“You work at St. John’s hospital, right? You’re a nurse?”
I nodded.
“That’s what I thought. I brought my buddy in last week after he was hit in the head by a baseball. Jim Wylie? He ended up having a slight concussion.”
“Jim Wylie,” I repeated, thinking back until I remembered taking the vitals of a red-haired guy with a goatee. He’d had on a white and blue baseball uniform. I didn’t recall seeing the hunky bartender with him, however. “Oh, yeah. How’s he doing?”
“Great. He has a hard head, so the ball suffered more damage.”
I chuckled. “Nice.”
His eyes twinkled. “You don’t remember me, do you?”
I smiled apologetically. “I’m sorry. Things were pretty crazy that night. As usual.”
He nodded. “Yeah, you definitely had your hands full. The name is Mitch, by the way. Mitch Gaylord.” He held out his hand and I shook it.
“I’m Sophia.”
“Nice to see you again.” He glanced down at the pager I’d set on the bar. “Waiting for your table, I see.”
I nodded. “Yeah. I figured I may as well have a drink in the meantime.”
“Sounds good. What can I get you?”
I ordered a white-wine spritzer.
He poured it and set the glass down in front of me. “Are you dining alone? We serve at the bar, too. I can get you a menu.”
“No. I’m waiting for someone.”
“Husband? Friend? Significant other?”
I suddenly felt a little embarrassed to tell him the truth. A guy like Mitch was so good-looking, I doubted he ever had to use a dating service. “Actually, I’m on a blind date.”
His eyes twinkled. “In that case, you sure you don’t want something stronger?”
I laughed. “Honestly, a couple of shots sound pretty good right about now.”
Still looking amused, he nodded toward the other side of the restaurant. “A word of advice—if you need to bail for any reason… there’s a back door by the restrooms.”
“So, you’ve given this kind of advice before?”
“Many times. This place actually gets a lot of blind dates.”
“Really?”
“Yeah. Not only is it safe, but not too romantic to make it uncomfortable, especially if there’s no chemistry. Plus, the food arrives fairly quickly and tastes great. So, even if the date goes south, it’s not a complete waste of an evening.”
I smiled.
“Of course, I’m a little biased, considering that I own the place.”
“Oh, wow. I had no idea. This is probably my favorite restaurant in Summit Lake. My friends and I meet here for drinks all the time.”
“Thank you. I appreciate your business and the nice praise. It means a lot.”
“It’s true, though. Everyone loves this place.”
“That’s good to hear. I love when hard work pays off.”
Making a mental note to give him a raving review on Google, I reached into my purse to pay for the spritzer. Noticing me grab my wallet, he stopped me.
“It’s on the house. My treat for helping Jim. And being such a loyal customer.”
“Oh, you don’t have to—”
“No.” He smiled again. “I insist. Honestly, I wish I could do more. My sister is also a nurse and I know how stressful your jobs can be. If anyone deserves a free drink, it’s you.”
“Well, thank you.”
“No problem.”
“Where does your sister work?”
“At the Mayo Clinic in Rochester.”
“Oh, cool. Does she like it there?”
“She gets really stressed out at times, but I think she’s pretty happy there. What about you? Do you enjoy being a nurse?”
“It has its ups and downs. Some days I love it. Some days I want to walk out and never return.”
“I bet.”
A customer at the other end of the bar, an older guy with a long beard and friendly smile, called out for him.
Mitch waved at the guy. “That’s my uncle, Jerry. I’d better go and say hello.” He looked at me again. “Anyway, good luck with your date.”
“Thank you.”
Mitch left and I continued watching him out of the corner of my eye. I hadn’t seen a ring on his finger, which didn’t mean anything. He could be married or engaged. Not to mention, a wealthy, handsome guy like Mitch had to have women slipping him phone numbers all the time. Regardless, he had been pleasant to talk to and had even calmed my anxiety down.
I took a sip of my wine and that was when my pager started buzzing. I stood up, grabbed my things, and headed over to the hostess. She led me to the table, and just as I was about to sit down, Brian showed up. He was dressed in a black suit and tie and looked about as nervous as me.
“I am so sorry that I’m late,” he said, his face flushed.
I smiled, grateful he looked exactly like his profile picture.
No surprises.
So far, so good.
2
Sophia
“No problem at all. I totally understand.”
Brian sat down across from me and smoothed down his tie. He grinned warmly. “Still, I feel bad. You look absolutely stunning, by the way. Even more beautiful than your photo.”
I blushed. “Thank you.”
Brian noticed my wine spritzer. “What do we have there?”
I told him.
“Sounds good. Normally, I don’t drink, but after a day like today, I could use something to help me relax.”
“I know what you mean.”
He picked up the menu. “It’s been ages since I’ve eaten here. What about you? Do you come here often?”
“Once in a while, my friends and I meet up here for Happy Hour.”
“Are most of them nurses, like yourself?”
“Many are. Yeah.”
He started asking me questions about the hospital, giving me his full attention, which was refreshing. The last date I’d had, with the married guy, had centered on him and his lies. It had been hard to get a word in edge-wise.
“How long have you lived in Summit Lake?” I asked, wanting to learn more about him.
“A few years.” He looked around the restaurant, suddenly looking agitated.
“Jesus, what’s taking so long?” Brian waved his hand at a nearby waitress carrying a tray of dirty dishes. He raised his voice. “Hey, could
