He’s wearing a navy shirt and looks absolutely incredible, like he just walked out of a magazine.
“No worries at all. Come in,” I say, suddenly realizing I’m still holding the plate.
I quickly head to the kitchen and place it on the counter.
“I brought you a bottle of… Is everything ok here?” Zane asks, glancing around the room. “Did something burn?”
I take a deep breath, trying to stay composed. I am an adult. I can’t let this get to me.
“I tried to make a casserole. I thought it would be fun if we watched Sweet Home Alabama and ate the food that’s in the movie like eating alongside the characters,” I explain. Zane is still scanning the room like he expects a fire to break out any second.
“That’s an amazing idea,” he says, sounding genuinely excited.
“Well, yeah, it was… until I burned the casserole and nearly set my apartment on fire. Sorry, it smells so bad,” I chuckle.
“Oh, don’t worry about it. I’ve smelled worse rooms in college,” he replies.
I can’t help the look of mild disgust that crosses my face.
“Yeah, I probably shouldn’t have said that,” Zane adds quickly, laughing.
He hands me a bottle of wine with a blue butterfly on the label.
“It’s a bottle from France. I wasn’t sure what to bring,” he shrugs.
“You didn’t have to bring anything, but thank you,” I say with a smile, taking it and placing it in the fridge. I don’t usually drink fancy wine, and I hope it’s a good one, not one of those overly dry, sour kinds.
“I really like your place,” Zane says, looking around.
“Thank you,” I reply. “I’m not really sure what to do now… I basically ruined our dinner,” I add with an awkward laugh.
“We could always go somewhere if you’d like,” Zane suggests. “Or we could stay in and order something. There’s a great pizza place nearby that delivers.”
The fact that Zane isn’t particular about what we do or where we go makes me feel like he’s genuinely here to spend time with me, and that makes me nervous. A good kind of nervous, but nervous all the same.
“Your pick,” I say. “I do have dessert if we end up staying in. I made some cakes at the bakery earlier today and brought them home.”
“Pizza and a movie sounds like the perfect date to me,” Zane laughs.
“Alright, I’ll put in the order,” I smile as I grab my phone.
With the window open, it’s a little chilly inside, but at least it’s helping clear the smell from the room.
“Can I get you a drink?” I ask while I type in the restaurant and select the pizza I want.
“Do you have a beer, maybe?” Zane asks, and I reach for one.
“Here, please add anything you like,” I tell him as I hand over my phone.
Zane scrolls through the menu when I hear my phone buzz. He doesn’t say anything, but I’m sure he saw the notification, and I’m silently hoping it isn’t Leo being Leo.
“My pizza is in,” he says with a smile, handing my phone back.
I quickly complete the payment and, once I’m done, check the message I missed. My stomach drops.
TESS: I want to hear all about the bedroom adventures again ;)
Why, of all days, does Tess decide to be funny now?
