by Meghan Quinn
“ShopGirl?” The way he asks, his voice scratchy, yet sexy.
“That’s me, but you can call me Noely.” I hold out my hand for a shake, which he takes but doesn’t let go right away.
“I’m Beck. Beck Wilder, it’s a pleasure to meet you, Noely.”
Beck Wilder, why does that name make my toes instantly curl?
“I believe our table is ready, if you would like to follow me. Veronica showed me the way.”
“I’d love to.” Turning to grab my drink, Danny gives me a quick wink, which helps settle my nerves, and I allow Beck to take my hand and help me off my bar stool.
“Right over here.” He weaves me past a few high-tops until we’re at a table next to a wall, giving us a small amount of privacy.
As I sit, I watch Beck take off his leather jacket, revealing a white button-up shirt with the sleeves rolled and at least three of the buttons undone, showing off a necklace strung together by a leather band. It’s hot, like really hot, especially bouncing off his tan skin.
And now Beck has removed his jacket, I take him all in. My question to Going in Blind: What’s with all of the hot muscular men in this program? Is that a requirement? Must have man pecs to apply? Not that I’m complaining, it’s just slightly intimidating.
Letting out a short breath, Beck picks up the menu in front of him and gives it a once-over. “Oh damn, I love lobster and mashed potatoes; those are my weakness. What about you?” Looking over his menu, he eyes me with a devilish look, one that speaks of pure charm and trouble.
“I don’t think I’ve ever had lobster. I’ve had tons of crab, but lobster not so much. Is it good?”
“Amazing. You should give it a go and if you don’t like it, I’ll eat your portion.” Smiling wickedly, he takes my menu and stacks it on his.
“Well, if you take my lobster, I get your mashed potatoes.”
As if I just slapped him across the face, Beck sits back in his chair and holds his hands up. “Whoa, whoa, whoa, let’s not get too hasty here, okay? Taking a man’s treasured mashed potatoes is a huge dating faux pas, and I don’t think you want to commit a dating faux pas, do you?”
Enjoying his humor, I cross my arms over my chest and ask, “I don’t know, what kind of offense is that? Is it like a slap on the wrist? Or is it like a giant curse that will hover over me, destroying any kind of chance I have at dating someone again?”
He rubs his chin and studies my question. “The pretty spectrum you just painted is kind of extreme, but if I had to choose, I would say it falls along the line of a slap on the wrist.”
“Ah, okay . . .” I bite on my cheek, trying to hold back my smile but failing. “I think I’ll take my chances then.
“Risk taker, I like it.” He tips his water glass in my direction and takes a sip as the waiter takes our order, two lobsters with extra mashed potatoes, just in case.
Eyeing the cards to the side, I wonder if I should offer to play, the same way I played with Jack, but before I can ask, Beck dives right into our date. “Noely, tell me, what brought you here? To this program?”
The way he’s leaning forward, his eyes set on mine, ready to listen intently, makes me feel comfortable, as if he’s truly here for the right reasons: to get to know me.
The tension I’ve held in my shoulders eases and I play with the straw in my drink, starting to feel less anxiety ridden and more flirty. But because of how open I was with Jack, I’m also a little cautious. I won’t lie to Beck, but should I be less forthcoming? Even after all I shared with Jack, it hadn’t been enough for him to want to stay. Okay. Knock it off, Noely. Deep breath. Here goes nothing.
“Honestly?” He nods. “I haven’t had the best of luck when it comes to dating. And with my busy schedule and my inability to pick the right guys, I thought I would give blind dating a try. It’s nice how they run this program. It makes you feel comfortable, giving you a safe place to meet for the first time.”
“I agree.”
“What about you? Why are you blind dating?”
Leaning back in his chair, Beck scratches the side of his jaw as he studies me. “Honestly?”
“I gave you honesty.” I smile at him.
“Fair enough.” He takes a sip of his water, puts it on the table and continues to lean back in his chair, striking a very casual pose. “I’m recently divorced, but it’s been over for a long time, eight years actually since we’ve been together.”
