Total pages in book: 58
Estimated words: 53349 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 267(@200wpm)___ 213(@250wpm)___ 178(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 53349 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 267(@200wpm)___ 213(@250wpm)___ 178(@300wpm)
She’d taken the time to get dressed up a little bit, picking out a light blue dress that she’d worn only once—and it wasn’t to the beach. She was wearing actual heels rather than her usual sandals or flip-flops. But she wasn’t dressing for Nate, or at least that’s what she kept telling herself. It was just that they were going to a restaurant that was kind of fancy, and they probably didn’t expect their customers to look as if they’d just walked in off the beach.
She gazed up at the restaurant that had taken the idea of being beside the ocean to a whole new level. Not only did it have views out across the water, but it was also architecturally ambitious, a glass and steel protrusion that stretched out over the water, giving the diners sea views on all sides, as well as the sensation of floating.
She turned, and there was Nate. She caught her breath and immediately had to remind herself that this wasn’t a date. It was a business meeting. He’d dressed up a little bit, too, swapping out his jeans for dark slacks. He looked really handsome, and the clothes suited him, although just about anything would look good on his athletic body. Tamara realized where her mind was going, and she tried to focus on something, anything, else.
“You look…” Nate began and then spent a second or two seeming to deliberate whether he should say anything or not. Finally, he made a decision. “Great. You look great.”
“Well, so do you,” Tamara said with a small nervous laugh. Why was this awkward all of a sudden? It was okay. She knew what this was and what it wasn’t. The best thing would be to just relax and enjoy the evening. After all, she was at a restaurant she’d never been to before, with a great friend and the guarantee of good conversation and maybe even a new business venture. It sounded like a perfect recipe for a really good evening.
“Thanks,” Nate said, holding open the door. “We should probably go inside.”
As they entered, it was immediately obvious this was a restaurant for a special date or night out. The place was packed with couple after couple, all leaning close to each other, laughing at each other’s jokes, sipping wine and enjoying their meals while brushing against each other’s hands. Tamara found herself hoping they wouldn’t be able to get a table, but no, it turned out that Nate had made a reservation online. He’d even secured them a table right in the corner, with the best views of the ocean in the whole restaurant. Of course he had. Not only had he made a reservation, he’d probably taken a virtual tour of the place as well. It was just a part of who Nate was.
If he had taken the online tour, then it had missed a few crucial elements: how romantic it would feel with the red of the sunset refracting through the glass and bouncing up off the waves beneath, couples whose worlds seemed to consist only of each other, and soft music playing in the background. The whole restaurant felt like the kind of place designed for someone to get down on one knee and propose.
“Well,” Tamara said, looking around. “This is… nice.”
Nate flushed a little, his cheeks matching the setting sun. “I hope this place doesn’t feel… inappropriate,” Nate said. “I swear I didn’t plan it all like this. I mean, this isn’t some kind of… pretext. I really do have coffee bean business to discuss.”
Tamara laughed, feeling relief as much as anything. This wasn’t Nate trying to make some play for her and make things awkward. It really was a business meeting over dinner. The choice of restaurant was the kind of endearing mistake either of them could make. So maybe she should just try to relax and enjoy it.
“And there I was thinking you were trying to romance me,” Tamara said with a laugh, and Nate joined in.
“No, nothing like that.”
And just like that, it felt as easy as ever to talk to him again. The cloud hanging over them seemed to lift, letting things settle back to normal. They ordered seafood starters and talked about how things had been going at the café and how Nate was gearing up for what sounded like the most technology-focused wedding Married in Malibu had done to date.
“Have you seen any more of Furface today?” Nate asked as he finished his plate.
“He’s usually around somewhere,” Tamara said. “Often, he appears when I go outside.”
“Well, he’s a very friendly dog.”
Tamara suspected it was a lot simpler than that. “Or he just knows I’m the one with all the food. It’s not like I’ve seen him running to other people.”
“Well, Furface obviously likes you.”
Tamara shook her head with a smile. “You know, Nate, that’s really not a proper name for a dog. You can’t go around calling him Furface. He’s too cute for that.”