Okaaaay. Pursing her lips, Emerson opened her laptop and carefully put in her password. Bash had a point. The blond-haired man in the picture was physically fit, sure, and classically handsome, but his eyes were cold as ice.
The giant across from her pressed his hand to his chest. “I’m Bash Kane.”
He was introducing himself? Maybe he hadn’t read that mortifying message on the shifter dating site. Maybe he didn’t know her at all. “Uh, I’m Emerson Elliot.”
“Wow, that’s a pretty name,” he said, leaning back in his chair. He waved to the waitress. “Hi, Dana.”
She gave him a genuine smile, not the put-upon one she’d given Emerson. “Oh hey, Bash. You spending the day in Saratoga?”
“I am. Got a day off from the jobsite, and I’m down for a meeting with the bank. Can I have some loaded cheese fries?” He turned to Emerson. “You like cheese fries, right?”
“Do I like them? Yes, but I—”
“Me and Emerson Elliot are gonna split one of your big plates.”
Was it just her or did Dana look disappointed? “All right. I’ll bring them on out when they’re ready.”
“Thanks, Dana,” Bash said brightly.
Was she living in la-la land right now? Emerson looked around, and it seemed the giant bear shifter that had come down from the mountains had captured nearly everyone’s attention. Most of all hers since she’d harbored a crush on Bash from afar for nearly two years, and now he was sitting across from her ordering them food like they were longtime friends. This was way better than talking to Ferdinand the squirrel or her potted plants. Or Dana.
“Is that the cherry one?” he asked, pointing to the slice of pie she’d been nibbling slowly on.
“Y-yes. Do you want a bite?”
“Do I ever.” He forked half of the slice into his maw and rolled his eyes back in his head. “Oh, my God, I could eat, like, four pies. I’m not kidding. I eat a lot. What’s your favorite food?”
“Barbecue?” She didn’t know why she’d answered it like a question, so she cleared her throat and said it more strongly. “Barbecue. That’s my favorite. You?”
“Everything. If it’s edible, it’s my favorite. I’m a logger so I use a lot of calories.”
“Oh. Cool.” Everything was so surreal right now, from the oversaturated sunlight making his eyes look like two glimmering gemstones, to the way his biceps bulged as he wiped a napkin over his mouth.
“Are you finding an online date?”
“Kind of.” Nope, she wasn’t about to admit she was looking for a baby daddy.
“Let me see, and I’ll help. I’m good with reading people.” He tapped his temple. “Good instincts. What are you looking for in a man?”
“Well, I’m not really looking for a man, but more like a…friend.” A sperm donor could be her friend, right? She considered Dana to be one of her besties, sooo…
“Okay,” Bash mumbled, pulling her laptop around to face him.
She squeaked and clenched her fists, barely able to resist the urge to yank her computer away and bolt.
“I want a nice…friend.” Emerson rolled her eyes heavenward and puffed air out of her cheeks. She could not believe she was having this conversation with a complete stranger, Bash especially. “Funny would be nice.”
Bash looked up from the screen and canted his head. A slow smile crooked his lips. “What else?”
“Caring and generous.”
Bash’s smile widened slowly. “What’s the most important thing to you?”
“Smart. I want an intelligent man.” So that perhaps her baby would have an easier time in school.
Bash’s face fell so fast his ears moved. He ripped his solemn gaze away from her and looked back at the computer. Silently, he scrolled and scrolled.
She’d said something wrong, but for the life of her, she couldn’t figure out what. Above average intelligence was one of the boxes she’d checked on the questionnaire that would match her with potential candidates.
“Sooo, what are you meeting with the bank for?”
“My financial advisor is there,” he murmured in a deep, distracted timbre. “He helps me take care of my crew.”
“Oh, are you some kind of financial guru?”
“No. Just a logger. Nothin’ more.” The last part had been tinged with sadness, though.
“I’m sorry if I said something wrong,” she whispered. “I don’t get out much and talking to people comes hard to me.”
“Why don’t you get out?”
“Well, because I work from my duplex. I edit articles for the Saratoga Hometown News.”