Eight years? How old was he when he got married because his eyes may look weathered, but his face is still young.
Chuckling, he points at my head and says, “I can see your pretty little head trying to do the math. Let me help you. I married my high school sweetheart at eighteen. We were married for two years before we decided to get a divorce. It’s taken eight years to finalize it all, for reasons I won’t bore you with, but now that I’m out in the dating world again, I have no idea where to start. My buddy works behind the scenes here and suggested I give it a try.” Looking me up and down, his heated eyes taking me in, he says, “I have to admit, I’m glad he suggested it.”
That look, that dark, sultry look, is detrimental to any woman’s libido. There is an unmistakable bad-boy quality about him with a side of alpha that’s hard to miss. It’s evident in the way he sits, in the way he’s confident, yet casual. Is that what I want? I had thought Jack was my ideal man, but I was so wrong. How can I be matched to two completely different men?
But he’s a twenty-eight-year-old divorcee, and it makes me wonder what went wrong. Were they too young? Or was there something else that split them up? It’s obviously way too early to dive deep into the failures of his marriage, so I try to keep the topic light.
“Were you apprehensive at first about joining the program?”
“Hell yeah. When I was dating in high school, dating apps weren’t really a thing. I mean, that was over ten years ago. Back then, I saw I girl I liked and I let her know. Now it’s like . . .” He sighs. “There’s a million rules we have to follow to not look like some kind of stalker. Like don’t text too soon, don’t respond right away, don’t tell the person how you feel. Hell, who came up with all these misconceptions of dating?”
“Ugh, you’re so right. It’s like people don’t want to look too desperate, they want to play it cool. But who cares? If you like someone, then you like them. Let it be known, right?”
“Exactly.” Studying me for a second, Beck leans forward and pins me with those sexy, sultry eyes of his. “Let’s make a deal, right here. By the end of the night, if we think this could go somewhere, if we enjoyed our time together, we let it be known. None of this running around the rules bullshit.”
“I like that idea.” I take a sip of my Tom Collins. “I like that idea very much.”
***
“It’s so . . . thick.”
“Get used to that, sweetheart,” Beck answers with a wink, making me blush immediately. I don’t think with that wink he’s talking about the lobster tail.
Clearing my throat, obviously flush from his comment, I ask, “How do I eat this?”
“Easy. Just take the lobster meat off the top and set the tail to the side, cut up the meat, and dip it in that delicious little bucket of butter to your right.”
“That’s it?”
“That’s it.” Looking over at my lobster, he asks, “Want me to taste test yours for you, make sure it’s not poisonous?”
“Nice try.” I wave at him with my fork. “Stick to your own plate there, mister, or I might take it upon myself to dive into your mashed potatoes.”
With a stern look, he points his knife at me and says, “Listen, do you see this plate between us?” He motions to the extra pile of mashed potatoes we asked for, a plate so large I don’t know if two people would be able to eat it on their own. “This right here is the communal plate, okay? If you’re feeling frisky and the need to eat off any other plate besides your own, this is where you want to go.” He points to his plate. “See this pile of goodness? T
his is my plate, so I suggest you stick to your side, Noely, or else you won’t know what might happen.”
“Is that right?” I challenge him with a grin. “And what might you do if I cross into your territory? Stab me with your fork?”
Without even taking a second to answer, he says, “Yes. Yes, I will. I will stab that dainty little hand of yours with no regrets.”
“Savage.”
“Damn right.” He plops a butter-dripping piece of lobster in his mouth and smiles. Oh dear, that smile, that look right there, it’s going to get me into some trouble, I just know it.
“So, tell me about your job. You’re a morning show host; what’s that like?” Beck asks, shoveling a pile of mashed potatoes in his mouth. For how fit he is, he eats like a ravenous man-child, butter and mashed potatoes all over his face. And for some odd reason, I find it endearing.
Another thing I like about Beck, he doesn’t know who I am, or what the show is about. It almost seems like he’s been living under a rock for the past eight years. I wonder if that has to do with the divorce.
