I raised my brow at her. “Not quite, but I’d like to change that. Will you let me take you to dinner?”
She laughed softly and beamed at me, which was enough to make my knees feel like they’d been turned to goo. “I love that you just asked me if I’dletyou, as though it’s an honor to be in my presence.”
“It is,” I said simply.
Her eyes sparkled and settled on me as she appeared to consider my question. Finally, she nodded. “I’d like that. When?”
“Tomorrow night? Tonight? Right now?”
“It’s not even ten a.m.”
“It’s five o’clock somewhere.”
“Even five o’clock is too early for dinner,” she quipped. “Unless, of course, you’re eighty and going for the senior special at Captain D’s.”
“I’d eat dinner with you anytime, anywhere. Even at Captain D’s.”
“I’d low-key throw down some of that battered fish. And those hush puppies?”
I choked on a laugh.
“Tonight would be great,” she said.
“I’ll pick you up at four thirty so we can make our five p.m. reservation at Captain D’s,” I joked.
“Listen, don’t threaten me with a good time.”
“How’s six thirty?”
“Perfect,” she replied. “Should I pack some wet naps for all the fish grease?”
“I’m thinking of something a little nicer since it’s our first date and all.”
Her eyes widened. “Our first date. Wow. This is… this is happening.”
“As long as you’re comfortable with it. I don’t want you to do anything you don’t want to do.”
“No, no,” she said quickly. “I do. Want to, I mean. I’m just… weirdly nervous. Even though it’s not like you haven’t already seen me naked. Not that you’re going to see me naked tonight. That’s not what I meant. Not that I wouldn’t want you to see me naked, because then I’d also get to see you naked, but—”
“Ella—”
“Actually, I’m going to stop talking, and I’ll see you tonight.”
I grinned. “Okay.”
With that, she squeezed my arm before shoving her key in the lock and disappearing inside.
* * *
I blewout a breath as I appraised my reflection in the full length mirror of my bedroom for the hundredth time. Ella wasn’t the only one who was nervous about our date. I’d changed shirts at least half a dozen times, and I was so excited that I’d managed to get ready almost a full hour early.
“You act like you’ve never been on a date before,” I said to my face in the mirror. “It’s just a date.”
Even as the words left my mouth, I knew they weren’t true. This was my first since I’d lost Carrie, and it wasn’t just any date. It’s not like I got back out there and had a practice run before going out with someone I really cared about. No, instead I’d done a swan dive off into the deep end of the pool without knowing if I still knew how to swim.
All I knew was how good it felt to be around Ella and how much she made me laugh. Being with her was… easy. Exhilarating. Comfortable. For so long I’d been drowning in grief, but Ella was like coming up for that first gulp of fresh air after being sucked beneath the currents.
My phone rang from where it was plugged in on the nightstand, pulling me from my thoughts. I crossed the room to grab it and smiled when I saw the name that flashed across the screen.
