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“Who knows, maybe Lindsay will show you how to relax and have fun. Then again, maybe she already has? Are you sure this is only going to be your second date?” he teased.
“If you don’t leave, there won’t be one because I’ll be late,” I lied. There was plenty of time before I needed to pick Lindsay up, but the longer I spent talking to Clark, the more I questioned whether or not I should even be going out with Lindsay again. He might have intended to loosen me up, but in reality all Clark had done was remind me of how I’d lost my focus. Cancelling at the last minute would be wrong, so I’d go and spend the afternoon with her as we had planned. But this would be the last time. Tomorrow, I get back to work.
Clark had taken my not-so-subtle hint and left without any further smart-ass remarks. His surprise visit hadn’t been a total waste of his time; he’d given one piece of advice I’d use immediately and that was I couldn’t be so…rigid in my ways when it came to Lindsay and I needed to try to be more…laid back. I preferred to travel by limo because parking in Boston wasn’t always easy and it was one simple issue to eliminate. Maybe I’d drive anyway, and with any luck, find a spot by the dock. Lindsay did say she wanted to walk today. She might just get her wish.
An hour later I was double-parked in front of her building. I was a gentleman, so I wasn’t about to beep for her to come down. But when I pressed the intercom buzzer and announced my arrival, Lindsay’s voice crackled through the box, “Hi Phillip. I know, parking is horrendous. Don’t bother coming up.”
In the background I heard another woman say, “Hey, some idiot double-parked right in front of the building. God, I hope that dumbass gets towed.”
Then Lindsay said, “I’ll come down,” and the speaker went silent.
Great. And the dumbass will be waiting in the black SUV.I climbed back inside and waited for her to exit the building. I watched her look up and down the street for my limo. Surprise. I got out and walked around to open the door for her. She stood there, mouth agape when she realized it was me.
“I…I didn’t see you there,” she said.
“Guess you weren’t expecting me to be the dumbass,” I smiled.
She blushed and said softly, “You heard that?” I nodded. “Sorry. My roommate Samantha sometimes speaks before she thinks.” She snickered. “Who am I kidding, she always speaks before she thinks, but she doesn’t mean any harm. She was actually concerned that you wouldn’t find a parking spot when you came to pick me up.” Glancing at my double-parking job, she added, “Guess you did.”
“I suggest we get going before one of the tenants of this building decides to have me towed,” I winked. I wasn’t worried about it. The police had much more important things to attend to, but still, flouting the law wasn’t the best way to start our outing.
When we were en route to the diner she said, “You look much more relaxed today. Is this your Saturday attire?”
How could I explain that I’m most relaxed when I’m in my suit? I wore one when I went to school, then college, and now for business. Relaxing was one of the only luxuries I’d never been afforded. Since birth, my parents had pushed the “dress for success” line and settled for nothing less.
“No work today,” was my reply.
“Me neither. And we really have a gorgeous day to be out, too. I can’t believe how cold it was for May earlier this week and now it’s warm enough to be out in a t-shirt. Got to love New England weather. There’s a little bit of everything so you never get bored.”
Usually, I was sitting in an office with windows that didn’t open. Hot, cold, sun, or rain – it made no difference to me. I was sure, no matter the weather, being out with Lindsay was all one needed to enjoy the day. There was something about her, a sincere cheeriness no one could feign. She seemed genuinely happy. I might not want to, but I liked that. I liked her.
“Perfect day for that walk I promised you,” I said.
She grinned and replied, “You’re going to need it.”
“Why is that?” I asked.
“Unlike those fancy restaurants, Everybody’s Favorite loads your plate up to the point you’re going to burst. You’ll tell yourself you’ll take half of it home for leftovers, but it’s so good, you’ll practically be licking your plate.”
That wasn’t about to happen. “Is that a challenge?” I asked teasingly as I drove.
“I’d never challenge you to something you have no chance at winning,” she said. I shot her a doubtful look before turning my attention back to the busy road. “I might be tiny, but this girl can eat,” she said.
“You could’ve fooled me based on the last time we went out.”
“They give you enough to feed a bird. Maybe that’s why all the women in the restaurant were so thin. They don’t eat enough.” She patted her stomach and said, “That’s not my problem.”
I knew better than to touch that comment. There was no winning when it came to discussing a woman’s weight. Instead, I said, “I have five dollars that says I not only finish everything on my plate but have room for dessert.”
She crossed her arms and said, “I thought you said you don’t like sweets?”
Laughing, I replied, “I’m a very competitive person. I’ll eat it to win.”
“In that case, let’s raise the stakes.”
That intrigued me. There were a few things I’d much rather taste and none of were on the restaurant’s menu. “What are you suggesting?” I asked, not sure what I was going to do if she put sex on the table.
“Whoever finishes their meal first, picks what we do the next time we go out,” she grinned.