I dip a small chunk of lobster in my mouth and chew before I answer. “It’s fun . . . some days, there are other days where I’m so tired it takes all the effort in the world to put on a good face, smile for the camera, and be engaging.”
“Yeah, I can imagine. Having to be ‘on’ for a long period of time is hard. But don’t you get to meet cool people?”
“I do.” I smile shyly. “We do a lot of interviews with celebrities and athletes. I actually just did an interview with Hayden Holmes.”
With fork midway to his mouth, Beck tilts his head to the side and asks, “Who’s that?”
What?
WHAT?
Did he just ask who Hayden Holmes is?
I can’t . . .
“Uh, what’s happening to your face right now?” Beck asks, pointing at me.
“This right here?” I motion with my hand over my face. “This is called the look of someone in shock. How in the world do you not know who Hayden Holmes is?”
“I don’t have cable.” He shrugs. “I live off Netflix and HULU. Who is Hayden Holmes? Is he in a new movie or something?”
I nearly choke on my delicious lobster. In a movie? Is he kidding me?
“Oh boy, this might be the crutch in our blossoming relationship. I don’t know if we’re going to be able to get through this.”
“Uh-oh.” Beck places his silverware on his plate and levels with me. “Did I just screw up everything?” I playfully nod, to which he holds up a finger to me. “Give me one second.” From his back pocket, he pulls out his phone and starts typing away. His finger scrolls over the screen where he stops to read something. Once he’s done, he places his phone back in his pocket and says, “You know, I thought you said Hunter Holmes not Hayden Holmes. My mistake. Man, you got to interview Hayden Holmes? Holy shit! He’s like the most promising player for the LA Earthquakes this coming season. Word on the street is, he’s going to help turn the team around.”
A snort bubbles out of me and I cover my nose in embarrassment, which only causes Beck to smile endearingly. Can I also point out that it’s making me giggle for far too long that he called the Quakes by their full name? A non hockey fan wouldn’t know any better. Earthquakes . . . see, more giggling.
“Don’t you just love Google?” He takes another bite of his lobster, looking cockier than ever.
“It’s a real life saver . . . or should I say date saver.”
***
“You have to be quick, okay? First thing that comes to mind.”
“That’s why you called it rapid fire,” I add with a cheeky grin.
“Cute.” Beck leans over the empty dessert plate we shared and pokes the corner of my lip. “Are you ready, smartass?”
I love how he holds nothing back, how he’s very honest and upfront and isn’t trying to put on a façade to win me over. From the very beginning, I feel like I’ve gotten the real Beck, the no-holds-barred Beck, the sarcastic and button-pushing Beck. I like it. I like it a lot.
Preparing myself for his rapid questions, I say, “Okay, go.”
Gripping the sides of the table, he levels his gaze with mine and starts shooting off questions. “Middle name.”
“Jane.”
“Real hair color.”
I chuckle. “Dirty blonde.”
“Third grade teacher.”
“Mrs. Dole and she was a rotten ho bag.”
He raises an eyebrow at me but continues his questions.
“Waffles or pancakes?
“Waffles.”
“Book or movie?”
“Movie.”
“Ah, come on.” He shakes his head at me, a smile stretching across his lips. “First pet’s name.”
“Denise. Denise the cat.”
“Denise?” Beck mouths to me, his brow pinched together. He shakes my answer away and says, “Favorite movie.”
“Easy, You’ve Got Mail.”
Beck pauses. “Really?”
“If you say it’s a crap movie, we’re ending this date right now, going our separate ways, and we shall never speak of his night again.”
“You know”—Beck runs his hand along his jaw—“I like your passion. There aren’t many people out there who would end a blind date and erase it from their memory from the possibility of disagreeing over a movie.”
“Call me high-maintenance, say I’m the worst blind date ever, I don’t care, but don’t you dare throw my favorite movie into the trash can.”
“Wouldn’t dream of it. I like You’ve Got Mail actually. I would say it’s in my top five romantic comedies.”
“Really? I thought you were a book guy, at least that’s what you made it seem like.”
“I am, but I also binge on Netflix.”
