A yellow Corvette convertible pulled into the bar's parking lot, and I did a double take to make sure it was Cabe sitting inside. I recognized the leather jacket and well-manicured hair, which mimicked the color of Crown and Coke. He wore his reflective sunglasses and that familiar smirk as he hopped out of the car and hurried to open the passenger door for me.

"I should have known you were a show-off," I said.

"I made that good of an impression, huh? I hate to disappoint you, but the car isn't mine. It belongs to my employer. He likes to give potential associates the impression he has means. It reassures them."

"Smart."

Once I was tucked inside his employer's impressive ride and we were on the road, I made the first move. "So, what kind of car do you drive?"

"I don't drive a car." He picked up his cellphone from the console and swiped to his home screen, showing me a photo of him standing next to a Harley Davidson Sportster. "I drive that."

I should have guessed from the leather jacket, but the bike bore haunting similarities to the one my ex, Derek, drove. "A Harley Sportster. Nice."

He stared at me long enough to make it obvious before the street got his attention again. "You want to tell me how you knew that after one glance?"

"Do I have to?"

"Old boyfriend?"

"Not that old."

"Ah." He bobbed his head but seemed more intrigued than annoyed.

"How long have you been riding?"

"Since I was ten. My dad rides too."

"Cool."

We hadn't been on the road long before Cabe pulled into a parking lot that had every warning bell in my head going off. Shit. We were at Derek's restaurant. This was the place Cabe's employer wanted to buy? Why hadn't I asked where we were headed before saying yes to this hot guy with the hazel peepers?

"Check out the Sportster parked in front of the restaurant. What are the odds of that?" Cabe pulled up beside Derek's bike, and I tried to keep my head down as he opened the door for me. This was turning into a first date disaster.

Of course, he wanted to check out the bike. And while I listened to him rattle off the features of that year and model, Derek walked outside. One thing to know about motorcycle enthusiasts, they felt compelled to share that enthusiasm with each other and anyone else standing by.

"Sweet ride, huh?" With an outstretched hand, Derek greeted Cabe, while I hid beneath the palm fronds that leaned over the sidewalk.

"Sure is. Mine's just a year older. But my dad has a ninety-five. All the bells and whistles."

"No kidding? Are you local?"

"Atlanta."

Derek took his eyes off his machine to assess Cabe. "Are you Cabe Franklin from Franklin Commercial?"

"Sure am. You must be Derek."

Cabe Franklin from Franklin Commercial? Was Cabe, perchance, related to his employer? I didn't have time to ponder the question before Derek dragged me back to my awkward reality.

"Junie? Is that you?"

I stepped away from the wall of foliage to face my poor judgement. "Apparently, it is. How are you, Derek?"

"Good," he said weakly. "I almost didn't recognize you with your hair so short. It suits you."

"Wait. You two know each other?" Cabe lifted his shades and blinked at me. His textbook confusion had me struggling to hide a grin. "Let me guess. This is the ex who owns the sportster."

"You're two for two. And, in my defense, I had no idea we were coming here. I'm just as surprised as you are."

Derek chuckled as I muddled through my explanation. "You have a knack for getting in over your head, don't you Junie? So, this was supposed to be a date slash business meeting, I take it?"

"Actually, it just turned into a business meeting slash I'll wait in the car and we'll find lunch elsewhere date," I said.

"C'mon. We've added a veggie burger to the menu since you were last here. We've got you covered." Derek smiled, but I knew he was itching to make a scene out of this. While Cabe was still trying to get his bearings.

"You're vegetarian?" he said.

"Pescatarian. So a seafood place is fine with me."

"Nonsense," Derek said. "I'll have Carlo make you whatever you want. I'm sure he'll be happy to see you. How long has it been? Six months?"

The parking lot felt like a black hole, and I prayed for it to swallow me as my date was forced to take the reins. "If she feels more comfortable staying outside while we manage the meeting, I'm fine with that. Is that what you want, June?"

It felt strange having him use my name. I couldn't recall if he'd used it before. "It's a nice day. I'll keep the Corvette company while you two hash out business plans."

"Are you sure? We could catch up." Derek put on his I can fix anything face, but all it did was piss me off. His fixes were always temporary.

"I'm sure." I gave Cabe's arm a reassuring squeeze and walked around the car to the passenger door. What a fucking fiasco.

It took Cabe longer than twenty minutes to manage his meeting with Derek, but I figured half the conversation revolved around Derek's recounting of our two year on-again, off-again relationship. With luck, Cabe would see the logic in not asking me about it.

