Page 36 of Happily Ever Never

It wasn’t as if my entire dating life relied on thisevening.

No, I wasn’t going to think about that.

But, Leo? He made me smile. And hehad been there for me when I needed him.

I wasn’t going to mess this up.

Enough of that. I drove toward the small restaurant we weremeeting at, grateful I had time to compose myself, though I wasn’t doing a verygood job of it.

I grabbed my bag, got out of the car, and made my wayinside.

It was a place I had frequented enough that the waitstaffknew me. Leo had chosen it without knowing that, but it was fine. Maybe he camehere with his numerous dates.

I winced. Okay, so he was a player and happened to be verygood at first dates, at least according to everyone I talked to, but thatdidn’t mean that I could judge him. After all, I probably went on more datesthan he did. Though he was likely really good at itwhile I sucked.

The hostess’s eyes widened. “Oh, good. You’re here.”

I cleared my throat. “Party of two.” I looked around butdidn’t see Leo, and he hadn’t texted me, so I figured I would get our table.

“I can go put you at the corner table. It’s really romantic.”

“Any table’s fine. I’m just hungry.”

And having an existential crisis.

The hostess winked at me as she sat me at her favorite booth.It also happened to have the same waiter from the night the man had treated melike crap, and I’d wanted to throw my drink at him. Istill regretted not having water in that glass.

“We’ll let him know that you’re here.”

“I can text. It’s not a big deal. This isn’t a big deal,” Isaid again.

I should have tried for a different place for our date. Notone where evidence of every single bad date I’d ever had seemed to be etchedinto the walls.

“I’m so happy,” the hostess said as she clapped and returnedto her station.

Everybody would probably be placing bets soon to see howtonight went.

Would my date show up? Would he treat me like crap?

Would I be so bored that I yawned and fell asleep?

That had only been one time, and I had been up the nightbefore cramming for an exam because I had been working on my master’s.

I quickly texted Leo that I was at the restaurant, but hedidn’t answer.

He was probably driving, so I didn’t need to worry aboutthat. It wasn’t like he could pull over and text the letter K or something.

He would show up. Because if he didn’t, all our friendswould promptly rip his head off, and then I’d feel terrible.

Not only because I had been stood up again but because myfriend was dead.

My friend. Leo was my friend.

And we were going on a date. And he’d kissed me. Oh, howhe’d kissed me.

I rubbed my hands on my leggings, grateful that I had wornthe soft material so it covered my sweat.

Why was I sweating?