The One and Only: A Single Mom Second Chance Romance (Heart of Hope) Ajme Williams (books for new readers TXT) š
- Author: Ajme Williams
Book online Ā«The One and Only: A Single Mom Second Chance Romance (Heart of Hope) Ajme Williams (books for new readers TXT) šĀ». Author Ajme Williams
I pulled Lauraās chair out to help her get seated and she blushed again. It gave me such a thrill in my chest to know that I was able to make her blush so easily, that I was impressing her with my behavior. I wanted her to be impressed with me, not with my wealth or connections, the way so many other people were, but with how I had matured and changed. I wanted her to see that I was finally ready to commit to our relationship and to her. Nothing would get in the way of us being together, not if I had any say in the matter.
I sat down and we ordered. Or, well, I ordered. Laura seemed nervous and when I asked her what she wanted she simply asked me to pick whatever appetizers I thought we would enjoy.
Usually, Laura always had an opinion, and that included her food. She was never demure. The opposite of Della, honestly. She must be really nervous if she didnāt have an opinion, especially about what she wanted to eat.
āIāll be honest,ā I whispered to her conspiratorially after weād ordered, āI have no idea why people say oysters are sexy. You have to swallow the whole thing, so I always worry that people are going to choke on them.ā
Laura stifled a laugh, looking around to see if any of the servers might overhear us.
Our sommelier brought us the wine and poured for us. I raised a glass, āIād like to propose a small toast. To second chances.ā
Laura smiled at me, but there was something nervous in her face that continued to worry me. āTo second chances,ā she echoed.
We clinked our glasses and savored our wine. Laura finished her sip and then set her glass down. āI know you say, āto second chancesā, butā¦what do you mean by that?ā
āYou want to know my intentions?ā
Laura nodded.
That was perfectly understandable. āI want a second chance with you. I know I screwed up our first time, and I can that I was young back then, that I didnāt know what I was doing. But it doesnāt change the fact that I hurt you. Iād like to move past that, if we can. Because the truth is, Iāve never met another girl like you.ā
Laura blushed. āCome on, Cade, Iāve seen Della. Iām sure there are dozens of women as sophisticated and lovely as she is. And you could have them. You donāt need to flatter me.ā
āIām not flattering you,ā I assured her, my voice quiet but firm. I wanted her to know how serious I was. āIāve never forgotten you. Iāve never dated anyone seriously because they could never measure up to you. Della and I knew from our first date what we were doingāthat we werenāt doing this because we had any feelings for each other but because our parents had expectations from us, and it was easier to justā¦go with it.ā
I reached across the table and took her hand. āLaura. Youāre smart, confident, funny, and sexy as hell.ā
Laura blushed again and squeezed my hand. āThank you.ā
Then she slid her hand from mine. āEven though I appreciate your complimentsāand I do, really Cadeāit doesnāt change the facts of our life. Your life is in D.C. and Iām not going to give up my business to relocate to a new city. Iāve built a good life here and a sizeable clientele. To uproot everything and move to a new city, Iād have to start over. Iād have to build connections with suppliers, caterers and venue owners. Iād have to sell my house and my office and find someplace new. And I couldnāt ask you to uproot your life and move back here either.
āAnd what if it doesnāt work out? We canāt move in together right away. That wouldnāt be smart. I donāt want to rush into anything. But a long-distance relationship is hard, and I canāt ask for that. Besidesā¦ā Laura took a deep breath, āI should be honest and tell you that Iām not looking for a relationship right now. Iām looking to build my business. Thatās my main focus.ā
I had to work hard to fight off my disappointment. This was just the beginning of our new relationship, after all. Barely into our first date, I shouldnāt expect her to be convinced so easily. If I really wanted to be with her, then I had to be willing to put in the time and work, and that included convincing her that we were going to be amazing together.
āLetās forget the ārā word,ā I told her, smiling. āWe donāt want to think too far into the future and forget to enjoy the present moment. Why donāt we just enjoy tonight and focus on that? Let me spoil you a little. I always wanted to when we were together the first time, but I never did, and Iād like a chance to make up for that now.ā
Laura blushed and smiled again, and I felt like Iād said the right thing. āOkay.ā
Our appetizers arrived and I insisted that she try them first. I explained how the wine Iād chosen would pair well with the food and complement it. Laura admitted that she only knew the basics of wine since sheād never really had to help choose it for her clientsāshe could only guide them on the food, but the wine was above her pay grade.
āI could teach you,ā I assured her. āIt would be a good set of skills to know for the more high-end clients youāre hoping to court.ā
We had fun going over the wine menu, and I made fun of a lot of them, doing a horrible French accent for her that had Laura covering her mouth so that
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