Ten first dates, p.31
Ten First Dates, page 31
-NY Times & USA Today Bestselling Author Carly Phillips
“Samantha Chase writes my kind of happily ever after!”
-NY Times & USA Today Bestselling Author Erin Nicholas
“The openness between the lovers is refreshing, and their interactions are a balanced blend of sweet and spice. The planets may not have aligned, but the elements of this winning romance are definitely in sync.”
- Publishers Weekly, STARRED review
“A true romantic delight, A Sky Full of Stars is one of the top gems of romance this year.”
- Night Owl Reviews, TOP PICK
“Great writing, a winsome ensemble, and the perfect blend of heart and sass.”
- Publishers Weekly
“Recommend Chase to fans of Susan Elizabeth Phillips. Well-written and uniquely appealing.”
- Booklist
Copyright 2022 Samantha Chase
All Rights Reserved.
No part of this book, with the exception of brief quotations for book reviews or critical articles, may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system without express written permission from the author.
This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents are the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously, and any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, business establishments, events, or locales is entirely coincidental.
Created with Vellum
CONTENTS
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Also by Samantha Chase
About Samantha Chase
CHAPTER ONE
“Woo!”
Oh, it’s way too early in the day to woo…
“Come on, Ari! You didn’t even drink!”
Arianna Donovan fought the urge to roll her eyes. She knew her friends meant well and wanted to give her a proper going-away party, and she loved them for it, but brunch wasn’t a time to woo.
A late lunch or even an early bird dinner, she’d woo.
Brunch? Not so much.
Still, it was sweet how they were showering her with love. This was her last full day in San Francisco. Tomorrow she would board a flight back to the East Coast; back to her tiny hometown of Laurel Bay.
Back to her family.
She’d missed them like crazy and couldn’t wait to see them, but…she was enjoying her independence on the other side of the country. Her internship here in San Francisco had opened her eyes to how much more there was to life! Did she really want to give all that up when things were going so well?
Working in a hospital in one of the busiest cities in the country had been crazy and hectic and challenging. Her hometown didn’t even have its own hospital, for crying out loud. She was returning for a job in a small medical complex, and while the money was good, she already knew she would be bored out of her mind. The only draw was her family.
Well, that and the fact living back home would allow her to save up to buy a place of her own, sooner rather than later. But was that enough? Was she making a mistake by going home?
“Arianna?” her friend, Dana, called out. “Don’t zone out on us! This is our last hurrah!”
Smiling, she forced herself to focus. Her friends were doing this for her, and she should be enjoying the moment rather than depressing herself. So it didn’t matter it was 11:00 in the morning; she reached for her mimosa margarita and held it up. “Woo! Let’s get our brunch on!”
“Cheers!” the girls all called out before another round of woos after drinking.
Ugh…seriously too early in the day for all the wooing…
They were sitting in their favorite café, like they had every Saturday for the last three months, and it made her heart ache a little that this would be their last time. Once they placed their orders—which were always the same—her friend, Katie, gently tapped a spoon to her glass. She grinned directly at Arianna, and that could only mean one thing…
“Truth or dare?”
Arianna usually lived for this game, but right now, she had hoped her last brunch with the girls would be a little more…relaxing and low-key. Picking up her drink, she took a moment to consider the best way to shock everyone.
“Um…truth,” she said before taking a sip of her drink.
“Truth? Truth?” Dana asked in disbelief. “You never pick truth!”
She shrugged. “I thought I’d try something different on our last get-together.” Four pairs of wide eyes stared back at her like they weren’t sure what to do next. “It’s not a big deal,” she told them. “Come on, throw something at me!”
After several moments of awkward glances, Katie asked, “Okay, um…in your three months here in San Francisco, did you ever hook up with anyone?”
Damn. She had hoped it would be something like telling an embarrassing fact about herself. Those she had plenty of.
Although, technically, her answer to this question could also be considered embarrassing, so…
“Sadly, I have not,” she told them. And it really was sad because she had met some seriously hot guys, but she was focused on her job and learning everything she could. In her free time, she visited all the touristy spots in the city, and on the weekends, she traveled to other nearby locations. She’d gone to Reno, Sacramento, Napa, San Jose, and even made a quickie trip to Vegas. There hadn’t been time to go out and meet a nice guy and get…well…flung. And if she were being honest, she didn’t see the point in it when she wasn’t staying.
