The Stella I Remember

22| First Dates & Flirty Banter

Get out of the car, get out of the car, get out of the car...

I stared through the windshield of my truck at the cabin I owned and Stella was renting. My fingers tapped the steering wheel anxiously. I got here seven—no, make that eight minutes ago. 

She was waiting for me in there. Stella was waiting for me to get out of my damn truck, knock on her door, and take her to dinner.

I shouldn't be surprised that she said yes to the date. Especially not after what happened between us in New Orleans. 

But I was. I've been surprised by a lot of things lately.

All of them Stella-related.

Considering who was waiting for me in that cabin, and how long I've pined after her, why the hell was I hesitating? I was never the type that chickened out; and I couldn't sit out here forever. Not if I wanted to actually take her on a date. 

Not if I wanted a real shot at some kind of relationship. Or at the very least, a chance to head in that direction. 

The many different possibilities of a future with Stella had me turning my engine off and finally getting out of the truck. I exhaled a nervous breath as I walked up to her front door and, after one more minute of hesitation, I finally knocked.

The large black door opened to show an unbelievably stunning Stella. But it wasn't just the tight red dress she was wearing that had my attention. 

"Your hair..."

She smiled sheepishly, tucking the black strands behind her ear. "It didn't feel right anymore—being a redhead. So I changed it back to my normal color. Do you like it?" 

I detected a hint of nervousness in her questions. Like she was worried about my answer. 

My brows shot up to my hairline. "Do I like it?" I reached out and carefully ran my hand through the soft tresses, careful not to mess it up. "I love it. It's...you." 

"That's what I was hoping you would say," she beamed. "You clean up pretty nicely yourself." 

I shrugged and glanced at my black pants and dark blue dress shirt. "I tried." 

For her, I would try anything. 

God...I sounded pathetic, didn't I? 

Stella reached for the collar of my shirt to smooth it out. "Mission accomplished."

My heart started to race when her hands lingered on my chest. How could this woman—this petite, snarky, sinfully beautiful woman—have so much power over me? When it came to Stella, nothing made sense. But at the same time, everything made sense. It was an odd feeling. 

And it wasn't just recently that I felt like this. I felt that way when I offered her that ticket for Swallow Me Whole at the festival. She captivated me from the start. I just hadn't realized it at first. 

Not until I lost her. 

"Ready?" she asked, pulling me back from my thoughts that were taking a depressive turn. 

I nodded and cleared my throat. "Yes, I am." 

When I offered her my arm, she smiled and looped hers with mine. We walked side by side until we got to the truck. I opened her door and waited patiently for her to get in before I did the same. 

The drive to Tony's was a little over fifteen minutes just inside the city. That was one of the reasons I loved it so much. It did well business wise, but it was never too busy or crowded. When I first moved here, it was a good place for me to get away when I needed some space.