Page 29 of Finding Her Strength

I nod my head, grinning from ear to ear as Levi walks out of my store. I walk back to my office when I freeze in place.

Holy shit, I’m going on a date.

I don’t know how to date. What the heck am I supposed to do now? I’m going to need help, and I know just who I should call for it.

“Okay,show me what we’ve got to work with,” Quinn says, rubbing her hands together.

“Not much.” I grimace, pulling out the only three dresses I own from my closet. Quinn is sitting on my bed, helping me get ready for my date. I called her right after Levi left yesterday, knowing I was not going to be able to do this by myself. She squealed at the news, then immediately agreed to help me out.

“These are great choices. This yellow one is adorable.”

“It’s my favorite, but is it too much?”

“No, it’s fun and flirty.”

I grab the dress and step into my bathroom to change. The dress is sleeveless with a high neckline; the top is tight, then flares out at the waist, and the skirt has billowy layers that end a little bit above my knees.

I step out of the bathroom to face a grinning Quinn. “It’s perfect!”

“Are you sure?”

“Absolutely.” She hands me my wedge sandals, then checks the time on her phone. “Okay, he’s going to be here in about twenty minutes. Do you need me for anything else? I don’t want to be here when he shows up.”

“I think I’m okay. Should I do something with my hair?” I finger my curls that are hanging loosely around my shoulders. There’s nothing I can do with it, but I figure I should double-check.

“No, your curls look great.” Quinn walks over to hug me, squeezing me tight. These embraces are getting easier to handle. The frequency must be helping me desensitize. “I am so happy for you. Levi is a great guy; you’re going to have a blast.”

“Thank you so much for your help.”

“Anytime!”

I follow Quinn out to the living room, shutting the front door behind her when she leaves. I still have ten minutes before Levi’s supposed to get here.

I pace around the living room, picking up random items and putting them in other places to keep myself occupied. I think I’ve been on a total of three dates in my entire life. I have no idea what I’m supposed to do. I’m hoping Levi will take the lead for most of the evening. Then, I won’t have to worry about looking like a complete idiot.

Headlights shine through my living room windows, making butterflies set up camp in my stomach. He’s finally here.

When he knocks on my door, I grab my purse from the couch and open the door to take in the beautiful specimen before me. A green button-down shirt is stretched tight across his chest and tucked into khaki pants that are tight around his thighs. He’s styled his light brown hair into amessy, just-woke-up look while his hazel eyes shine bright green against the color of his shirt. He looks amazing and a little intimidating. Why anyone as good-looking as Levi would want to go out with me is anyone’s guess.

“Wow. You look beautiful!” Levi says as his eyes scan my body, causing goose bumps to race down my arms.

“So do you. I mean… Well, you know what I mean.”

Levi’s guffaw has a little of the tension seeping out of my shoulders. He holds his hand out for me. “Are you ready?”

“I think so.” I take his proffered hand, and he leads me out to his truck, opening the passenger door for me. “Thank you,” I say as I climb into the cab. I close the door, keeping my gaze on Levi as he walks around the front of the vehicle to get in on the other side.

The inside of his truck is clean and smells like one of those car fresheners.

“I thought we could go get dinner first, then I have an idea for later that’s a little out of the norm.”

“Dinner sounds great. What do you have planned?”

“I kind of want it to be a surprise.”

“Well, then, you’ll have to risk it being a bad idea.”

Levi laughs. “Fair enough.”

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