The game had moved on, and Dana was dancing like a cowboy around their table. It was definitely hysterical, but Arianna wasn’t feeling it today for some reason. She wanted her last day here to be memorable. She wanted to go out with a bang! Hell, she wanted to do all the things she didn’t have the time for in the last few months and then have to drag herself onto the plane tomorrow where she’d sleep her way back home.
But this was more of the same old, same old. Nothing new, nothing different, just their typical Saturday morning routine.
Glancing around the café, she smiled and saw a lot of familiar faces. It seemed like this same group of people came here on Saturdays. Their food came and she was still looking around when a new face came through the door.
And that new face had a very sexy body to go with it.
Mmm…hello…
He was tall and broad and blond, and part of her wanted to shake her fist at the universe for bringing this beautiful man here on her last day!
Forcing herself to look away, she took a bite of her eggs Benedict. Their game paused while they ate, and everyone talked about the new jobs waiting for them now that their internships were over. Dana was going to L.A., where her family was, Katie was returning to San Diego, Nina was returning to Portland, and Simone was heading to Seattle. They were all starting new adventures and she was thrilled for them.
She just wished Laurel Bay offered some kind of adventure.
The hot guy had taken a seat at a table in the far corner facing her. She kept sneaking glances at him, and he’d been looking right back more than once.
Why did you have to show up on my last day?
“Ari, who are you…oh. Ooh…,” Simone said with a big grin. Soon everyone was turning and looking, and it was obvious the hot guy noticed all the looks too. His smile was a little sheepish as he picked up the menu and did his best to hide his face.
Which was a damn shame.
Everyone finished eating, and she was mildly relieved no one made a big deal about her checking out a guy. They all had plans; this was going to be their big goodbye, and she was mentally preparing herself for it when Nina spoke.
“I hate goodbyes,” she began. “So I refuse to say it. Instead, we’re going to end our brunch in the best way possible.” Her eyes landed on Arianna. “Truth or dare, Ari?”
She knew exactly where this was going and was actually looking forward to it. But just for fun, she pretended to think about it. “Um…dare!”
“We dare you to go over and join that delicious man for brunch and have yourself a fling before you go!” Nina said excitedly.
Arianna got to her feet, picked up her purse, and then walked around the table, hugging each of her friends and telling them she loved them. Then she fluffed her hair and struck a sassy pose. “I promise to text you all the details tomorrow!” With a wave, she turned and walked across the café.
Will Jameson couldn’t suppress a grin as the beautiful blonde started walking his way. It was his last day in San Francisco, and he was sure he’d spend it alone. But maybe the universe decided to smile down on him after an utterly shitty week.
“Hey,” she said as she stopped next to his table. “Mind if I join you?”
Motioning to the empty chair opposite him, he said, “Not at all.”
In the distance, he heard a round of “woos” coming from her friends before they got up and left, and he had to wonder if they had pushed her to come over here.
“I’m Arianna,” she said with a smile, slipping her purse strap over the back of the chair.
“Will,” he replied with a smile, then…had no idea what to say. Luckily, he didn’t have to think of something because Arianna did.
“So, are you from around here?” she asked. “My friends and I have been coming here every Saturday for brunch and we always see the same people. I’ve never seen you here, so I was curious.”
“I grew up in Oakland. My mother moved to San Francisco after I finished high school.”
“So you’re here visiting her?”
Damn. “Um…she passed away a few months ago, and I had to come and take care of some legal stuff,” he said wearily.
Reaching across the table, she rested her hand on his. “I’m so sorry.” Her tone—like her hand—was soft.
“Thanks.” There was so much more to his stay in the city, but he wasn’t going to get into it with a stranger. Plus, it was over and done with now, and he was free to leave. He had a flight out of here in the morning and nothing to do today, but…maybe his luck just changed. “What about you? Are you from around here?”
“Only temporarily,” she told him. “I just finished an internship, and this was my goodbye brunch with the girls. I head home tomorrow.”
