Page 90 of The Benefits of Love (As I Am 2)

Until Saturday. Meeting with Erin and Thomas, especially so close to the holidays, was like abeacon in the darkness of my routine and Icouldn’thave gotten to that bistro fast enough. Iarrived five minutes early, and took off my gray wool hat, matching gloves, and parka coat at the entrance.

The place looked the same—low tables, dark wood chairs, warm light that synced with the heat that blasted throughout the open space. Ieven saw the same petite blonde waitress, only now she approached me as the hostess.

“Welcome to Gwendoline’s, my name is Sephora and I’ll be your hostess tonight. Do you have areservation?” she asked, her words accentuated with the exact same light French accent, too.

“Yes, it’ssupposed to be under Cooke?”

Sephora swiped through her iPad and smiled when she found the name. “Your table is ready. Here, I’ll show you to it.”

Striding through the restaurant, Sephora led me to our table. Itrailed behind her, fixing my cream blouse and patting over my jeans to remove any dampness that clung to me from the outside.

“The remainder of your party has arrived. Ihope you enjoy the rest of the evening.”

Ilifted my gaze, certain I’dsee Erin and Thomas who got here ahead of time for once.

“Hi, Tulip.”

Zach.

My smile faltered, confused and in aturmoil of emotions that put the December rain to shame. Inside its cage, my heart raged and beads of cold sweat broke out on my forehead. Iclutched the garments I’dremoved only asecond ago, opening and closing my mouth in shock.

He stood up, and Irealized, despite the mess Itried to make sense of, that like the bistro, like the hostess, like every freaking thing in this weird-ass evening, he too had been the same as he was the day we made our agreement. Same navy-blue pants, same white polo shirt.

Zach remembered. Zach did this for me.

“Laura?” His voice lacked its usual confidence. It cracked at the end of my name, but it still sounded so beautiful coming from his lips.

Tears welled in my eyes, and Inodded, stuck in my place. Immobile and unspeaking.

“There you are.” The softness of his expression weakened my knees and made it that much harder to talk.

Isucked in my lips, looking up and blinking away the tears. “What is this?”

“It’sdinner.” He offered me his hand. “Can we sit?”

In my peripheral vision, I’dseen the candlelit table, set for two. Erin and Thomas never intended to be here. My brain, albeit slow that evening, had received the message. Well, eventually.

“Yes,” Imouthed, struggling to speak.

Zach took my coat and gloves and hat from me and handed them to Sephora who’dbeen on one of her runs and accepted them silently, marching off to the coat storage area. Our hands were empty and Zach outstretched his arms, palms facing up, eyes wide and swarming with hope.

The spark that shot up my arm from this innocuous touch, after months of only dreaming about this, threw me off and Igasped. It was loud and ungraceful and Zach ate it up, his grin widening as he walked me to my chair.

“As you can see,” he started after claiming his seat. “I’mworking on being agentleman.”

He glanced at me, waiting for me to laugh. On any other day Iwould’ve. Days where my feelings weren’tgoing up on every freaking ride at Disneyland and taking air in my lungs hadn’tbeen such achore.

Zach scratched the back of his neck, his cheeks reddening. Ieased alittle in my chair, realizing Iwasn’tthe only one flustered. “I’ll start then.”

“Mm-hmm.”

“Unless you have anything to say.”

“Mm-mm.” Ishook my head.

“All right.” He nodded, ordered us abottle of red wine when the waitress came for our drinks, and turned to my frozen shape, which hadn’tmoved an inch. “I’ll start with the obvious then. Ilove you.”

My hand came to life and flung to my mouth. Iheard what he said, in English, my mother tongue. Ijust never in amillion years would’ve imagined how all-consuming it would feel. As thoroughly and deeply as I’dmissed him, to hear him say those words, caused such ashock in me.

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