Page 8 of If We Never Met

"He was very, very boring."

"Then you need some wine. Come into the living room."

"Do you have time?"

"Yes. Most of the guests are out for the evening and those who are in seem to be happy in their rooms. I could use a glass of wine, too. It's been a long week."

"Problems?" she asked, as she followed Lizzie into the living room of the inn, which had two seating areas, one with three couches in front of a large bay window and the other with two couches and two large chairs in front of a fireplace with tall bookshelves on either side. The inn had originally been a private estate and while it had been remodeled extensively over the years by several different owners, it still had a lot of old-fashioned charm.

"No big problems, just a million little ones," Lizzie replied, stepping behind a bar. "Red or white?"

"Red."

"Perfect. Because I still have almost a full bottle from our earlier cocktail hour." Lizzie poured them two glasses of wine, and then they sat down on a couch by the window. "Tell me about your date."

"There's not much to say. Danny seemed interesting enough when we were texting. He was a lawyer, but now he's writing a novel, which is why he moved to Whisper Lake."

"Not the first lawyer turned writer we've met."

"No, it's almost becoming a cliché. I like creative people who make things, so I thought I'd give it a shot. He was nice enough. A big talker, though."

"One of those who never asks you a question about yourself?"

"Exactly. He chatted on and on about himself. And he was so indecisive. We looked at the menu for like fifteen minutes and he could not make a decision. It's not rocket science. But maybe I was just being too impatient."

"You just didn't click."

"We definitely did not click."

"Well, just because he didn't work out doesn't mean someone else won't."

Dante's image ran through her head. "Actually, I did meet someone that I found myself clicking with right away."

"Now that sounds interesting," Lizzie said, with a gleam in her eyes. "Who and where? Give me the details."

"It happened at Micky's. When I first got there, I mistook another guy for my date. He had brown hair, and he was sitting alone. I was a little late, so I was rushing. I asked him if he was Danny, and he said yes, so I sat down and just started rambling like a crazy person. I thought he was a really good listener, because he didn't say much. But he was so attractive he made me nervous, and I couldn't shut up."

"What happened?"

"Joanne came over to the table and told me that my date was waiting for me by the door. I was so embarrassed. Then the guy told me his name was Dante, not Danny, and that he probably should have told me earlier."

"Wait a second. Dante? Dante DeAngelis?"

"He didn't say his last name, but he did say he was staying here."

"He arrived last night. I actually suggested he try Micky's for dinner."

"That's what he said. So, what's his deal, Lizzie?"

Lizzie hesitated, her body stiffening. "What do you mean?"

Her gaze narrowed at Lizzie's reaction. "Who is he? And why is someone with a camera chasing him?"

"There was someone with a camera chasing him?"

"Yes, we walked out of Micky's together, and this guy jumped out of a van with a camera, and Dante took off."

"Oh, that's too bad."

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