Gretchen wasn't sure what thoughts were coursing through Lincoln's mind, but clearly there was an overwhelming amount of them, so she patiently poked at her fries while he processed whatever was in his head and waited for him to speak.
A few minutes passed.
He huffed out an uncertain laugh. "I think you broke my brain."
"Unintentional, I assure you." She watched his neck redden and then his cheeks.
"I'm just kind of floored that you would be interested in me. You're…" he waved a hand up and down to encompass her entire being. "Amazing and so far out of my league."
"You sell yourself short. I think maybe because you didn't go through all the regular dating when you were younger, you missed picking up some confidence." She set her fork down again. "There aren't any leagues, Lincoln, and if there are, I promise you I'm not out of yours." She took a deep breath. "I know you feel like you're too quiet or too anxious or too whatever. Believe me, I get it because for my whole life, I've always been the opposite. Too loud, too pushy, too talkative, too much." She blinked back some tears that threatened to form.
"I think you're perfect."
"I'm far from perfect."
"Okay, I think you're amazing."
She reached across the table and slid her hand under his. "I think you're amazing, too."
"This is really happening, huh?" He grinned.
She matched his wide smile. "This is really happening."
"Maybe we should talk about dealbreakers?"
The waitress brought them drink refills. "Can I get you anything?"
"No, thanks," Gretchen said. After the waitress was gone, she leaned toward Lincoln. "Dealbreakers? The basics are a good start. No lying, cheating, et cetera."
He shifted and looked a little uncomfortable. "I was thinking more about money. You've got a bunch and I've got just enough. Sometimes there are things I just can't afford."
"We'll definitely have to sit down and talk about it in depth. It seems like we have similar money styles, like I'm not out dropping unnecessary money on stuff. I get that we have a significant difference, but for instance, I love to travel. I'll be honest, it would frustrate me if you expected me to stop traveling, or never allow me to cover some of your travel expenses. Like, I'm not okay with it being a pride or ego issue. I don't have money at you."
"I can probably live with that. I just don't like flashy and over the top."
"No brand new pickup truck with a giant bow for Christmas?"
"Definitely not."
She pulled out her phone and pretended to send a message. "Hang on, I have to cancel something. Totally unrelated."
They laughed a bit and Lincoln took her hand in both of his. "I do have one serious dealbreaker. I've thought a lot about it."
"Okay, of course."
"I know this is premature, I get that. But I might as well just put it out there now. If this ends up being long term and serious, like if we're ever to the point of talking about marriage."
She cocked her head. It felt a bit soon to discuss even the hypothetical, but yay on Lincoln for drawing a line in the sand that was important to him.
"Okay?"
"I have to insist on getting a prenup."
She had no idea how to respond to that. "A prenup?"
He stared down at their hands, a sure sign he was very uncomfortable. "I'm never going to be the provider for you. I know this. I love what I do, but we both know it's never going to make me rich. But the best way I can provide for you is to help make sure that you're protected not just by protecting your financial interests, but by giving you the peace of mind that there is no part of me that is motivated by your money."
She swallowed hard. "I know that." She couldn't imagine a scenario where she ever thought Lincoln was after her money.
"Good. But I feel like having that piece of paper will reassure both of us no matter what ever happens. That's my dealbreaker."
"Okay." Her phone vibrated on the table. She hadn't turned it facedown like she usually did, so she saw the caller ID. "Sorry, it's my attorney."
He gestured to her plate. "Are you done eating? I'll get the check and meet you outside?"
"Sure." She answered the call. "Hold on one second, please." She grabbed her purse and coat and rushed for the exit.
The cold air smacked her as she went outside. "Hi, sorry, I was having dinner."
Athena, her attorney, said, "No problem, I just wanted to touch base with you. We received a call from Seth Aston."
She sucked in a lungful of stinging cold air. "I don't understand why Carla said he was dead."
Athena had been there through the entire mess his family had created. "I had my team verify his identity, and then I personally had a nice long chat with him. Apparently he claims he had an abrupt change of heart a couple of years ago and decided to distance himself from Carla. She had turned on him and racked up tens of thousands of dollars in debt in Seth's name. When he found out, he cut all ties and moved to Canada."
"Canada?"
"Yes. He's living in Vancouver with a wife and two young children."
"I still don't understand. Why now?" She wrestled her coat on with one arm.
"It sounds like Carla reached out to him after her arrest, begging for money. He did a little digging and saw what she'd been up to. He contacted us to basically say that he had nothing to do with any of her actions, that he's sorry she contacted you, and if there's anything he can do, he'll be cooperative."
Gretchen pulled her coat tighter around her middle.
"He sounded sincere enough, and I give him a tiny bit of credit that he contacted us instead of violating the order and trying to contact you directly."
"Unlike his mother."
"This is purely informational. Nothing for you to do, no need to respond."
"Thanks so much, Athena."
"Any time."
Footsteps crunched behind her. She turned and looked up at Lincoln.
"Everything okay?"
"Yeah. I'm just a little blindsided. Seth contacted my attorney. He just wanted to let us know he had nothing to do with his mother's actions. He's living in Canada now with a wife and two kids."
"Canada? Was he trying to get away from his mother?"
Gretchen nodded. "It kind of sounds like it."
"Wow." He put a hand on her arm. "You're shivering."
"It's freezing out here." Her words were punctuated with a full body shudder.
"Head home. I'll text you later, okay?" He leaned down and gave her a quick kiss.
Gretchen jumped into the car and willed the lukewarm heater to work faster. It decided to blast hot air as she pulled into the garage.
She hoped Jody wasn't too busy to talk, because this update was a doozy.