Page 38 of The Bro Date
I thought I got through to him after our kiss. I know I’ve been focused on learning my new job and proving myself to Glenn this week, but what the hell is this bullshit about a second date that I just saw?
None of those guys are good enough for him.
I need to show him what he deserves. Prove it to him.
The thought hits me full force, leaving me with no other option.
“I’m taking you out on a date,” I declare, not caring what our roommates or anyone else will think.
“You . . .what?” Toby asks incredulously, uncrossing his arms and blinking slowly.
“I’m going to plan something special, take you out next weekend, and show you how a real man should treat you. Then you can delete that stupid app.”
Toby’s amber eyes flare with lust, flicking to my mouth. We haven’t kissed since the night I rescued him from the bar and that fuckboy Landon, but I can tell he wants to.
“Okay,” he agrees, his smile slowly growing until his dimples pop out. “I’ll go on a date with you.”
What the fuck am I doing?
The last thing I would ever want to do is ruin this friendship. Toby’s all I have. The best thing in my life.
The Crescent Bay Botanical Garden is about forty minutes away from campus and right on the ocean. Besides acres of beautiful plant life and an orchid observatory, they have a beer garden, nature trails, and a wildlife preserve. But most importantly, there’s a butterfly house.
“I’ve been planning our date in my head all week,” I admit, and Toby smiles over at me from the passenger seat of my pickup truck. We’re still parked in the driveway, getting ready to start the short trip. “I have a clue for you.”
Toby beams, sunlight flooding the truck and illuminating his golden irises. “What is it?”
“Close your eyes,” I tell him, and he listens. I lean over and open the glove compartment, grabbing the purple origami butterfly I made last night and holding it in my palm. “Open your eyes,” I whisper into his ear, eliciting a cute little shiver from him.
Toby smiles wide, picking it up to inspect it. “Hmmm. A butterfly. Are we going on a picnic?”
“Nope. Guess again,” I reply with a small smile, feeling carefree and light. Placing my arm behind Toby’s headrest, I twist in my seat and back out of the driveway slowly. The fact that he stares at me the whole time doesn’t go unnoticed, and my smile only grows.
Toby clears his throat. “Um. A hike through wildflowers?”
A deep chuckle rolls out of me. “No.”
“Gardening?”
“What?No,” I laugh. “There will be no chores on this date.”
“Ooo!I got it,” he says confidently. “A nature museum.”
“Close, but no cigar.”
“What?Ugh.I give up,” Toby says with a pout, sinking into his seat and staring out the window.
Keeping one hand on the wheel, I reach over to give his thigh a reassuring squeeze.
It just feels right.
“So are you really not going to tell me where we’re going?” he tries again.
“Nope, but snacks are in the back and drinks are in the cooler,” I inform him, glancing over to catch his dimples appear.
“Oh, sweet.” Toby digs through the bags in the backseat. “Teriyaki jerky and gummy worms. My favorite road trip snacks.”
“Grab me a Dr Pepper,” I ask, happier than I’ve been in months.
