Music City Soiree CityScapes Tennessee by CJ Bower

Author:CJ Bower
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: CJ Bower
Published: 2022-04-15T00:00:00+00:00

Chapter 8

Alex glanced at his watch, his restlessness growing. Every time he tried focusing on the spreadsheet in front of him, all he could see was her beautiful oval face, deep blue eyes and Cupid’s-bow-shaped lips.

What was it about Rocky Baker that made her so difficult to push from his thoughts?

He knew he’d hurt her with his silence, and he’d been struggling with the best way to make it right since Nana had planted that poisoned barb.

Take her to dinner, you moron.

The thought came from left field and gave Alex pause. The idea held merit and could serve two purposes. One, to get back in Nana’s good graces by making amends with Rocky. The other, to cement just how incompatible he and Rocky were and dispel Nana’s matchmaking attempts once and for all.

He smiled – really smiled – for the first time in weeks. Glancing at the clock, he lifted the receiver and made reservations – a bit presumptuous, he knew – then scrolled through the contacts list on his phone.

They’d exchanged numbers the morning after he’d brought her home, before she’d turned cold and distant on him when he’d called her by her given name. He’d never called her.

Until now.

With clammy fingers, he tapped the call button. Just when he thought it would go to voice mail, the line clicked.

“Hello?”

Panic flared through him, bright and hot, rendering him silent.

“Hello?” she said again.

“Um, hi. Rocky?” He cleared his throat. “It’s Alex.”

“Hello, Alexander.” Her voice sounded cool.

For the first time he regretted making her call him by his full name. It had been an attempt to keep his distance from her, but in hindsight he could see it was pathetic at best. He gathered his wits. “I guess you’re wondering why I’m calling.”

“That’s an understatement.”

Her words held bite, and the dagger of guilt twisted deeper into his conscience. “Well...I’d like to take you to dinner. As sort of...an apology.”

“An apology for what?” Her tone changed again, becoming softer.

Did he dare hope for curiosity? “For...for being so...” Vocabulary failed him, and he trailed off.

“For being so obstinate?” she asked. “An arrogant, controlling jerk?”

He chuckled mirthlessly. Why deny it? “Yes, to all of those things. So, will you?”

The line fell silent, though she didn’t hang up on him. He double-checked – twice.

“I don’t know what to say.”

“Are you free this evening?” He refused to give up so easily.

“I am, but –” she hesitated.

“Do you have other plans?” he pressed on, “we can meet whenever you’re available.”

God, he sounded like an overeager teenager. The phone trembled in his fingers, and he tightened his grip on the device.

“No, no other plans.” Her voice changed again, back to that tone that made him think she was laughing at him. “I’m free for dinner tonight.”

“Great!” He expelled an excited breath as he gave her the name of a fondue restaurant about two miles from his office. “Should I pick you up about six-thirty?”

“Um...” she paused.

“Or how about you meet me there at seven?” he offered in the lengthening silence.

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