Page 35 of Happily Ever Never

“The thing is, Leo. I gave up dating,” I said as I cringed.

“What?”

“I’m bad at it. I’m a perpetual first-dater. I don’t knowwhat that says about me, but I don’t like it.”

“I think it says more about the men you meet rather than whoyou are,” he grumbled.

I warmed, then grinned. “When my dad was dying, I promisedhim I would let my family set me up with someone so I would be taken care of,”I said with a roll of my eyes. “In other words, he wanted me to find happinessas he had with my mom. So, I made a promise that I would let my family set meup on every other date. And I have one more date to do because of the rule, butthen I’m done.”

“Pick me. Try with me. Let me be your date. If it doesn’twork, then go back to your plan. But if it does? Then what do you have tolose?”

Everything.

But I didn’t say that out loud. “I wanted it to be you, Leo.Maybe that’s too forward and will make you run away. But I wanted it to beyou.”

“Then let it be me. Let’s figure out why we keep circlingeach other. Why I can’t stop thinking about you.”

“Oh,” I whispered.

Then I looked up at the man who made me smile, who had fixedmy shoe, who made me laugh and gave me that warm feeling I couldn’t deny.

Maybe I should take my destiny into my hands.

And maybe I wouldn’t mess it up.

Maybe.

Chapter 10

May

My nerves danced as I tried to remember that this wasn’t anunusual occurrence for me. I did this often. I had fun with my friends. I wentout, I stayed home and watched movies. I worked hard to enrich the lives of thechildren I worked with. I researched, I read.

And I went on a lot of first dates.

But I didn’t get to go on seconds.

That meant I could not put too much pressure on myself fortonight. If I did, it would ruin everything. This night could ruin everything.And I didn’t want that to happen.

Not with Leo.

Not with the gentle man who was kind and fun and everythingthat made me smile.

I felt like I already knew him, yet this was still just afirst date. One that wouldn’t feel like a first date.

I wiped my sweaty palms on my towel and then went to mycloset, trying to figure out what to wear. I had spent the morning with Lukeand Brooke, going over the next month’s schedule and activities. And then Lukeand I fingerpainted until I ended up with blue in my hair. It had taken threewashes, but I was finally mostly clean.

Now, it was styled, my makeup was on, and I had to figureout exactly what to put on.

Clearly, I was not good at this.

But I needed to figure it out.

This was Leo. We were going for a casual dinner so I didn’tneed to wear a fancy dress with pearls and do my hair in cascading curls. Ionly had to look like I was enjoying myself.

I slipped into black leggings with little lace cutouts onthem and pulled on a flowy shirt that emphasized my boobs but didn’t show themoff. It was comfortable and cute at the same time. I slid my feet into sparklyflats and figured this would have to be it. I hoped it was enough and I didn’tlook like I’d tried too hard or not enough.

I truly needed to get out of my head. It was just a date. Icould do this. I put on earrings, redid my lipstick, and grabbed my bag.