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“But the chicken parmesan is the best thing on their menu,” he said adamantly.
“Yes, but variety is the spice of life, remember. Live a little. Maybe the shrimp linguine?”
Daniel’s lips quirked up in a slight smile as he glanced down at the food menu. “Well, I guess tonight is about trying new things. Okay, fine. Shrimp linguine, it is.”
“Oh good,” Tessa exclaimed. “Because I couldn’t decide between that and the veal, and now I get to try both!”
Daniel’s eyes twinkled with humor. “Ah, so there was an ulterior motive to your speech. I will remember that for next time.”
Tessa’s heart skipped a beat. Next time. She found that she really, truly hoped there would be a next time. Daniel had become a constant, and she enjoyed having him in her life. She reached across the table to place her hand on top of his. “I’m glad we’re doing this.”
It took a moment for Daniel to respond. He seemed a bit taken off guard by the touch. But he eventually wrapped his hand around hers with a smile. “So am I.”
A comfortable silence enveloped them for a moment as they gazed at each other. It felt strange being here, Tessa realized. Yet, it also felt soright. She had not expected to be here, with Daniel, at a romantic restaurant. At least, not at any time inthiscentury. It was baffling the way time had molded their antagonistic relationship into something more… well, romantic.
After they had placed their orders, they glanced at each other over their glasses of wine—pinot grigio, at Tessa’s request, though the waiter had suggested a red.
“So…” Daniel began. He broke off into a chuckle. “I’ll be honest. I’m a little out of practice at this. What does one normally talk about on a date, anyway?”
“Beats me,” Tessa said with a shrug. She reached for the wine glass. “I think the best dates are where both parties just decide to be themselves, honestly. So, I guess sit in the corner and be grumpy.”
Daniel laughed again, taking a sip of his own wine. “I feel like I have gotten considerably less grumpy over the past few weeks. Somehow, I think you have something to do with that.”
Tessa smiled into her wine, feeling the heat rise to her cheeks. “This feels so weird. I thought you loathed me when we first met.”
“Loath is a strong term. I prefer to think I was just guarded. We don’t get many people landing in Lucas these days, and they rarely stay for long.” He looked up at her, his gaze a question.
Tessa wasn’t sure how to respond, so she redirected. “Do you come here often? It’s a really nice place. Feels kind of out of place, though. I don’t imagine there’s a high demand for fancy dining in Lucas.”
Daniel snorted, “No, there really isn’t. Did you know that during Spirit Week, there is a “Hick Day?” Everyone dresses up like rednecks. It’s wild.”
Tessa laughed softly. “It’s quaint. This town. I like it.” And that was about as much as she was willing to admit at this juncture. She wasn’t used to staying in one place long, and she didn’t want to give him too much false hope. But even as she thought about it, her resolve that this would just be a stop on her way to other things wavered.
Before long, their food arrived, and they fell into companionable silence as they dug in. The food was as amazing as Tessa had anticipated. The veal nearly melted in her mouth it was so tender. She smiled across the table at Daniel as he made his way through his shrimp linguine. Despite his protests, he seemed to be genuinely enjoying it.
They wrapped up their evening with a shared dessert—chocolate lava cake, Tessa’s favorite. And exited into the night. The air was temperate and welcoming, and Tessa breathed it in with a smile.
“It’s an absolutely lovely night,” she murmured, stepping into the parking lot.
“Why don’t we walk, then?” Daniel offered.
“Oh, but you drove here. I wouldn’t want to leave your car behind!”
Daniel smiled and shrugged his shoulders nonchalantly, “The boarding house is literally one block from here. I can drop you off and head back over. It’s not like our crime rate is particularly high out in the boonies.”
“Alright, then. We’ll walk.” Tessa spared a momentary worry for her shoes in her high heels but decided that the fresh air was worth a little pain.
It was a crystal clear night. The clouds of the day before had rolled back, and there was nothing obscuring the beautiful moon—not quite full—from view. It gave the entire street an ethereal quality, and Tessa felt like she was in the epilogue of a fairy tale.
Her heels clacked on the pavement softly as they strolled slowly down the street. Patty’s Boarding House was close by, so the walk was short, but Tessa found herself wishing for more time with Daniel. Something about this night had opened up a world of new opportunities, and she wanted a chance to explore them.
Too soon, they reached the doors of the boarding house, and Tessa’s perfect night was coming to an end. She looked over at Daniel shyly, twirling her keys absently around her finger.
Daniel stood there awkwardly, clearly not sure of a path forward. He looked at Tessa and then back at the street, nervously rubbing at the back of his neck.
“I think this is the part where you are supposed to kiss me goodnight,” Tessa teased good-naturedly.
Daniel met her eyes through lowered lashes and reached a hand to cup her cheek. The touch made her shudder slightly with delight, and she nearly dropped her keys in surprise. He closed the distance between them, pressing his lips gently to hers.
