Page 13 of Something that Could Last

Kayla is at Jacob and Luke's table refilling their drinks when Tiff saunters over. The moment Luke sees her, a huge grin stretches across his face. He stands up when she reaches their table and places a chaste kiss on her cheek like a true gentleman.Ha!I don't know who he's trying to fool. I return to my tables and finish collecting my tips.

Nearly an hour has passed when Kayla approaches and hands me a folded-up receipt. “Hey Abby, the guy that just left table three asked me to give this to you,” she offers. I’ve been so busy, I didn’t notice him leaving.

“Thanks,” I mutter, perplexed, turning the paper over in my hand.

“Are you seeing him? He's not from around here, is he?” she asks.

“No, he isn't,” I respond. I don't answer her other question because I don’t know how.AmI seeing him?

“Because he ishot!” she swoons. “Like, ridiculously hot,” she adds enthusiastically.

“Yeah. He is,” I agree absentmindedly, fiddling with the receipt. Before I can say anything else, Kayla turns and walks back to her section, chestnut curls bouncing from her ponytail. I unfold the paper, wondering why he’d have her give it to me. In neat, but masculine script, the words “check your phone” are scribbled in black ink.

I hadn’t even felt it vibrate. He must’ve grown impatient waiting for my response. I slip into the kitchen, excitement bubbling in my stomach when I open Jacob’s text.

Dinner tomorrow 7:00, Wolf's Den Lodge?

My smile fades. Wolf's Den Lodge? I can’t go there with him. It’s the ritziest place in town. I've never even set foot inside the building. The Carlisles used to go there about once or twice a month, enlisting me to babysit for the evening. They would come home laughing and carrying on about what a good time they had. With all their rich friends, I'm sure. On those nights, Sydney Carlisle wore semi-formal dresses and exquisite jewelry. I don't even own anything remotely appropriate for dinner there. Of all the places to take me to, he had to pick that one. Is he trying to impress me, intimidate me by throwing his money around? If so, he needs to know I'm not that kind of girl.

I start to feel the panic creeping in, so I shove my phone back in my pocket. I have to find Tiffany later, tell her about Jacob’s invitation and see what she thinks of it, but right now I need to focus on my customers.

It's not long before the crowd at Rosie's starts to thin out and I go in search of Tiff. When I find her, I take her by the arm and tell her, “We're going on break.” I drag her toward the back door, ignoring her irritated protests.

Once outside, I take a deep breath and try to release some of the anxiety that’s been festering inside me since reading Jacob's message. It's not working. My breathing is starting to become more erratic.

“What’s wrong?” Tiff asks with a worried look on her face.

“Jacob asked me to dinner,” I say between breaths.

Tiff lets out a relieved laugh. “Shit. Is that all?” She shakes her head, brushing off my anxiety. “Get it together, Abby. It's just dinner. You should be happy.”

“He wants to take me to Wolf's Den Lodge.”

“Oh.” Her eyes widen with surprise. “That's a pretty serious place for a first date. Maybe he’s trying to impress you?” she offers hopefully.

“I don'tneedto be impressed!” I contend. “He doesn't have to take me to a fancy restaurant. I'll just be uncomfortable there.” I'm pacing by this point, launching into an addled tirade. “I don’t have anything to wear to a place like that. I don't know which fork to use when. What do I order? What if I can't pronounce anything on the menu? It could be in French or Italian or some other fancy language!” I start to hyperventilate. “I'm freaking out here, Tiff!”

“I can tell.” She rolls her eyes and snickers. Stepping in front of me, she firmly but gently grabs me by the shoulders, forcing my eyes to meet hers. “It's going to be fine. Just calm down.” She's attempting to talk me off the ledge. “We'll find you something to wear. As for the silverware, just work your way in from the outside. And when it comes time to order, just go old school and let him order for you. Guys love that macho, alpha shit.”

“Okay.” I'm starting to feel better now, less panicked.

Tiff looks at me questioningly. “You good now?”

“Yeah,” I answer. “I'm okay.”

“Good. Let's grab a quick bite before our break is over.”

“Okay, just give me a minute to text Jacob my answer.” I pull out my phone and shoot him a one-word response:

Yes

I place my phone back into my pocket and head inside. As soon as I make it through the door, my phone buzzes with his quick reply.

I'm looking forward to it.

I walk back into Rosie's with a smile on my face. I already can't wait to see him again, even if I am nervous about where he's taking me. I'm just going to have to take a risk. And probably raid Tiff's closet.

Abby

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