Page 25 of Beanful Wishes

"Cheers," I say, raising my glass once our drinks arrive. "To... new adventures?"

Jake clinks his glass against mine, his smile doing nothing to help me keep my heartrate under control. "To new adventures."

As we sip our drinks, I take in the restaurant's beautiful interior. "I’ve always liked this place," I say. "Do you come here often?"

"Not at all. It’s my first time. Elena recommended it," Jake says. "She said it was perfect for a special occasion."

I raise an eyebrow. "And is this a special occasion?"

I watch as a faint blush creeps up Jake's neck. "Well, I'd say having dinner with you qualifies as pretty special."

His words send a warmth spreading through me. I don’t know what to say, but I like what I’m hearing.

“Your table is ready,” the hostess says, appearing out of nowhere. “If you’ll follow me.”

Once seated, we peruse the menu. I decide on the sweet potato ravioli, while Jake goes for the steak with chimichurri and fries.

“How was your day?” I ask, deciding emotional declarations can wait until after the food arrives. “Any interesting customers at Coffee Loft or new wishes posted to the Wishing Wall?”

Jake shakes his head. “Afraid not. Up until now, it was a fairly ordinary day. You could even call it boring. How about you?”

I laugh. “Anything but boring, I had an interesting interview today.”

"Oh yeah? Do tell," Jake says, his genuine interest in my work one of the many things I adore about him.

"It was with this local podcaster, Mitch Hanson. He does a show about Wilmington happenings," I explain. "We were talking about upcoming fall events. I even managed to work in a mention of the Wishing Wall."

Jake grins, his eyes twinkling. "Sneaky. I like it. How did he react?"

I laugh. "He was fascinated. Wanted to know all about it. I may have talked it up a bit."

"May have?" Jake teases. "Knowing you, I bet you had him ready to come down to Coffee Loft and pin up a wish himself."

“I don’t know about that, but don’t be surprised if you get a call. I may have suggested you would make a great guest for his show.”

Jake takes it all in stride. “Why am I not surprised? Knowing you, it was more than a suggestion.”

I playfully swat his arm across the table. "Hey now, are you implying I'm pushy?"

He holds up his hands in mock surrender. "Not pushy. Passionate. It's one of the things I admire most about you."

Our eyes meet, and for a few seconds, the busy restaurant around us seems to fade away. The moment is broken by the arrival of our food, but the warmth in Jake's gaze lingers.

As we dig into our food, the conversation flows easily. We talk about everything from our favorite books to our most embarrassing childhood memories. I find myself laughing more than I have in ages, completely captivated by Jake's wit and charm.

"Mmh, this ravioli is incredible," I moan, closing my eyes as I savor a bite. "How's your steak?"

"Perfectly cooked," Jake replies. "Want to try a bite?"

I nod eagerly, and he cuts off a piece, holding it out to me. Without hesitation, I lean forward and take the bite directly from his fork. The intimacy of the gesture sends a shiver down my spine.

"Mmm," I hum appreciatively. "That is good. But I think I still prefer my ravioli."

Jake chuckles, shaking his head. "Your loss. More for me."

As we near the end of our meal, I can't help eyeing the few remaining fries on Jake's plate.

"See something you like?" he teases, catching my gaze.

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