Page 75 of Marry Me, Right Now

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CHEAP DATE NIGHT

I couldn’t believe that Jacob was game to live below his means for an afternoon and evening. It certainly wasn’t really long enough to change his life, but at least he could begin to see how every single aspect of our lives were different.

“Forty dollars, right?” he confirmed, and I nodded. He took the rest of the money out of his wallet, leaving only a twenty and two tens, stashing the rest in the glove compartment before locking the car.

I grabbed his hand and give it a little squeeze without thinking. “I’m so glad that you’re taking this seriously. This really means a lot to me.”

“I can tell,” he said. “So where are we going?”

“We have an entire afternoon and evening to fill, so let’s get started.”

Jacob led the way out of the labyrinth of the underground parking, and I led him east toward Jarvis and College.

Looking in shop windows, we got lost in conversations about whether certain tall glitter red boots would be an asset or a liability for a drag queen contest, and contemplating the sad story that would lead someone to have to sell their guitar to a pawnshop.

When we reached Allen Gardens, I was shocked that Jacob had never visited this place before. We spent a beautiful hour and a half touring the lavish greenhouse, admiring plants, listening to the tiny waterfall, and picking out names for the goldfish in the pond. He took a bunch of photos of the more exotic plants, and seemed quite proud of his shots.

“Are you ready to go?” I asked.

“Sure – just one second while I upload these pictures.”

“No.” He looked at me strangely, assuming I was kidding. “Poor people don’t have endless data plans. They have to wait until they’re on wifi at home, or maybe in a restaurant.”

Jacob looked slightly stunned. “I’d never thought of that.”

“Which is why I’m glad we’re doing this. Let’s go.” I knew where we should head next.

As we walked along, I realize that my hand kept instinctively reaching for his. As I glanced down, I could have sworn that he was doing the same thing.

“What would you think about getting a few tropical plants for your living room next week?” I asked as we headed north on Church Street.

“Our living room,” he said automatically. “Sure – plants have such mellow energy. And the room could certainly use more green.”

I didn’t want to point out that the living room would only be mine for another eleven months or so, for fear of killing the mood.

“Should we stop at a Starbucks?” he asked.

“Coffee there is about three-fifty. Coffee at a diner is about two dollars.”

“Oh, right. Wait, dinner isn’t really coming out of our entertainment budget today, is it?” He looked down at me as if he were sure I was kidding.

“That is all the money we have until midnight, and that includes dinner.”

“Strict,” he said. “Okay.”

We strolled to College and Yonge, stopping at Fran’s for a coffee, and to warm up a bit. It wasn’t exactly chilly, but it was occasionally breezy when the wind bounced off the tall downtown buildings.

“Don’t forget,” I said as he went to pay the bill. “You can only tip two dollars.”

“That’s not fair.”

“I know. People who don’t have as much money can’t tip as well, which has a direct impact on the servers, who also don’t make a lot of money.”

“Wow.” He blinked a few times, then nodded. “As soon as I get that inheritance, I’m going to over tip even more than usual.”

“That would be extremely nice of you,” I said softly. He was being remarkably sweet trying to understand this little adventure, but all I could think of was the way his hand was touching my arm and how I wanted to take him home this second.

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