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“Have you ever seen home from this perspective before?” I ask, studying the enchanting wonder on her face. Her lips are parted slightly, her brown eyes round with deep emotion.
She shakes her head, her hands resting lightly on the dash as she scoots forward. “It’s so… peaceful,” she observes.
“Amazing how a little distance can give a person such a different impression,” I note.
Then I clear my throat and reach behind me for the food before I say something that might ruin the moment.
“I hope you don’t mind. I stuck with a few safer options on the menu. I figured if you like Pascal’s, I can take you for a true in-house experience once we’re confident you won’t have any… issues.”
Tia laughs, her eyes dancing as she turns to see what I have to offer. “I think you mean once I won’t start throwing up at the slightest smell that offends me,” she jokes.
“Precisely.” I grin and pass her a fork along with the container of ratatouille.
“Mmm,” this smells amazing,” she says warmly, accepting the dish and taking a tentative bite. “Oh my god. It tastes even better,” she groans, slumping as her eyes close so she can relish the flavor.
Reaching for the beef bourguignon next, I remove the stew’s lid and try a spoonful. Just as flavorful as I recall. We share the dishes back and forth, breaking into a loaf of homemade French bread as well. And from her moans of satisfaction, I can tell that Pascal’s is a hit.
“So, what do you have planned next?” Tia asks, her head leaning contentedly against the headrest behind her. She tilts her head to face me without lifting it.
The sun’s soft glow finally fades behind the mountain. Our empty food containers rest on the seat behind us, and it’s just about time for my grand finale. But I need to stall for just a few more minutes.
“Who says I have anything else planned?” I tease. “Wasn’t this enough?”
Tia sits straighter, her cheeks pooling visibly with color even in the dim light. “It’s been incredible,” she assures me. “I only thought… since we’re all dressed up…”
I chuckle. “I assure you, buying that dress has been entirely for my own benefit.”
It’s not entirely a lie. I don’t have some fancy gala to take her to tonight. But I didn’t want to make our first date feel too casual. I already cut corners to avoid making her hobble around on crutches all night.
Tia rolls her eyes, but the laugh that immediately follows confirms that she’s still flattered—even if I only made her dress up for my pleasure.
“You’ll have another opportunity to show it off,” I assure her.
“I don’t doubt it,” she says.
“Well then, shall we go?”
“Sure,” she agrees, settling contentedly back in her seat.
I turn on the car, and the lights cast an ethereal glow on the viewpoint parking lot. But rather than heading for home, like Tia expects, I simply turn the car around. Now, it’s facing the trees behind us.
And the massive white tarp I had installed before them.
“What are you doing?” Tia frowns as I throw the car in park once more.
Then, her eyes dart to the trees as the projector comes to life, casting a film on our makeshift drive-in movie theater. Her jaw drops, and for a moment, she watches in stunned silence as the world around us fills with the sound of the movie’s opening credits.
“How did you do this?” she breathes, turning to look at me.
“I just pulled a few strings,” I say, shrugging nonchalantly.
“You did this all for me?” Her tone is incredulous, bordering on denial.
“Is that so hard to believe?” I sit up and rest my elbow on the console between us as I lean toward her.
But she doesn’t answer, her eyes darting back to the screen.
“I hope it’s not underwhelming. It was the best adventure I could put together on short notice. I’ll give you the real deal once you can walk again,” I promise.
