Date Shark Read Online Free PDF Page A

a man, try asking him a few questions, as well. Women who talk too much about themselves makes guys panic faster than almost anything. They think she’ll want him to talk about feelings and plans for the future and all those things guys don’t like to talk about.”
    Leila could feel her entire body going scarlet. “I … I didn’t ask because … well, because I already knew what you did, and … we weren’t on a real date. After today, I’ll never see you again.”
    “That’s how it is with the majority of first dates. You have no idea whether date one will lead to date two, but that shouldn’t stop you from exploring who that person is. If you never find out, then the relationship definitely won’t go anywhere,” Eli said. He paused, one corner of his mouth turning up slightly. “Besides, you shouldn’t let thinking you don’t have a chance with someone stop you from trying. You never know where a chance encounter might lead.”
    Okay …. Maybe because Leila was clearly not on the same level of general awesomeness as Eli, she had no clue whether he was trying to make a joke, tease her, or something else entirely with his little comments and looks. Leila decided it didn’t matter. Joke or not, there was really no reason Eli and Leila would ever sit down to a meal together again.
    “So, what else?” Leila asked.
    “Be honest. About everything, including the food.”
    If Leila thought she was blushing earlier, she knew she must have looked like a cherry tomato after that comment. She tried to hide her dislike for her entrée, and thought she had done pretty well. “I really did like most of the food, just not the sauce on the fish.”
    “Then why did you order it?” Eli asked, chuckling at her idiocy.
    “Because I didn’t know what anything was on the menu. I’d never actually had miso before, but I figured it must be good if it was the chef’s special.”
    “You could have just asked me what some of the items on the menu were.”
    “I didn’t want to look stupid,” Leila mumbled, knowing full well that she did just that by not asking. Her hands slid up her face and attempted to cover her shame.
    Eli chuckled at her and pulled one of her hands away from her face. Leila expected him to drop it once he could see her again, but he didn’t. His eyes meet Leila’s, and she suddenly had trouble remembering why she was hiding in the first place. Nothing about his eyes was all that remarkable, but the confidence in them when he looked at her made it difficult to look away.
    “Let me give you a tip, Leila,” Eli said, still looking directly at her. “If you’re going to a restaurant you’ve never been to before, look up their menu online before the date. Google whatever you’re not familiar with. And if you order something you don’t like, have the waiter take it back. Especially when you’re paying Conrad’s prices. Be prepared, and take charge of the situation.”
    “Easier said than done.”
    Sitting back and releasing her hand, Eli said, “It just takes practice.”
    Leila watched his hand go to his notebook and close it. She shouldn’t have, but she missed his touch. Eli made her feel like she might actually be able to find the life she was looking for. “You closed your notebook, but I know there must be more. The biggest reason my love life is so depressing.”
    “There’s one small problem with that,” Eli said as he folded his arms across his chest. Leila’s eyebrows rose, curious and a little worried. “There is no biggest reason.”
    “What?”
    “You’re not perfect, nobody is, but all these little faults, they’re nothing that’s going to keep you from finding love. Doing impressions of cartoon characters all night, or repeating everything you say three times, those are problems. You have no grand fault, Leila. You’re a lovely young woman with a wonderful personality.”
    “Then why did I call you, Eli?” she asked, annoyed that he didn’t have an answer for her.