Interesting…
“How long were you here for?”
“Three months, but I’m a little sad I have to leave. I’ve really enjoyed everything about the city.”
“So you’ve seen all the touristy places? Fisherman’s Wharf? Alcatraz? Golden Gate Bridge?”
“Oh, yeah. I made sure to see them all.”
“Which one was your favorite?”
“Ghirardelli Square,” she said with a smile. “Hands down. All the food and the chocolate and the shops…amazing. I could spend a week in there and not get bored.”
“Second favorite?”
“Golden Gate Park. The views were just breathtaking,” she replied without hesitation.
“Third?”
This time she laughed. “I feel like you don’t believe me when I say I’ve visited them all.”
It was his turn to chuckle. “No, it’s not that. I guess I’m always curious about what people gravitate toward. Some people love going to museums; others love to go hiking or riding bikes.” He shrugged. “You can learn a lot about a person by how they spend their vacation.”
“Well, to be fair, this wasn’t really a vacation. I tried to go somewhere every weekend, but not all of it was here in the area.”
“Like…?”
“Reno and Vegas are probably the farthest I’ve gone, but I’m a huge fan of day trips.”
The waitress came over to take his order, and Will looked over and asked if she wanted anything.
“Um… maybe just some coffee,” she replied. Once they were alone again, Arianna leaned in slightly. “We were drinking mimosa margaritas. I didn’t want to be the party pooper, but I just wanted a cup of coffee.”
“Mimosa margaritas? Now that is something I’ve never heard of before.”
“Oh, they’re good, but…it was a little more than I wanted this morning,” she explained.
“I can understand that.” Glancing around the café, Will chuckled softly. “To be honest, I really just wanted some pancakes. I didn’t realize this place catered more to the brunch crowd. Coming in alone suddenly felt intimidating, and I got a bit of a complex when they seated me in the corner.”
“Then it’s a good thing I came to your rescue,” she whispered.
Their waitress returned with coffee for the both of them, and Will watched as she added cream and sugar and then took a sip. The look of pure bliss on her face was practically hypnotic. Her eyes closed and she let out a throaty hum of approval, and he almost couldn’t believe his good luck. In his entire life, no woman had ever approached him like this and he was completely fascinated by her.
“So,” he said when she put her cup down. “What are your plans for your last day in the Bay Area?”
Her sigh was soft and a little sad. “I know I should have made plans to spend it with friends, but they are all in the same position I am—getting ready to move on. So really, the only plan I had was to maybe walk around and visit some of my favorite spots one last time, eat the foods I’m going to miss, and buy about five pounds of chocolate to take home with me.”
“They don’t sell chocolate where you live?” he teased.
“Of course they do,” she said with a wink. “But I come from a tiny town and we don’t get nearly the same variety as I can get directly from Ghirardelli’s. Plus, I promised my mom and sister I’d bring some home for them too.” Pausing, she took another sip of her coffee. “What about you? Are you heading back to Oakland after you finish your pancakes?”
That’s when he realized he’d never really mentioned much about himself. “Actually, I don’t live in California anymore. Like you, I’m leaving tomorrow.”
“Really? That’s certainly a coincidence. Where are you heading to?”
“Washington D.C.” Reaching for his coffee, he took a sip. “I’ve got to get back to work. As it is, I’ve stayed a little longer than I had expected. What about you? Where are you going?”
“North Carolina,” she said sadly.
“And you’re not happy about it?”
“Like I said, I come from a really small town and that’s where I’m going back to. I never traveled much, so coming here for my internship really opened my eyes to how much is out there. Now I’m afraid I’m going to be disappointed with it all.”
“Trust me when I tell you, big city life isn’t all it’s cracked up to be,” he said with his own hint of sadness. “We always lived in a big city, and we traveled a lot, and I still do for my job, but…I would love to live in a small town.”
“So why don’t you?”
“It’s in the works, but I’ve got another year to put into what I’m doing before I can implement my plans.” Will knew he was being deliberately vague, but he didn’t really want to talk about himself.
Fortunately, she didn’t push for more information.
“Can I ask you something?” he said after a moment.
“Sure.”
“What made you come over here?”
