.
“Tenn, I’m not saying I don’t believe you. See this is why I need to keep my mouth shut, because now I feel bad, and you look worried,” I say, jetting out my bottom lip.
“Don’t ever keep your mouth shut. I love that you always speak your mind, it’s sexy,” he says, running his hand through his hair to get it off his face.
“Sitting here with you in this romantic restaurant is sexy,” I come back with.
Finally, we move on from it. Even though I feel like shit for saying it, I’m glad I did because he’s right, if I didn’t speak my mind I wouldn’t be acting like myself.
The food is as amazing as I thought it would be, and the wine tastes even better this time around. Conversation with Tenn has be effortless, which is not surprising. We’ve been out a million times, just always went home to separate beds.
“Do you want another glass of wine?” Tenn asks after they clear our plates.
“No, I’m good,” I say, wanting to just get home.
“You ready to get out of here or do you want to stay a bit longer?”
“I’m definitely ready.”
He pays the bill, and we walk out of the most romantic date ever, hand and hand. Once in his truck, I lean over and kiss him which he happily deepens. Damn if I wasn’t in a rush to get home before I am now.