Page 13 of Heartstrings & Hijinks

“We don’t say not-nice things. We say truthful things. They are facts. They’re not nice or mean.”

I rolled my eyes. “All right, fine. I agree.”

“Your outfit you picked out is perfect. Get it on. Let’s get your hair and makeup done.”

“There’s nothing to do with my hair, and I don’t think I’m doing makeup.”

“Please. A little bronzer won’t hurt you—maybe a slight touch of mascara to really make those eyes pop. Come on.”

He smacked my butt, and I had no choice but to follow him. As much as I hated to admit it, I wanted to look my very best for this date. And if I had bought a new pair of lacy panties just for the occasion, that was for me to know and Gregory to find out…

Chapter 8

Gregory

When I arrived at Evan’s apartment building, he was waiting inside the lobby. I had only just pulled up to the drive when he walked out the door wearing navy slacks with a crisp white dress shirt that looked like it was made of silk rather than basic cotton and a navy jacket. The suit was tailored to fit his body like it had been made just for him. My mouth went dry just taking in the look of him. He always was a handsome individual.

Had he put on a special pair of panties to match the suit? Or perhaps a bold red lace to complement the blue of his suit?

I put the car in park, got out, and opened the passenger door for him.

He smiled brightly. There was a hint of shimmer over his eyes, and his lashes were longer and fuller than normal. “Hi,” he said.

“Good evening.”

He got in, and I went around to the driver’s seat, immediately putting the car back into drive and pulling out of the lot.

“So, do I get a clue as to what we’re doing?” he asked.

“Not quite yet. It’s about a twenty-minute drive to get there, and I memorized the directions so you wouldn’t get any hints from the GPS.”

His lips turned down into a pout at that. “Did Greg not warn you? I’m not a huge fan of surprises.”

I chuckled. “I tried not to extract too much information out of him, for fear that I might annoy him with my questions about you.”

“So, you put together this date all on your own? No helpful hints needed?”

“Indeed. I think I know enough about you that I feel pretty confident in putting together a date you’ll enjoy.”

“Including karaoke at the end?”

“Yes, though I can’t promise we’ll be on time. It depends on how quickly you get through our first activity.”

“Oh, there are multiple activities?” he said. His voice had turned flirty, and I caught his smile out of the corner of my eye. Score one for me, we were already having a good time.

“Indeed.”

“You’ve… put a lot of effort into this.”

I snuck a glance in his direction before focusing back on the road. “Of course. This isn’t just a casual ‘get to know you’ date. I already know you, Evan. This is so much more than that.” Perhaps I was coming on too strong, but I thought we’d already established this last weekend. I needed us to be on the same page.

Based on the delightful pink flush to his cheeks and the smile that tugged at his lips, he was.

He settled back into the seat, bit his lip, and didn’t fidget. He almost sat too still, giving me the idea that he might be slightly nervous.

“Not that I really want to bring this up,” I said, “but I suppose it would set me at ease if we talk about it.”

“What’s that?” he asked.

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