If he wasn’t mistaken, she was blushing. She toyed with her coffee cup and tucked a strand of honey-blonde hair behind her ear before looking at him. That’s when he really noticed just how deep a shade of blue her eyes were. Licking her lips, she gave him a shy smile. “I noticed you as soon as you came in. Unfortunately, my friends also noticed.” With a small laugh, she went on. “We were playing a game of truth or dare, and my dare was to come over and introduce myself to you.”
“Oh.” He was oddly disappointed because that sounded like she didn’t really want to.
“To be honest, I was relieved,” she told him.
“Really?” he asked, hoping he didn’t sound too anxious.
Nodding, she explained, “I know I’m leaving tomorrow and meeting a nice guy shouldn’t be on my agenda for today. But the dare allowed me to do what I really wanted to.” Then she smiled. “So I’m going to go out on a limb and just lay it all out there.”
“O-kay…”
“I know we’re both leaving tomorrow, and I have no idea what you need to do to make that happen, but I was wondering if you’d like to spend the day with me? Maybe join me on my last tour of San Francisco?”
It was utterly crazy and something he wouldn’t normally do, but…she was really captivating and he couldn’t think of anything he’d rather do than spend more time with her. It had been a long time since he’d gone out on a date, and even longer since he’d spent any quality time with a beautiful girl. And right now, he felt like there was a reason he’d come to this little café when there were several diners he passed on his way here.
Tomorrow he’d return to his regular, regimented life. But for today, he could pretend everything was okay and that maybe he’d get to see her again.
Ugh…depressing much?
Pushing all negative thoughts aside, Will smiled at her. “I’d like that very much.”
CHAPTER TWO
An hour later, they were walking toward Ghirardelli Square, and Arianna felt like she hadn’t stopped smiling. They had talked nonstop throughout Will’s breakfast—well, brunch—and they had similar tastes in food, music, and movies. She got the feeling he didn’t want to dig too deeply into each other’s lives, and that was more than okay with her. All they had was today, so what was the point of learning more?
The goal was to enjoy themselves and if she could manage to get…well…flung…even better.
But for right now, she was thoroughly enjoying playing tourist with Will.
“Samantha Chase writes my kind of happily ever after!”
-NY Times & USA Today Bestselling Author Erin Nicholas
“The openness between the lovers is refreshing, and their interactions are a balanced blend of sweet and spice. The planets may not have aligned, but the elements of this winning romance are definitely in sync.”
- Publishers Weekly, STARRED review
“A true romantic delight, A Sky Full of Stars is one of the top gems of romance this year.”
- Night Owl Reviews, TOP PICK
“Great writing, a winsome ensemble, and the perfect blend of heart and sass.”
- Publishers Weekly
“Recommend Chase to fans of Susan Elizabeth Phillips. Well-written and uniquely appealing.”
- Booklist
Copyright 2022 Samantha Chase
All Rights Reserved.
No part of this book, with the exception of brief quotations for book reviews or critical articles, may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system without express written permission from the author.
This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents are the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously, and any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, business establishments, events, or locales is entirely coincidental.
Created with Vellum
CONTENTS
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Also by Samantha Chase
About Samantha Chase
CHAPTER ONE
“Woo!”
Oh, it’s way too early in the day to woo…
“Come on, Ari! You didn’t even drink!”
Arianna Donovan fought the urge to roll her eyes. She knew her friends meant well and wanted to give her a proper going-away party, and she loved them for it, but brunch wasn’t a time to woo.
A late lunch or even an early bird dinner, she’d woo.
Brunch? Not so much.
Still, it was sweet how they were showering her with love. This was her last full day in San Francisco. Tomorrow she would board a flight back to the East Coast; back to her tiny hometown of Laurel Bay.
Back to her family.
She’d missed them like crazy and couldn’t wait to see them, but…she was enjoying her independence on the other side of the country. Her internship here in San Francisco had opened her eyes to how much more there was to life! Did she really want to give all that up when things were going so well?
Working in a hospital in one of the busiest cities in the country had been crazy and hectic and challenging. Her hometown didn’t even have its own hospital, for crying out loud. She was returning for a job in a small medical complex, and while the money was good, she already knew she would be bored out of her mind. The only draw was her family.
