Page 18 of The Dating Dare

He stood at the doorway looking dazed even as she drove away.

Seth sat at one corner of Landon’s restaurant, where it was only slightly dusty—they were putting in the hexagonal cement tile and wood flooring for the dining hall—and scrolled aimlessly through his Google search. He had vague ideas of a French restaurant in a neighboring city and a bar with live music, but it didn’t seem right for Tara. He could imagine her yawning halfway through the night. He’d promised that their dates would be fun and interesting, but he was stuck. Before he got worked up about his sudden lack of creativity, his phone rang.

“Hey.” He answered on the first ring, his heart beating like a deep bass drum.

“Oh, hey,” Tara said, her voice infused with surprise. He was confused for a second as to who had called whom. “This is Tara.”

“Yes, I know.” Seth chuckled.

“Just making sure,” she said, sounding downright nervous.

“So what is it?” he pushed. The urge to tease her was irresistible.

“What is what?” she said.

“I don’t mean to be rude, but you called me.” He grinned broadly, enjoying himself way too much. “I’m guessing you had a reason for doing that.”

“I was getting to that. Quit being so rude.”

“My apologies.” He bit his cheek to stifle his laugh. “Go right ahead.”

“Right. So… uh… what are you doing tomorrow?” She made a valiant effort to sound casual.

“Oh, this and that. You know, the usual,” he said vaguely.

“How am I supposed to know what your usual is?” Frustration rose in her voice. “Are youusuallythis annoying?”

“I’m free.” He’d better not push his luck. She might hang up on him, and it would be his loss. “I need to check on the restaurant in the morning, but other than that, my calendar is empty and sad.”

“Okay then.” There was a short pause before she said in measured tones, “I’m off tomorrow. Do you want to hang out?”

“Hang out?” he said slowly, as though the words were foreign to him.

“Yes, as in our first date?” She sounded mildly incredulous that he was being so obtuse.

“Ahh, now I understand,” he said gleefully. “You’re asking me out on a date.”

“Oh, shove it.” She was fully recovered from her brief bout of nervousness. “You already did the asking for all four dates. I’m merely choosing the time and the place.”

“By all means,” he said, leaning back in his chair. He’d gotten a good amount of work done at the restaurant with the subcontractors, and Tara’s call was a welcome break. “So what’s the plan?”

“I thought we could keep it simple. Maybe a picnic at the park and a walk along the river if tomorrow is as nice out as today.”

“That sounds great.” A quiet, easy day with her sounded like the perfect date. He wanted to get to know the real Tara, including the vulnerability he’d sensed in her at the wedding. “Since you came up with the idea, can I prepare the picnic basket?”

“Are you sure?”

“Yes, I’m sure. It won’t be any trouble. Is there anything you absolutely won’t eat?”

“I’ll eat anything as long as peas and cooked carrots aren’t involved.”

He recalled what she’d said about peas the night of the wedding.No, peas. Hate. Much hate.But the carrots were new. “Do you eat raw carrots?”

“Yes, I love them.”

“But no cooked carrots? Huh. Okay.” Every quirk he found out about her felt like a hidden gem he’d unearthed. “What time should I pick you up?”

“I don’t know. Around eleven thirty? Whatever works best for you. Let me give you my address.”

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