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“My sympathies to those poor unfortunate souls,” Matt said with a compassionate laugh. “So… what three desserts can you successfully make?”
“Well, you’re in luck. Chocolate chip cookies are my go-to. I still occasionally burn them, but I force myself to stay in the kitchen so that usually doesn’t happen… at least with the first three batches.”
“What’s the other one?”
“Apple pie! My grandma Call taught all of us girls how to bake her special recipe. She almost gave up on me because I couldn’t make the crumb topping come out the way it was supposed to, but eventually I learned.”
“If your grandma approved, it sounds like you succeeded.”
“I did! Although no one asks me to bring apple pies to any family gatherings, but that’s alright.”
“It bet your grandma’s recipe is delicious. I’d love to be able to taste it someday.”
Matt wished he hadn’t said that. He knew Evie still didn’t think anything romantic would develop from this reality show, and she was probably right… but he also couldn’t ignore the feelings that seemed to emerge every time he thought of tomorrow… or next week… or next year… or even ten years from now. The thought of having Evie in his future was what made him happy.
The limousine stopped and Matt and Evie placed their cider glasses on the table. The door opened and Matt slid out. He gave his hand to Evie and helped her exit gracefully and then her eyes widened with excitement.
The look of pleasure on her face was his reward. He slowly turned around to see if the producers had created his vision of a romantic evening.
They had.
The restaurant had all the main lights turned off. In its place were hundreds of stringed light bulbs that all came to a point in the middle of an open space. A single, intimate, round table with a beautiful bouquet of flowers was underneath the point of light bulbs with a waiter standing beside it.
On cue, Evie’s stomach growled.
She laughed.
It was music to his ears.
“My stomach knows it’s going to devour something delicious!” she giggled.
Matt placed his hand on the small of her back and guided her to a chair. He pulled the chair out and helped her get situated. Then he took his chair, scooted it over to sit closer to her, and said, “The flowers are beautiful, but I wouldn’t be able to see you.”
Evie looked like she was going to say something, but then bit her lip and shook her head.
Those darn cameras and microphones.
After the waiter poured glasses of cider and told them their food would arrive shortly, Matt asked, “Where in California did you grow up?”
“Do you know where Fresno and Bakersfield are?”
“I sure do.”
“How about Visalia?”
“As well. You have to drive through it to go to the Sequoias.”
Evie looked surprised.
“Quite a few of us from the fire department got deployed there a few years back when the Sequoia and Kings National Forests were on fire.”
She nodded her head. “So, then you might know where Woodlake is.”
“I sure do. There’s that little Mexican place with a fake cow out front…”
Evie bobbed her head up and down.
“Man… they have the best Carne Asada tacos I haveevereaten.”