Well, that and the fact living back home would allow her to save up to buy a place of her own, sooner rather than later. But was that enough? Was she making a mistake by going home?
“Arianna?” her friend, Dana, called out. “Don’t zone out on us! This is our last hurrah!”
Smiling, she forced herself to focus. Her friends were doing this for her, and she should be enjoying the moment rather than depressing herself. So it didn’t matter it was 11:00 in the morning; she reached for her mimosa margarita and held it up. “Woo! Let’s get our brunch on!”
“Cheers!” the girls all called out before another round of woos after drinking.
Ugh…seriously too early in the day for all the wooing…
They were sitting in their favorite café, like they had every Saturday for the last three months, and it made her heart ache a little that this would be their last time. Once they placed their orders—which were always the same—her friend, Katie, gently tapped a spoon to her glass. She grinned directly at Arianna, and that could only mean one thing…
“Truth or dare?”
Arianna usually lived for this game, but right now, she had hoped her last brunch with the girls would be a little more…relaxing and low-key. Picking up her drink, she took a moment to consider the best way to shock everyone.
“Um…truth,” she said before taking a sip of her drink.
“Truth? Truth?” Dana asked in disbelief. “You never pick truth!”
She shrugged. “I thought I’d try something different on our last get-together.” Four pairs of wide eyes stared back at her like they weren’t sure what to do next. “It’s not a big deal,” she told them. “Come on, throw something at me!”
After several moments of awkward glances, Katie asked, “Okay, um…in your three months here in San Francisco, did you ever hook up with anyone?”
Damn. She had hoped it would be something like telling an embarrassing fact about herself. Those she had plenty of.
Although, technically, her answer to this question could also be considered embarrassing, so…
“Sadly, I have not,” she told them. And it really was sad because she had met some seriously hot guys, but she was focused on her job and learning everything she could. In her free time, she visited all the touristy spots in the city, and on the weekends, she traveled to other nearby locations. She’d gone to Reno, Sacramento, Napa, San Jose, and even made a quickie trip to Vegas. There hadn’t been time to go out and meet a nice guy and get…well…flung. And if she were being honest, she didn’t see the point in it when she wasn’t staying.
The game had moved on, and Dana was dancing like a cowboy around their table. It was definitely hysterical, but Arianna wasn’t feeling it today for some reason. She wanted her last day here to be memorable. She wanted to go out with a bang! Hell, she wanted to do all the things she didn’t have the time for in the last few months and then have to drag herself onto the plane tomorrow where she’d sleep her way back home.
But this was more of the same old, same old. Nothing new, nothing different, just their typical Saturday morning routine.
Glancing around the café, she smiled and saw a lot of familiar faces. It seemed like this same group of people came here on Saturdays. Their food came and she was still looking around when a new face came through the door.
And that new face had a very sexy body to go with it.
Mmm…hello…
He was tall and broad and blond, and part of her wanted to shake her fist at the universe for bringing this beautiful man here on her last day!
Forcing herself to look away, she took a bite of her eggs Benedict. Their game paused while they ate, and everyone talked about the new jobs waiting for them now that their internships were over. Dana was going to L.A., where her family was, Katie was returning to San Diego, Nina was returning to Portland, and Simone was heading to Seattle. They were all starting new adventures and she was thrilled for them.
She just wished Laurel Bay offered some kind of adventure.
The hot guy had taken a seat at a table in the far corner facing her. She kept sneaking glances at him, and he’d been looking right back more than once.
Why did you have to show up on my last day?
“Ari, who are you…oh. Ooh…,” Simone said with a big grin. Soon everyone was turning and looking, and it was obvious the hot guy noticed all the looks too. His smile was a little sheepish as he picked up the menu and did his best to hide his face.
Which was a damn shame.
Everyone finished eating, and she was mildly relieved no one made a big deal about her checking out a guy. They all had plans; this was going to be their big goodbye, and she was mentally preparing herself for it when Nina spoke.
“I hate goodbyes,” she began. “So I refuse to say it. Instead, we’re going to end our brunch in the best way possible.” Her eyes landed on Arianna. “Truth or dare, Ari?”
