“Would you like something to drink?” the waitress asked just as Sarai’s hands rested on the table again. I hadn’t even noticed the woman walk up.

“Just water, please,” Sarai answered. The waitress scowled.

“She’s pissed because you were so late and now you’re ordering a free drink,” I said to Sarai as I met the waitress’s eyes. I had meant it as a joke, but when I looked back at my date, her eyes were wide in disbelief and I realized how the words sounded.

Sean gave me a what the fuck scowl, and I grimaced, shrugging my shoulders before looking away. I was completely botching what should have been an enjoyable dinner. To be fair, I wasn’t the only person at fault. I hadn’t been the one who’d shown up late.

“I’m sorry,” I muttered, running a hand down my face. “I didn’t mean that toward you. I mean, you were late, but I wasn’t trying to call you out.”

“You just keep talking,” Sarai said, her lips tipping up in a small smile. “But you’re not making it any better.”

“I’ll shut up,” I replied immediately. Then, like a complete jackass, I lifted my fingers and mimicked zipping my mouth closed.

Sarai laughed and looked back across the table at Hailey, dismissing me. I closed my eyes for a moment in disbelief.

I needed to turn this shit around. I waited for my moment, quietly observing the two women as they talked about their classes and professors.

“What’s your major?” I asked Sarai quietly as Sean finally captured Hailey’s attention again.

“I’m getting my MBA,” she replied. “I graduate in the spring.” She grinned and did this little celebration motion with her hands. I relaxed a little. If I could just keep her talking, maybe I could salvage her opinion of me. If nothing else, at least she’d think I was a good listener.

“Damn,” I said. “That’s a lot of school.”

“Well, I took a couple of years off after high school,” she replied. “So it hasn’t seemed too bad.”

“Oh yeah?”

“It turns out,” she said softly, leaning toward me as if she were telling me a secret, “college is expensive.”

I chuckled and she grinned.

“No kidding,” I replied. “I was never very good at the whole school thing.”

“Why is that?”

“Class clown,” I said, pointing to myself. “I was too busy making sure everyone else wasn’t paying attention to learn anything.”

“Ah,” she said knowingly.

“It’s a curse.” I shrugged.

“I’m guessing the Army beat that out of you,” she said, turning toward me a little.

“The drill sergeants didn’t find me amusing,” I replied drily.

“I bet.” She laughed.

Hailey said something, pulling Sarai’s attention back across the table. Damn, just when we were getting somewhere.