Page 26 of April

“I love this place,” Jill said once they were seated in a booth. “It’s one of the best dives that no one knows about.”

“You love dive food?” Linden asked.

“Yeah. Who doesn’t? New Orleans has some of the best hole-in-the-wall places with the most amazing food.”

“Great-grandma is in the back cooking it up, too,” she added.

“It’s the love, isn’t it? The love in the food just makes it taste better.”

Linden smiled at her and replied, “I think so, yes. Not sure what the award-winning chefs would say about that, but I’d eat here any day over the fancy places in town.”

“I wouldn’t mind dinner at a fancy place every now and then, though,” Jill said as she leaned over the table. “The portions are small, but the food is delicious and usually doesn’t come with all the grease that this place sends out on the plate.”

“But the grease is the best part,” Linden noted with a smile.

Jill chuckled and said, “So, your text was interesting.”

“My text asking you to lunch?”

“Yes. We’ve never gone to lunch.”

“I know,” Linden said.

“And we kissed the other night.”

“I was there,” Linden replied with a slight smirk.

“And now, we’re at lunch.”

“Yes.”

“Is this a date?”

“It’s a lunch date.”

“But it’s not a real date?”

“Do youwantit to be a real date?”

“Are you this annoying all the time?” Jill asked with a straight face.

“Probably,” she said. “Most women find it endearing.”

“I’m not most women,” Jill replied with a pointed eyebrow, but her expression was playful. “So, this isn’t a test date situation where you’re trying to see if you want to ask me out for drinks or dinner or something?”

“Damn. Youarestraightforward, aren’t you?” Linden laughed.

“I’m nothing if not,” Jill replied.

When their waiter arrived, he didn’t even offer a greeting. This place wasn’t known for its service. Usually, the customers had to order at the counter, and they would be given a number and told to sit down. Their food would be brought out to them once it was ready. But during the dead times of day, the locals knew to sit, and someone would be out whenever they felt like it to take their order. Neither Linden nor Jill needed a menu, so they ordered quickly, and the waiter disappeared back behind the counter, leaving them alone.

“What do you talk about on a test date?” Jill asked.

“Don’t know. I’ve never really had one.”

“Oh, yes, you have. I bet you view all of your dates as test dates. Testing out your attraction to them, wondering if you’ll get sex out of it; thinking that if you don’t, you don’t have to spend money on a nice dinner.”

“Hey,” Linden said with a chuckle. “I’m notthatbad.”

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