He wore a smile when he slid into the driver's seat, and I took it as a good sign that the business part of the meeting went well. Then he turned to me and lifted his shades, giving me a look into his soul.

"I'm sorry about all this. It must have been awkward for you."

"Add humiliating and annoying, and you're getting closer."

"I feel your pain. There are a couple of ex-girlfriends I'd rather not run into ever again. For what it's worth, I kept the conversation focused on business. But it's pretty clear he still has feelings for you."

Would the awkward never end? "That's not news to me. If he'd had his way, I'd be barefoot and pregnant and no closer to my degree. Can we go . . . please?"

"Sure. Sorry. What sounds good to you?" He lowered his shades and started the car, pulling onto the street as I gave him directions to my favorite beachside hole-in-the-wall.

While the sun slipped in and out of the clouds, Cabe and I enjoyed a plate of fish and chips on the deck of Fisherman's Tail. I regaled him with stories of my wild youth, most of which took place right there on the beach in front of our table, and he shared pieces of his life as a city kid with more money than sense.

"So, you grew up a rich kid, huh? Does Franklin Commercial happen to be a family run business?"

His cheeks turned rosy, which was not a byproduct of too much sun. "You caught me. I don't like to advertise that I work for my dad. Some people judge. They assume I'm a slacker."

"Your success should speak for itself."

"Yeah, but it's hard to determine which successes are mine and which ones belong to my dad. It's an ongoing struggle I have with myself." He sat back in his chair and stared at the surf. "This is nice. Life doesn't slow down like this in Atlanta, unless you want to hike up to the mountains."

"Do you get up to the mountains often?"

"Not often enough. I'm just too damned busy. We have a cabin about an hour north of the city. It's got wi-fi, so I don't really have a good excuse not to. What about you? When was the last time you visited the mountains?"

This was where shit got embarrassing. How could I tell him that I'd only been as far as east Texas? "This is going to sound really dumb, but I haven't done much traveling. So, I've never actually been to legit mountains."

"Really? How far have you been from home?"

"Carthage Texas."

"I've never heard of it."

"It's home to the Country Music Hall of Fame. Derek and I took a road trip there. He's a country music fan."

A knowing smirk lifted his lips. "So that's why there was a lot of Johnny Cash playing while we were having our meeting."

"Yep. Johnny's his favorite."

He swiveled in his chair, ignoring the surf and giving me his undivided attention. After his comment last night, I felt self-conscious about getting caught up in his eyes, which were deep whether or not he cared to admit it. "I hope you plan to travel once you earn your degree. I think you would really enjoy it."

"I do. I mean, I have, when I've done it. I just haven't had much opportunity. I kind of raised myself. Mom's a mess and Dad's been on the lam since I was twenty-one."

"Wow. I'm sorry."

"Don't be. Their bullshit made me a stronger person. I earned a track and field scholarship so I wouldn't end up like them. If my life had been a breeze, I might be a stay-at-home mom and we wouldn't be here having this conversation."

He considered me for a moment, and I worried I might have insulted him. Did he believe his life had been a breeze? "I'm glad things worked out the way you wanted them to. Do you want to take a walk on the beach? You still have a couple hours before your shift starts."

"That sounds nice."

We took off our shoes and let the surf cover our feet as we walked toward the sun. About halfway through, he took my hand, and I let him hold it until we returned to Fisherman's Tail. I didn't want our date to end. In fact, I'd been trying to think of ways to suggest we take our date to a more private venue, but it felt strange being the initiator. I usually didn't have to be.

"Do you want me to drop you back off at the bar?" Cabe asked as he pulled the Corvette onto the road.

"Yeah. I brought my work clothes and stashed them in the back office. Will I see you there tonight?"

I tried not to look desperate, but his chuckle told me I had failed. "I've got a few business-related things to manage back at my hotel, but I will make a point of stopping by. I don't want to leave town without a proper goodbye."

"Does that mean I won't see you tomorrow? Are you leaving early?"

"Not too early." He offered a swoon-worthy smile, and I made an imprint of it in my brain. If things didn't pan out with Mr. Extra, at least I'd have that image.

👇          👇          👇

AUTHOR'S NOTE: Have you ever ridden in a Corvette? I dated a guy with a red Corvette. He let me drive it once, and I got it up to 100 mph - the fastest I've ever driven a car. Unfortunately, I didn't get as far with the guy. 😀