history front.”
“Well, my story’s not that much different than yours, actually. I dated a girl named Katy in high school and college. I assumed we’d get married and have kids. I even had a ring picked out to give her on our six year anniversary. But when she saw the ring, she kind of freaked. Her plans weren’t nearly as permanent as mine. And I was too much of an idiot to even see the signs.”
“Wow. Derek and I were never that serious. I mean, no rings purchased, or even contemplated. I’m so sorry.” Janie reached across the table and covered his hand with hers. He felt the warmth of her palm, and turned his hand over so that they were able to thread their fingers together.
“It’s in the past. Plus, it taught me an important lesson about being present in a relationship. I’ll never ignore the signs of a dissatisfied woman again.”
“Maybe her signs just weren’t that strong.”
“They didn’t seem to be at the time. Of course, hindsight’s always sharp as a razor.” Aaron said, then froze when she brought his hand to her face and rested his palm on her cheek.
“She was the idiot,” Janie whispered.
He felt the heat rise to the tips of his ears. “I don’t know about that,” he whispered back.
“How ‘bout another round?” The waiter from the bar had finally wandered outside, breaking the moment. Janie pulled away first, clearing her throat.
“No, I think I’m good. I’m a cheap drunk.” She grinned at the waiter and then at Aaron. She seemed to be enjoying his discomfort, which was distracting him even further.
“Umm, I’m done…I mean, I’m good. Could you bring us the check, please?”
“Sure.” As the young man retreated, Janie turned her mocking eyes on him.
“What’s wrong?” She asked, her face the picture of innocence.
“Nothing,” he muttered, pulling his wallet from his back pocket and throwing a twenty on the table. “Here, we don’t need the check. That should cover it.”
“Aaron, it’s happy hour. Those beers were three dollars each. Are you really going to leave a fourteen dollar tip on a six dollar tab?”
“Sure. He was a good waiter. And you’re supposed to tip on the full price, not the happy hour price.” He stood up, feeling more and more antsy, for reasons he couldn’t identify.
“Really?” Janie scrunched her nose. “I had no idea. I’ve been stiffing waiters for years.” She covered her mouth with her hand.
“I think God will forgive you,” Aaron drawled.
“But I feel terrible . What if they spit in my drinks or something?” Janie mused, her eyes growing wider at the thought. Aaron laughed and put his arm around her shoulder as they headed to the hotel lobby. “What’s done is done, Janie. I wouldn’t lose any sleep over it.”
“I still feel awful. I’ll just over tip for the next ten years or so. That should even out my karma, right?”
“I’m sure it will,” he agreed, steering her into the elevator. She hit the button and leaned back, eyeing him curiously.
“What?” He knew he sounded dubious, but she was still making him nervous.
“I was just wondering…” Aaron was silent, but raised his eyebrows, signaling her to continue. “If that waiter hadn’t interrupted us at the table…would you have kissed me?” She moved closer, until her hip was touching his. He took a deep breath.
“Would you have let me?” Wow, where had that come from?
Janie licked her lips, and Aaron felt the thrum of his pulse all over his body. “Yes.”
The elevator door churned open slowly. It was their floor. Aaron took a stuttering breath, grabbed Janie’s hand, and led her to their room. Once the door was closed behind them, he took her by both shoulders, placed her firmly against the wall, and dropped his lips to her waiting mouth. Her breath was tinged with the taste of beer, and she quickly dug her fingers into
“Well, my story’s not that much different than yours, actually. I dated a girl named Katy in high school and college. I assumed we’d get married and have kids. I even had a ring picked out to give her on our six year anniversary. But when she saw the ring, she kind of freaked. Her plans weren’t nearly as permanent as mine. And I was too much of an idiot to even see the signs.”
“Wow. Derek and I were never that serious. I mean, no rings purchased, or even contemplated. I’m so sorry.” Janie reached across the table and covered his hand with hers. He felt the warmth of her palm, and turned his hand over so that they were able to thread their fingers together.
“It’s in the past. Plus, it taught me an important lesson about being present in a relationship. I’ll never ignore the signs of a dissatisfied woman again.”
“Maybe her signs just weren’t that strong.”
“They didn’t seem to be at the time. Of course, hindsight’s always sharp as a razor.” Aaron said, then froze when she brought his hand to her face and rested his palm on her cheek.
“She was the idiot,” Janie whispered.
He felt the heat rise to the tips of his ears. “I don’t know about that,” he whispered back.
“How ‘bout another round?” The waiter from the bar had finally wandered outside, breaking the moment. Janie pulled away first, clearing her throat.
“No, I think I’m good. I’m a cheap drunk.” She grinned at the waiter and then at Aaron. She seemed to be enjoying his discomfort, which was distracting him even further.
“Umm, I’m done…I mean, I’m good. Could you bring us the check, please?”
“Sure.” As the young man retreated, Janie turned her mocking eyes on him.
“What’s wrong?” She asked, her face the picture of innocence.
“Nothing,” he muttered, pulling his wallet from his back pocket and throwing a twenty on the table. “Here, we don’t need the check. That should cover it.”
“Aaron, it’s happy hour. Those beers were three dollars each. Are you really going to leave a fourteen dollar tip on a six dollar tab?”
“Sure. He was a good waiter. And you’re supposed to tip on the full price, not the happy hour price.” He stood up, feeling more and more antsy, for reasons he couldn’t identify.
“Really?” Janie scrunched her nose. “I had no idea. I’ve been stiffing waiters for years.” She covered her mouth with her hand.
“I think God will forgive you,” Aaron drawled.
“But I feel terrible . What if they spit in my drinks or something?” Janie mused, her eyes growing wider at the thought. Aaron laughed and put his arm around her shoulder as they headed to the hotel lobby. “What’s done is done, Janie. I wouldn’t lose any sleep over it.”
“I still feel awful. I’ll just over tip for the next ten years or so. That should even out my karma, right?”
“I’m sure it will,” he agreed, steering her into the elevator. She hit the button and leaned back, eyeing him curiously.
“What?” He knew he sounded dubious, but she was still making him nervous.
“I was just wondering…” Aaron was silent, but raised his eyebrows, signaling her to continue. “If that waiter hadn’t interrupted us at the table…would you have kissed me?” She moved closer, until her hip was touching his. He took a deep breath.
“Would you have let me?” Wow, where had that come from?
Janie licked her lips, and Aaron felt the thrum of his pulse all over his body. “Yes.”
The elevator door churned open slowly. It was their floor. Aaron took a stuttering breath, grabbed Janie’s hand, and led her to their room. Once the door was closed behind them, he took her by both shoulders, placed her firmly against the wall, and dropped his lips to her waiting mouth. Her breath was tinged with the taste of beer, and she quickly dug her fingers into
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