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I chuckle. She’s right; that tie felt like it was strangling me. I’m dressed in jeans and a t-shirt and it’s so much better.
“Where’s Kylie?” I ask.
“She’s staying with her father’s parents,” Natalie says.
I relax a little. I thought she might be with her father. Which would have been normal. I don’t know why the idea makes me tense.
“Ready to go?” I ask.
Natalie nods and we walk to my car and get in. I drive us to the mall for a movie. In the darkness of the movie theatre, it’s intimate between us even though we’re surrounded by people. I hold her hand, and she rests her head on my shoulder, and everything about it is perfect. I feel like a teenager when I’m with her, discovering love for the first time. Her touch is thrilling. I want to impress her. I can feel she wants me as much as I want her. I feel like I’ve scored the goal of the year.
When the movie is over, I’m not ready for the date to be over.
“Do you want to take a walk with me?” I ask. “There’s an ice cream shop a short distance away, and I feel like something sweet.”
She smiles. “Sure.” She doesn’t want this date to be over yet, either. That makes my heart sing.
We leave the mall together and walk toward the ice cream shop.
“How are things going with the restaurant?” she asks.
“It’s going well,” I say. “I’ve found a decorator to help me. I’ll have the furniture delivered once I know exactly what I need. I’m currently putting staff in place to help get this all going. There are so many moving parts to make this happen. I am far away from opening night or even a soft launch for that matter, but it’s coming together.”
“That’s exciting,” she says with a smile. “Are you ready for this new chapter in your life?”
“It’s always scary making a change,” I admit. “But I’m ready to jump.”
She nods. “Dianna always says it’s the hard parts that shape us, so if it’s scary, it's all the more reason to do it.”
“Who’s Dianne?”
“She’s my…friend.” I can’t figure out the expression that flickers across her face.
“Your friend’s right. It’s always been the tough stuff that made me stronger. With my mom being sick and me having to fight for everything I want, I’ve learned to face the hard times and not run from them.”
“I know what you mean,” Natalie says softly.
I wish I knew what was going on in her head. She’s very caught up in her thoughts. But I won’t push her. She’ll tell me what she wants me to know when she’s ready. We have all the time in the world to get to know each other; there’s no rush.
We reach the ice cream store and stand in front of the display counter, looking at the different flavors. We can choose three flavors from a whole slew of different tubs lined up.
I choose caramel, chocolate, and vanilla. She goes for all pistachio.
When I pay, we walk to one of the tables on the curb and sit down.
“You don’t mix flavors, huh?” I ask.
She smiles at me and shakes her head. “I’m an all-or-nothing person.”
“Good to know.”
We eat our ice cream in silence for a moment, and I’m mesmerized by the way she licks the scoops. When she glances up at me, she blushes and I feel like an idiot for staring. But I can’t help it.
I clear my throat. “Do you get a lot of time to yourself? It must be hard being a single parent.”
She shrugs. “It’s getting easier now that Kylie’s getting older. She stays over at friends sometimes or goes to her grandparents. But I thinka lotof time is relative. I get more than I used to. But then, when she’s gone, I miss her and want her back.” She laughs at herself. “I don’t know if it’s timeoffthen, per se.”
“It sounds like you’re a very involved parent.”