She knew exactly where this was going and was actually looking forward to it. But just for fun, she pretended to think about it. “Um…dare!”
“We dare you to go over and join that delicious man for brunch and have yourself a fling before you go!” Nina said excitedly.
Arianna got to her feet, picked up her purse, and then walked around the table, hugging each of her friends and telling them she loved them. Then she fluffed her hair and struck a sassy pose. “I promise to text you all the details tomorrow!” With a wave, she turned and walked across the café.
Will Jameson couldn’t suppress a grin as the beautiful blonde started walking his way. It was his last day in San Francisco, and he was sure he’d spend it alone. But maybe the universe decided to smile down on him after an utterly shitty week.
“Hey,” she said as she stopped next to his table. “Mind if I join you?”
Motioning to the empty chair opposite him, he said, “Not at all.”
In the distance, he heard a round of “woos” coming from her friends before they got up and left, and he had to wonder if they had pushed her to come over here.
“I’m Arianna,” she said with a smile, slipping her purse strap over the back of the chair.
“Will,” he replied with a smile, then…had no idea what to say. Luckily, he didn’t have to think of something because Arianna did.
“So, are you from around here?” she asked. “My friends and I have been coming here every Saturday for brunch and we always see the same people. I’ve never seen you here, so I was curious.”
“I grew up in Oakland. My mother moved to San Francisco after I finished high school.”
“So you’re here visiting her?”
Damn. “Um…she passed away a few months ago, and I had to come and take care of some legal stuff,” he said wearily.
Reaching across the table, she rested her hand on his. “I’m so sorry.” Her tone—like her hand—was soft.
“Thanks.” There was so much more to his stay in the city, but he wasn’t going to get into it with a stranger. Plus, it was over and done with now, and he was free to leave. He had a flight out of here in the morning and nothing to do today, but…maybe his luck just changed. “What about you? Are you from around here?”
“Only temporarily,” she told him. “I just finished an internship, and this was my goodbye brunch with the girls. I head home tomorrow.”
Interesting…
“How long were you here for?”
“Three months, but I’m a little sad I have to leave. I’ve really enjoyed everything about the city.”
“So you’ve seen all the touristy places? Fisherman’s Wharf? Alcatraz? Golden Gate Bridge?”
“Oh, yeah. I made sure to see them all.”
“Which one was your favorite?”
“Ghirardelli Square,” she said with a smile. “Hands down. All the food and the chocolate and the shops…amazing. I could spend a week in there and not get bored.”
“Second favorite?”
“Golden Gate Park. The views were just breathtaking,” she replied without hesitation.
“Third?”
This time she laughed. “I feel like you don’t believe me when I say I’ve visited them all.”
It was his turn to chuckle. “No, it’s not that. I guess I’m always curious about what people gravitate toward. Some people love going to museums; others love to go hiking or riding bikes.” He shrugged. “You can learn a lot about a person by how they spend their vacation.”
“Well, to be fair, this wasn’t really a vacation. I tried to go somewhere every weekend, but not all of it was here in the area.”
“Like…?”
“Reno and Vegas are probably the farthest I’ve gone, but I’m a huge fan of day trips.”
The waitress came over to take his order, and Will looked over and asked if she wanted anything.
“Um… maybe just some coffee,” she replied. Once they were alone again, Arianna leaned in slightly. “We were drinking mimosa margaritas. I didn’t want to be the party pooper, but I just wanted a cup of coffee.”
“Mimosa margaritas? Now that is something I’ve never heard of before.”
“Oh, they’re good, but…it was a little more than I wanted this morning,” she explained.
“I can understand that.” Glancing around the café, Will chuckled softly. “To be honest, I really just wanted some pancakes. I didn’t realize this place catered more to the brunch crowd. Coming in alone suddenly felt intimidating, and I got a bit of a complex when they seated me in the corner.”
“Then it’s a good thing I came to your rescue,” she whispered.
Their waitress returned with coffee for the both of them, and Will watched as she added cream and sugar and then took a sip. The look of pure bliss on her face was practically hypnotic. Her eyes closed and she let out a throaty hum of approval, and he almost couldn’t believe his good luck. In his entire life, no woman had ever approached him like this and he was completely fascinated by her.
