Page 20 of Melody

“Nah. Don’t worry about it. What youcando is tell me what kind of food you like.”

Scarlett couldn’t help but smile. “That’s an odd topic.”

“Not really. Not if I’m taking you out on a date. If you hate barbecue and I take you to a barbecue place, you’ll never want to go out with me again.”

“I guess that’s fair. But would you really take a first date to a barbecue place?”

“That was just an example.”

“Good. I was starting to worry.”

“But I’d do it if it was your all-time favorite.” The amusement in Kyle’s eyes was easy to see, even while he shook his head. “Any restaurants around here you like?”

Scarlett hadn’t really eaten out much—mostly because she didn’t want to waste money on it but she’d also found that she was keeping herself in a comfort zone. Aside from shopping for groceries, she stayed mostly around the historic Main Street area of Silver City instead of venturing out to the east side of town where most of the newer businesses were located. “Nope. Any place you recommend?”

“It depends on what you like—which brings me back to my original question. Are you avoiding it?”

Putting down the glass she was washing, Scarlett made sure to make eye contact with Kyle’s dreamy blue eyes. “Not on purpose. What was the question?”

“What kind of food do you like?”

“Oh, yeah. Um…well, I don’t hate barbecue.”

“But not for a first date.”

“Exactly. Uh…let’s see. It might be easier to tell you what Idon’tlike, because I don’t consider myself to be too picky. I don’t like steak houses—not that I don’t like steak, but I can’t eat a lot of it, and I’m not a fan of the atmosphere.”

“That’s fair. Anything else?”

“Hmm. No chains.”

“Like Burger King? I wouldn’t take you to a fast food place anyway.”

“Yeah, but I mean like Chili’s or—”

“Oh, yeah. Okay.” Kyle took a sip of his water. “Mind sharing why?”

“They cater to the masses. If I want a substitute or an accommodation, it’s harder in a place like that.”

“Makes sense. What else?”

“Uh…I think that’s it. What about you? What food do you like?”

“Pretty much anything. If it doesn’t eat me first, it’s fair game.”

Scarlett laughed again, rinsing another glass before putting it on the drainer. “That leaves a lot of options for you.”

“It does. Now…what do you like to do for fun?”

“All the questions. It’s like we’re on a date right now.”

“C’mon, Tink. I just wanna make this date something special. If you have a lot of fun, you’ll say yes to lots more.”

Were they actually considering not just a date butdating? Although she hadn’t consciously thought that far ahead, she knew it was true…at least for her. Because one good date would lead to another and another. “Okay. Uh…I’m not sure. I’m still getting familiar with what Silver City has to offer.”

“You’re not from here.”

“Right. I just moved here earlier this year.”

---