Second chances [Complete, 18+]

CHAPTER XI

CHAPTER XI

The sign for Bobby's was swinging overhead in the wind, the sound grating as he waited impatiently outside. He clasped his hands behind his back to stop them from shaking – for once not because he was about to shift. It was just before two, but he'd eagerly arrived thirty minutes early. Dressed in a new outfit, he kept fiddling with the shirt, tucking it into the back of his jeans. The clouds were darkening and rain was quickly beckoning. He'd decided to utilise the hourly rate to take a rapid shower, and he couldn't get out of their quick enough. He shouldn't have arrived early, he'd only succeeded in working himself into a right mess. So many scenarios ran round and round in his head, the latter being occupied with her never turning up. Needless to say it wasn't helping his nerves at all. As thunder sounded, he turned up the leather collar before ducking for cover under the café awning.

She sat in the driver's seat trying to get up the courage to open the door. She chuckled as she watched him shift his feet once again - he seemed so uncomfortable for one so handsome. She'd had an awful night's sleep and distracted as she was, had spilled food and drink down herself multiple times. Dylan was her only distraction so she hadn't fought as hard when he refused to sleep. His energy soon wavered though and soon began snoring softly from his cold. It was a relaxing sound that calmed her somewhat but not enough to send her off to sleep. She hadn't gone on a date in a while and the last one, a year ago, turned out to be a not so successful set up from her loving sister. She'd told him that it wasn't a date but she couldn't help but feel like it was. She hadn't even thought about dating - she'd never really been successful before Dylan and being a single mother didn't exactly lend itself to being spontaneous and dateable. But she couldn't help feel nervous about meeting this stranger for coffee. She didn't know what it was about him but she couldn't say no when he had asked. Her watch pinged on the hour and it spurred her into action.

His head perked up as a sudden breeze brought her scent towards him. Kicking off the wall to stand upright he grinned as she rushed towards him, avoiding the sudden downpour. She was so close to him under the awning that he sucked in a hasty breath to avoid curling her against him. Reaching backwards, his hand probed for the handle not able to look away from her blushing gaze. Pushing open the doorway he gestured for her to go through first, loving the small smile that she graced him with. He watched as she surveyed the place, it was clear that she hadn't visited recently. Her head glanced around - probably looking for a table. Following her over to the table she picked, he folded himself into the chair opposite.

He was staring at her so intently that it was slightly unnerving. Picking up a menu that was slightly sticky - not that she wanted to think about what had caused the stickiness – she pretended to read. It was when she had started the same line over and over again that she realised she couldn't concentrate. Tucking hair behind her ear, she bit her lip and glanced at him over the menu.

"What do you fancy?" She asked, to split the silence that had settled between the two of them. The café wasn't particularly busy, about nine other customers were present of various groupings.

"Um, let me see," he mumbled, hastily picking up a menu too. "Are you hungry or...?" he trailed off, wondering if he could stretch out the time she would give him.

"Um, I have to pick up Dylan in half an hour. And um I'm not that hungry," it wasn't strictly the truth Dylan was in nursery so she had an hour and a half but she wasn't going to tell him that.

"How-"

"What shall it be lovelies?"

He looked up at the waitress who had interrupted and felt bad for the momentary thoughts that flashed across his mind. Glancing back at Eva who hurriedly glanced back down at the menu, a furrow forming on her forehead as she speed read. Giving her more time to peruse, he ordered a caramel-coffee milkshake and a slice of chocolate cake. Her eyes lit up at the sound of chocolate and he hastily added it to his limited mental list of likes as the waitress scribbled the order down.