“So,” he said when she put her cup down. “What are your plans for your last day in the Bay Area?”
Her sigh was soft and a little sad. “I know I should have made plans to spend it with friends, but they are all in the same position I am—getting ready to move on. So really, the only plan I had was to maybe walk around and visit some of my favorite spots one last time, eat the foods I’m going to miss, and buy about five pounds of chocolate to take home with me.”
“They don’t sell chocolate where you live?” he teased.
“Of course they do,” she said with a wink. “But I come from a tiny town and we don’t get nearly the same variety as I can get directly from Ghirardelli’s. Plus, I promised my mom and sister I’d bring some home for them too.” Pausing, she took another sip of her coffee. “What about you? Are you heading back to Oakland after you finish your pancakes?”
That’s when he realized he’d never really mentioned much about himself. “Actually, I don’t live in California anymore. Like you, I’m leaving tomorrow.”
“Really? That’s certainly a coincidence. Where are you heading to?”
“Washington D.C.” Reaching for his coffee, he took a sip. “I’ve got to get back to work. As it is, I’ve stayed a little longer than I had expected. What about you? Where are you going?”
“North Carolina,” she said sadly.
“And you’re not happy about it?”
“Like I said, I come from a really small town and that’s where I’m going back to. I never traveled much, so coming here for my internship really opened my eyes to how much is out there. Now I’m afraid I’m going to be disappointed with it all.”
“Trust me when I tell you, big city life isn’t all it’s cracked up to be,” he said with his own hint of sadness. “We always lived in a big city, and we traveled a lot, and I still do for my job, but…I would love to live in a small town.”
“So why don’t you?”
“It’s in the works, but I’ve got another year to put into what I’m doing before I can implement my plans.” Will knew he was being deliberately vague, but he didn’t really want to talk about himself.
Fortunately, she didn’t push for more information.
“Can I ask you something?” he said after a moment.
“Sure.”
“What made you come over here?”
If he wasn’t mistaken, she was blushing. She toyed with her coffee cup and tucked a strand of honey-blonde hair behind her ear before looking at him. That’s when he really noticed just how deep a shade of blue her eyes were. Licking her lips, she gave him a shy smile. “I noticed you as soon as you came in. Unfortunately, my friends also noticed.” With a small laugh, she went on. “We were playing a game of truth or dare, and my dare was to come over and introduce myself to you.”
“Oh.” He was oddly disappointed because that sounded like she didn’t really want to.
“To be honest, I was relieved,” she told him.
“Really?” he asked, hoping he didn’t sound too anxious.
Nodding, she explained, “I know I’m leaving tomorrow and meeting a nice guy shouldn’t be on my agenda for today. But the dare allowed me to do what I really wanted to.” Then she smiled. “So I’m going to go out on a limb and just lay it all out there.”
“O-kay…”
“I know we’re both leaving tomorrow, and I have no idea what you need to do to make that happen, but I was wondering if you’d like to spend the day with me? Maybe join me on my last tour of San Francisco?”
It was utterly crazy and something he wouldn’t normally do, but…she was really captivating and he couldn’t think of anything he’d rather do than spend more time with her. It had been a long time since he’d gone out on a date, and even longer since he’d spent any quality time with a beautiful girl. And right now, he felt like there was a reason he’d come to this little café when there were several diners he passed on his way here.
Tomorrow he’d return to his regular, regimented life. But for today, he could pretend everything was okay and that maybe he’d get to see her again.
Ugh…depressing much?
Pushing all negative thoughts aside, Will smiled at her. “I’d like that very much.”
CHAPTER TWO
An hour later, they were walking toward Ghirardelli Square, and Arianna felt like she hadn’t stopped smiling. They had talked nonstop throughout Will’s breakfast—well, brunch—and they had similar tastes in food, music, and movies. She got the feeling he didn’t want to dig too deeply into each other’s lives, and that was more than okay with her. All they had was today, so what was the point of learning more?
The goal was to enjoy themselves and if she could manage to get…well…flung…even better.
But for right now, she was thoroughly enjoying playing tourist with Will.
