Putting down his fork, Devin rests his elbows on the table and folds his hands together. “But enough about me. I want to know about you. I mean, besides the fact you graduated top of your class from Kent State and summa cum laude from Case Western Reserve University School of Law, where you served as the editor of the Law Review and captain of the mock trial team. And now you work for Smith & Boone—great firm, by the way. My dad’s business is a client. Did I get all that right?”
Warmth inches up my neck. “It looks like someone’s been doing some googling.”
“Well, I had to make sure you weren’t going to Fatal Attraction me. Guys like me can’t be too careful with mysterious women like you.”
“I guess I am pretty mysterious.”
“The situation? Yes. You?” He stares into my eyes. “You’re fascinating.”
“Fascinating like a science experiment?”
“Like a person. Now, don’t get mad… but I kind of love that you walked into a glass wall ten seconds after you showed up and laughed it off.”
“For the record, I was dying of embarrassment on the inside.”
“And you obviously ran through the rain just to get here. I don’t know many women who would have risked ruining their outfit or whatever. My last girlfriend never stepped foot in the rain because she hated messing up her makeup.”
My gut twists. He’s edging awfully close to a “you’re not like the other girls” compliment, which really isn’t a compliment at all. Flexing my jaw, I clasp my hands in my lap. “Taking pride in how you look isn’t a bad thing.”
“No, it’s not.” He scrubs his hand through his hair, seeming to sense my tension. “What I mean is… you’re beautiful and smart—obviously you’re smart, you’re a lawyer. And you experienced a brush with death, recovered, and you even seem to be thriving. But despite all that, you don’t take yourself too seriously. I like that about you.”
Maintaining eye contact, he lets the words settle into the space between us. My jaw unclenches and my muscles go lax under the smoldering intensity of his gaze.
“Now it’s your turn. What do you like about me?” Grinning, he rests his chin on his hand and damn it if it isn’t completely adorable.
“Does that line actually work for you?”
“Sometimes. Is it working now?”
“I thought we were talking about me,” I tease.
“Yes, we were.” He sits up straighter. “So, Cassidy…”
“Cass.”
“So, Cass. Tell me about you.”
“It looks like the rain stopped.” Devin holds the door open for me as we finally exit the restaurant. It’s nighttime now—way past nine judging by the bruise-purple shade of the sky. We must have been talking for well over two hours. Huh. I can’t remember the last time I enjoyed myself so thoroughly in someone’s company. Not that basking in Devin’s attention is a chore.
Stepping onto the brick sidewalk, I avoid the numerous puddles shimmering in the streetlights. I’m surprisingly steady, despite my three gin and tonics. “Thank God. I don’t need another shower.” I chuckle. My hair is mostly dry, but my shirt still holds a hint of dampness.
Pausing on the sidewalk, I shift my bag higher on my shoulder, careful not to crush my bouquet of lilies sticking out. “Thanks for meeting with me tonight. And for the drinks.”
Grinning, he shoves his hands into the front pockets of his jeans. “My pleasure. Too bad we’re no closer to cracking the Case of the Mysterious Memories than we were before.”
“Right.” Too bad, indeed. If anything, I have more questions than ever. Like why do I know certain random details about Devin, but other big, important aspects of his life are a blank? Maybe the universe gets a kick out of scattering bread crumbs instead of serving up a whole meal.
Devin saunters closer until only a foot of space separates us. “What do you say we keep the investigation going?”
I blink up at him. “What do you mean?”
“Well, the night’s still young, and there’s still lots to talk about. How about we continue comparing notes somewhere more fun?”
I swallow, but I can’t prevent my voice from going hoarse. “What did you have in mind?”
“Hmmm.” He taps his chin. “We could take a walk along the river. Check out an art gallery—wait.” He snaps. “I got it. Do you like pinball, by chance?”