Free Now a Major Motion Picture by Stacey Wiedower Page A

“It’ll just scare you off.”
    “Ah, I knew there was something,” she said, her eyes narrowing. “Guys like you are usually snapped up early.” She paused. “And just for the record, I don’t scare easily.”
    His mind wheeled—he’d never faced this situation before. Of the sparse number of girls he’d dated in the past six years, none had piqued his interest enough to warrant discussion of romantic history. He really did worry that if he said too much, she’d run screaming in the opposite direction.
    “I’ll tell you this much,” he said finally. “I was engaged once, too. A long time ago. She broke it off, and I haven’t seen her since. I also haven’t dated much since then.”
    He exhaled in a gush, the last two sentences strung together in a rush of words.
    She nodded, seeming to sense not to push him any further. To his relief, she moved on.
    “So tell me more about what you do,” she said. “You design hotels?”
    “That’s part of it. Hotels, bars, clubs. Anything that’s hospitality related. Hotels are my favorite, though, especially boutique projects.”
    His face lit up as he talked about his work. They kept up an easy stream of conversation until they’d finished dinner, paid, and left the restaurant.
    As they walked to his car, he asked if she wanted to go somewhere for a drink.
    “Sure,” she said, relief and surprise mixed in her tone. It was obvious she wasn’t ready for the evening to end. Noah, bemused somewhat by the thought, felt the same way.
    He headed back toward Uptown, to a bar he sometimes went to after work. Erin had never been there, but he thought it was a place she’d like. They picked a pub-height table in the back of the bar and climbed onto barstools upholstered in red leather. He watched as her eyes roamed the room, which was lit with a warm glow by strands of Christmas lights that wound around dropped ceiling beams. The walls were paneled floor to ceiling in honey-colored wood.
    “I like this place,” she confirmed, and Noah smiled.
    They talked their way through a couple of beers—she was a beer girl, another strong point in her favor and somewhat unexpected. Most girls he’d been around in this city drank fruity mixed drinks or wine seeped in pretense. He wasn’t a big drinker himself. In the past he’d drunk as much as the next guy, but these days, two beers was about his limit. It had taken him a while to work up to even that—he hadn’t been drunk since that night over Christmas break in his senior year when he’d gone out with his friend Sean after work and ended up with Ashley…
    He shook his head violently at the thought.
    “Hello? Noah? You’re doing it again,” Erin said, waving a hand in front of his face.
    “Oh, sorry.”
    He’d never noticed how he zoned out any time something reminded him of Amelia. He shoved the memory out of his head and focused on Erin’s thoughtful expression, her lower lip pushed forward as she concentrated on his face. He had a sudden, fleeting desire to see what that lip would feel like against his. His eyebrows rose at the newness of the thought.
    She started to speak, but studying his eyes, pressed her lips together and stopped herself. “Ready to go?” she asked after a long moment.
    “Sure.”
    He drained the last swig from his pint and rose to leave. As they stepped out into the cool night air, he swung one arm across Erin’s shoulders and led her across the parking lot toward his car. She glanced up at him, that same thoughtful expression on her face.
    After making the short drive back to her apartment, he parked as close as he could to her door and got out with her.
    “Want to take a walk?” she asked in a low voice. “I’d invite you in, but my roommate’s home. She usually hogs the couch on weekends.”
    He cocked his head to one side. “Is it her couch?”
    “It is, actually.” She stuck her tongue out at him. “See why I want my own place?”
    He smiled. “A walk sounds great.”
    He