“Oh, my kind of man. So if you have a top five list of romantic comedies, what else is on there?”
He twirls his glass of water in front of him, his face morphing into humor. “I don’t know, Noely, I’m not sure if you’re ready for that kind of knowledge. Top five romcoms, that tells a lot about a man. You might have to earn that answer.”
“Is that so? All right, how would I go about earning it?”
He stands from his seat and snags his leather jacket from the back of his chair as well as his helmet. “I have just the idea.”
Chapter Thirteen
NOELY
I stand on the sidewalk, fidgeting in place as I stare at the piece of machinery in front of me, straddled by the one and only Beck Wilder.
“Come on.” He holds out a little helmet he pulled from under the seat in his motorcycle.
I eye his bike, feeling slightly intimidated but also intrigued.
He must notice my hesitancy because he asks, “Are you nervous?”
I hold up my fingers. “Just a little. I’ve never been on a motorcycle before.”
“There’s nothing to it.” Popping the kickstand and standing tall, he pulls me toward him and places the helmet on my head. Snapping the ends to secure the helmet, he checks the fit and gives me a sexy smile when he takes me in. “Have to admit, you look hot in a helmet, Noely.” Giving my dress a once-over, he shakes his head. “That dress, though. It’s dangerous, girl. You know you can get into some trouble with that?”
Feeling friskier, I say, “I was kind of hoping I would.”
Beck’s eyes narrow as he bites on his bottom lip. “Hop on the back and hold on tight. Don’t try to move with the motorcycle, leave that to me.” Eyeing me one last time, he takes off his coat and wraps it around me, helping my arms into the sleeves. “Don’t want you getting cold.”
Caught off guard by his gesture, I give him a quick thank you and hop on the bike, hoping I kept all my lady bits covered while doing so. When I sit down, my dress rides up to dangerous levels. Luckily my pelvis is pressed against Beck’s back.
Taking my arms, he wraps them around his waist and starts the bike all in one fluid movement.
Well, that’s hot.
Do you know what’s even hotter? The obvious set of abs this man is sporting. I can feel them under my arms, rippling and tight. Given he ate a pile of mashed potatoes tonight, I’m going to guess he must workout a crazy amount, especially from how his back muscles flex under his white shirt with the start of his bike.
I wanted something different. I wanted something adventurous. I might just be getting that right now with Beck Wilder.
Like a bullet out of a gun, we shoot off into the street, causing me to grip even tighter onto Beck’s waist and press my cheek against his back as the wind whips past us. A carefree laugh pops out of me from the exhilaration of riding on the back of a bike with a sexy stranger. This is so not me, but I’m liking it. I’m enjoying the change in pace from my normal.
Lifting my head, feeling a little more comfortable, I take in the streetlights passing us by in a blur. I’m tempted to throw my arms in the air, as if I was riding a roller coaster but think better of it. I want to have fun, not severely injure myself.
Instead, I soak in the moment, the way my laugh vibrates my body, the way the bike feels rumbling beneath me, the way Beck’s body feels pressed against mine. It’s new, intoxicating . . . addicting.
After what seems like an hour but more like twenty minutes, Beck slows down and pulls into a parking spot on the side of the street. He backs up against the sidewalk and cuts the engine. Removing his helmet, he looks behind him and says, “Wait right there.” He kicks out the kickstand and dismounts from the bike. He rests his helmet on the handles and then takes me in, a large smile spreading over his lips. Thank God I wore the granny panties.
“Fuck, you look hot on my bike. And I was right, that dress is about to get you into some trouble tonight.” He removes my helmet and holds out his hand. “Careful of the pipes on the side, they’re really hot.”
Not wanting to show too much off, I bring my leg over the bike and hop off with Beck’s assistance. I run my hand through my hair, making sure I don’t have helmet head, and then take off Beck’s jacket, revealing, once again, the tiny little dress I wore tonight.
Nodding appreciatively, Beck takes his jacket, stuffs it in the seat with my helmet, and takes my hand in his while tucking his helmet under his other arm. “Come on, Sassy.”
