The Doll Collector

Chapter 15: Maria

Bud pulled into a space, in the darkest corner of the parking lot. The hairs on my arm rose just a bit, but relaxed when he immediately opened his door. I stepped out, shutting the door lightly and met him at the hood of the car. With a gentle smile on his lips, he held out his arm, leading the way to the restaurant. A warm smell of food was hanging outside of the entrance. I breathed it in, sighing contentedly at how delicious and welcoming it was.

Bud opened the door, allowing me to step in first. The host greeted us with a joyful smile and checked Bud's name on the roster for a reservation. When she found it, she walked us to our booth near the back of the restaurant. It was away from the eyes of the other patrons and that filled me with relief. He wanted privacy, which meant he actually wanted to talk to me.

He pulled out my chair, before taking his seat. With a fluid movement, he unfolded his napkin and placed it on his lap. Hmm, so knew his manners. I followed suit as the host poured us a complimentary glass of wine. I took up the water instead, feeling my throat running dry already. We hadn't said much on the way over. I guess we were both too nervous. He couldn't meet my eye as he played with his silverware.

The awkwardness was making my stomach cramp. Did I really get dressed for this?

Maybe it was time to hit the wine, take the edge off. I lifted up my glass, earning his attention. His cheeks were blazing red, as he offered me a soft smile that tugged at the corners of his mouth.

He was shy! That was cute. Okay, shy I could handle. It wasn't me; it was literally him.

"You saved me, coming in when you did." I said, opening up the conversation.

My job generally required me to put people at ease. Many of the teenagers I worked with were either extremely standoffish or were so shy they couldn't look me in the eye.

"I did? I saved you?" A look of elation passed through his eyes.

I couldn't quite discern what that meant to him. It almost seemed like a wave of relief and pride was running through him. I'd struck a chord in him. He liked feeling needed. Perfect! I knew how to do that.

"You did, that guy was someone I didn't like speaking to."

"I guess you could call me your knight in shining armor." he said.

Yes, he liked feeling needed. I wondered where that came from. Perhaps it was a deep-seated desire to please, or feelings of inferiority.

The charm he exuded over his messages was finally shining through in the way he looked at me. The shyness was suddenly gone.

His eyes caught the overhead lights of the restaurant keeping my attention solely on him. They were as green as fields and made me want to lie down in them and take a nap. Focus Maria.

"I know this isn't the topic, but I really am curious. What is your last name?" I asked.

I could have been more subtle. That could scare him off or back him into his shyness. Guys were stupid like that.

"Woods. I'm Bud Woods. It makes me sound like a farm hand; I know." he joked.

I giggled, setting my glass of wine down. I looked at it, realizing that I hadn't taken a sip after all.

"In fact, in high school, they called me Backwoods." He continued.

"That's terrible." I laughed

"Terrible, but pretty clever, I have to admit."

Assholes can be quite witty sometimes.

A waitress walked up to the table, introducing herself as Claire. Bud smiled at her, instantly melting her at his feet. He dropped his eyes to the menu, not giving her more than two seconds of attention. He had quite an effect on women. Interesting.