Page 72 of Until Tomorrow
LOREN: You know, if you wanted a date, all you had to do was ask.
In a surge of anxiety, I tossed my phone and watched it fly right off my desk.Damn it.I racked my brain for some kind of appropriate response as I fetched it.
But the app has all those great conversation starters. Makes me less awkward.
LOREN: Touché.
LOREN: Let’s see… hi, my name is Loren, I’m a Leo, and I like 24-hour cookies.
I snorted as I read his message. His casual humor made everything all the easier.
LOREN: Lucky for you, I know an amazing 24-hour cookie café complete with death coffee and the biggest cookies you’ve ever seen.
No one needs 24-hour cookies.
I wasn’t even sure what to make of the death coffee part. Any drink that had the word death in the title had to be bad for you.
LOREN: Everyone needs 24-hour cookies.
LOREN: Let me take you on a date. I will treat you to the most incredible cookies you’ve ever had.
I can’t remember the last time I ate cookies.
LOREN: There are so many things wrong with that sentence.
I guess you’ll have to prove me wrong.
My heart did some kind of wild somersault in my chest. Not bad, though. Excitement maybe? Nervous anticipation? Who knew? I just knew I wanted a stupid cookie date with him.
LOREN: Got time now? I’m officially baby-free and binge-watching Brooklyn-99.
I’ve never seen that.
LOREN: You’re killing me, Smalls.
I understood that reference.
I was tempted to add in the Captain America gif to go with that, but it was probably too cheesy. I hadn’t figured out where my limit was.
LOREN: Of course, you did. The Sandlot was a damn great movie.
Goonies was better, and I’m happy to debate that with you over cookies now.
LOREN: Goonies was better? You’re choosing violence, baby.
Why the hell did the casual pet name make me smile? This entire situation was so foreign to me. Good but foreign.
He sent me the café, and I’d never heard of it, but they did boast twenty-four-hour cookies and coffee guaranteed to keep you up all night. I could only think of just how much caffeine was in it—and how much of a waiting lawsuit that was.
LOREN: Meet you in say… 30 minutes? 45?
I can be there in thirty.
LOREN: Perfect. I’ll be the guy with a stack of cookies—there are at least six you need to try.
That’s too many cookies.
LOREN: Okay, three things…
