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Hey, beautiful! Hope you’re having a great day.
Fiona sighed. She wasn’t having a great day at all.
But then Mark said,
Any big plans tonight? Want to meet me for some dinner?
And suddenly things felt a little less dull.
CHAPTER TWO
Fiona sat down on the couch in her apartment and sighed, feeling drained from her day of exploring Joslyn’s—and Julia’s—cases. She had been to the scenes, but she was no closer to understanding what had truly happened. Fiona didn’t know what to do next, but she was trying to come up with a game plan.
She didn’t presently have any ongoing cases with Jake and Lauren, so she had time to come up with something. But her mind was drawing a blank.
Fiona huffed and took out her phone. At the notification on her screen, a smile split her face.
Mark had sent her another message.
Thanks for getting back to me, beautiful! I’m glad you’re interested in meeting:)I can’t wait!
Fiona’s face flushed. She’d been talking to Mark, a man she’d met on an online dating app, for a few days now, and things were going well. He seemed like a funny and charming guy, and although Fiona had her trepidations about meeting a stranger in person, a public place might not be such a bad thing. Mark had been suggesting they meet for dinner or even a coffee, but Fiona had kept making up excuses about work.
Really, she was just nervous to meet him. Aside from him being a stranger, Fiona had very little experience in the dating department. She was twenty-six, and yet she’d never had a real relationship. Being a Harvard grad who now worked as a forensic analyst and entomologist with the FBI hadn’t given her much time and space to pursue love. But if she were truly being honest, she’d just never put herself out there, and was very awkward around men she found attractive.
Like Jake.
Fiona’s cheeks burned at the thought. She hated to admit that she’d been attracted to Agent Jake Tucker from the moment she met him, and that attraction had only grown the more they worked together. But it would never happen. Jake was taken by his partner, Lauren, and there was no way Fiona was his type anyway.
That was partly why she’d decided to give online dating a try. She wanted to put herself out there, experience something real, and maybe get Jake off her mind in the process.
Mark had done a good job of that.
Fiona bit her lip, then typed a response.
I’m free tonight. What did you have in mind?
She sent the message and held her breath as she waited for his reply. When it came, Fiona felt a wave of relief wash over her.
How about Lavish Eats downtown? I’d be happy to book a reservation and meet you there. No pressure at all.
Fiona smiled at her phone, grateful Mark wasn’t the type of guy to put pressure on her. Meeting in a public place for dinner sounded nice.
Fiona thought for a moment, then typed out another message.
Sure, that sounds great. I’d love to meet you there.
Mark quickly replied with a smiley face and the address of the restaurant. Fiona smiled and set her phone down, feeling a bit of excitement in her chest. She hadn’t felt this way since she first started talking to Mark on the app, and it was nice to finally be taking action instead of just talking over text.
This was the first date she’d had in years. Fiona scrambled to get ready and make sure she looked her absolute best.
***
The dim evening light slanted through the buildings and cast a warm glow along the sidewalk as Fiona walked up to Lavish Eats, a trendy restaurant in downtown Portland. The white street lamps blazed like stars and reflected off the silver sign of the restaurant. The scent of flowers and lavender drifted from the gardens on either side of the street. Lavish Eats was located in an old brick building with tall, narrow windows and arched doorways. Through the windows, black tables were covered in white linen and small vases filled with lilies, and many couples sat at them.
Fiona had worn a skirt and a top with her hair pinned back because she couldn’t tame the frizz. She had light lipstick and mascara on, but not too much. Nerves built inside her chest as she stopped outside of the restaurant and took out her phone, shooting Mark a text to let him know she was outside. She wasn’t sure if he was waiting inside already or—
“Fiona?”
