Page 37 of The Icing on the Cake
I think about it as we walk along the path, the light dancing on the water. “Good question. First date is definitely casual. I want to see what he’s like when there’s no pressure.”
He notes it with a slight nod. “Dancing or a concert?”
I wrinkle my nose. “Neither.”
“Come on.” He nudges my shoulder, the contact sending a little joyous spark through me. “You have to pick one.”
“Fine. Concert. Dancing makes me feel like everyone’s judging my lack of coordination.”
He ponders this. “I bet the right partner would change everything.”
“I’m not sure any partner deserves the amount of embarrassment I’d bring him.”
“I doubt that,” he counters. “Any man would be lucky to have you as his partner.”
We move through a series of questions as we walk along the river’s edge. He asks if I prefer coffee or tea (coffee, definitely, but it has to be good). Perfect day indoors reading or outdoors exploring (both—maybe reading outside counts as the best of both worlds). Hand-holding or arm around the shoulder (hand-holding, but only if he does that thing where he traces his thumb across your hand). Sunrise or sunset (sunset, always). With every answer, he seems to mentally record my choices, like he’s collecting puzzle pieces, in order to see the whole picture.
When we finally reach the Maple Festival, it looks just as picturesque as last year—maybe even more so, since I swear Maple Falls adds more to it every year like they’re trying to win an award for quaint, small-town festival. Twinkle lights, pumpkins, and hay bales line the paths, while booths filled with maple syrup, pumpkin desserts, and hot cider entice us to try the samples.
“Where to first?” Lucian asks.
“I wasn’t hungry until I smelled the mac and cheese,” I admit. “I forgot to eat lunch.”
“Actually, wait,” he says, stopping on the path for a moment. “Before we do this, we should probably have a code word. You know, in case you want to use that escape clause you mentioned.”
I stare at him. “A code word?”
“A secret phrase you can say if you want to leave, but don’t want to make a scene in front of everyone. That way I can gracefully help you exit without it being obvious.”
I think about it for a second. “That’s actually really thoughtful. What did you have in mind?”
“Well, it should be something that might come up naturally, but would be obvious to me.” He studies me for a moment. “How about something baking-related? Like…‘the icing on the cake.’”
I tilt my head. “That could actually work in normal conversation.”
“Exactly, but it’s not something you’d randomly bring up unless you really meant it.” His mouth curls up at the corner. “Plus, it fits you.”
I look at him, then glance away, appreciating his careful consideration of my needs. “Having a code word would be the icing on the cake.”
He smirks. “You’re ready to leave right now?”
I take a deep breath. “Yes…okay, no. I want to do this, Lucian. I just need to get over my nerves. Especially if I run into Nate and Brittany.”
“Even if we don’t, I’ll know it’s time to make our exit if you start talking about icing. I don’t just want to be the guy next door, Neesha. I want to be the one place you never have to wonder if you’re safe.” He reaches for my hair and for a heart-stopping moment I think he’s going to cup my face. Instead, his fingers slip through the strands near my temple, carefullyextracting a small leaf while his thumb accidentally brushes against my cheek.
“From our walk,” he says, holding up the small red leaf that reminds me of his tattoo.
We head to the food trucks, where I order a gourmet mac and cheese and Lucian gets pulled pork with apple slaw. A picnic table opens up and we settle in with our food, listening to a nearby fiddle play an Irish jig.
“So, what’s the verdict so far?” I ask. “Am I passing this practice date test?”
“With flying colors,” he says. “Though I have to say, this doesn’t feel hard like practice.”
“No?” I ask, suddenly aware of how close we’re sitting.
“No. It feels like…” He pauses, searching for the right words. “The kind of date I’d actually want to go on.”
“Careful,” I warn. “Comments like that might make a girl think you’re actually interested.”
