She shook her head. “No, I grew up in New York. Went to college at Western Carolina. Lived in Asheville post-graduation for three years before moving here. What about you?”
I debated how much I wanted to tell her. Typically I offered the least possible amount, if anything, of personal information. So what was it about this woman that made me want to answer her questions? Not that it mattered, because she didn’t even give me the chance to reply before she jumped in with a different question.
“Do you have other tattoos, besides the one on your right shoulder?”
Once again she surprised me, detouring from what I expected. And why did I like it so much that she noticed my tattoo? “Yeah. One on my calf and another on my back.”
“I’m surprised Mr. Serious has tattoos.” The corner of her lips lifted into a smirk.
I didn’t see the connection, so I just shrugged. I also didn’t see myself as super serious. I just didn’t like people. Or, rather, I found them exhausting.
After a moment of silence she asked, “Where are you from?”
“Charlotte.”
“Why’d you move here?”
I let out a long sigh. Apparently our detour was over. How did I answer this? Sticking to the most basic of truths seemed like the best course. “I decided I wasn’t cut out for life in a busy city. A house in the mountains and small-town life is more my style. Although now I’m second-guessing if I’m actually going to get more peace and quiet here.”
She shrugged. “Eventually. The town will invariably move on to something else and the whole ‘save a ladder, climb a firefighter’thing will be long forgotten.”
I rolled my eyes at the reminder of the ridiculous caption. “Does it not bother you?”
“The video?”
“Yeah.”
“Not really.” She chuckled awkwardly. “But I don’t let much bother me.”
One of the siblings of the family that owns The Dock stepped up to our table with our food, placing it down in front of us. “Seriously, first Logan and now Seth? I really need to stop by the firehouse more often. They seem to be dropping like flies,” she directed at Violet with a wink.
I rolled my eyes. She was ridiculous. Anytime we came in here, she would shamelessly flirt with any or all of us. I couldn’t remember what her name was, I only remembered her as the flirty one with different colored hair that changed every few months. She turned her gaze on me, and I sighed.
“You guys should make T-shirts with that ‘climb a firefighter’ caption, by the way. I bet every woman in town would buy one.”
I shook my head. “No.” We were definitely not making fucking T-shirts. Jesus.
“Just saying.” She shrugged. “Enjoy.” She directed that single word at Violet before shooting her a wink and walking away.
“She’s my favorite.” Violet’s eyes twinkled with mischief. “Makes me laugh every time.”
“Somehow that doesn’t surprise me.”
While Violet and I ate our food, we continued to chat between bites. And by the time the check came, I realized something.
I actually enjoyed having dinner with her.
Chapter Six
VIOLET
Dinner with Sethwas surprisingly not bad. I’d worried he would be hard to talk to. But other than a handful of times when silence passed between us, it wasn’t an issue. It wasn’t even awkward silence, just felt like natural pauses in the conversation while we ate.
He held the door to The Dock open, letting me exit first. Brushing past him, I got the same whiff of leather with a hint of wood that I had gotten earlier in the evening. It suited the Mountain Man.
I came to a halt outside as I narrowed my eyes at my ex approaching from the parking lot. Did he know I was here? Hegrew up in this town, so I wouldn’t be surprised if someone told him I was on a date. It was what I’d hoped would happen to cement what I’d texted him. I didn’t think he’d show up though.
“You okay?” Seth asked.
