Lacey felt a small flutter in her chest that surprised her. This was supposed to be a perfunctory date to placate Morgan, but Lacey found herself much more willing to be the sacrificial lamb now that she saw her date inperson.
“Hey,” she eventually responded after lookingherfill.
“You must be Lacey.” Trevor smiled, tipping his chin to the basket she still held inherarms.
After walking around for the last quarter of an hour, the weight of it was beginning to make her muscles burn. She smiled and nodded before asking, “Want to set upshophere?”
Trevor looked back and forth across the grassy lawn before shrugging. “It seems as good of a place as anywhere else.” He shook out the quilt—one Lacey recognized from Morgan’s bed— and laid it across thegrass.
Once it was in position, Lacey practically dropped the basket atop the blanket and stretched outherarm.
Trevor’s eyes widened as he watched her. “Youokay?”
Her cheeks heated as she admitted how wimpy she was. “I’ve been walking around for a bit and that basket is surprisingly heavy. I’m not sure what Morgan packed in it, but I just got aworkout.”
A deep chuckle rumbled in Trevor’s chest. “Maybe we should open this sucker up and make sure she didn’t pack barbells.” He paused. “And if she did, we can run down to Palace and grab something quick before themovie.”
“Palace Pizza is my favorite.” Lacey smiled as she sat up a little straighter in her spot on thequilt.
Trevor smiled back at her. “Maybe we should just skip the picnic and head over thereinstead.”
That sounded amazing, but Lacey knew the work Morgan put into their date. It was a last ditch effort to salvage her business. Lacey had to eat the food in the basket. She sighed and shook her head. “I’m sure whatever Morgan packed will be justasgood.”
She opened the old-fashioned basket and peered inside. There was a loaf of bread, sliced cheese, and grapes. It was basically what every movie made you think should be in a picnic basket. She tried to mask her disappointment as she unloaded the items onebyone.
Also included in the basket, were two plastic wine glasses. It looked like Morgan had spared no expense and packed only the fanciest of all plastic ware. Lacey couldn’t wait to tease her friend. Continuing her unpacking, Lacey took out the large bottle of sparkling grapejuice.
Trevor cleared his throat. “Is there anything else in the basket?” Lacey shook her head. “Darn. I didn’t eat a big lunch because I just assumed dinner meant… well, dinner. This is like a snack orsomething.”
“Right?” Lacey couldn’t contain the glee in her voice. “It’s like Morgan’s never been on a real-life picnicbefore!”
“Oh, yes. Morgan, the Date Maker.” His voice was sarcastic, but Lacey didn’t know why. He’d signed up for the Date Maker just like everyone else in the database. What reason would he have to criticize theservice?
Unless…
What if he’d also read the article Declanposted?
Lacey’s stomach dropped, already regretting the negative words she’d uttered against Morgan and the meal that was surely painstakingly puttogether.
Thankfully, Trevor laughed as he broke off a piece from the baguette and stuck it on his plate alongside some cheese and grapes. Lacey wanted to ask what he meant by his response, but was afraid to open a can of worms that didn’t need to be opened. Not to mention, she was pleasantly surprised by Trevor and didn’t want to mess it up so early on intheirdate.
As Trevor continued to load up his plate, if you could call it that, Lacey noticed he was careful to take exactly half of everything that laid in frontofthem.
“You know, I don’t mind if you take more food,” she said knowing he had come on their date expecting moretoeat.
A small line formed between his brows. “Are you sure? There’s not alothere.”
“Totally. I had a big lunch.” It was a lie, of course. Lacey had been so nervous about the date that was never meant to be, she hadn’t eaten much. Now that she was here, and Trevor was so darn adorable, she wanted to sooth the grumbling in her stomach with as much food aspossible.
But Lacey had been around enough guys to know their appetites were insatiable, and hanger was a very real thing for them. Now that she saw how cute he was, she wanted to keep him happy. She plastered a bright smile on her face. “Seriously, take what you want and I’ll eat whatever youleave.”
Lacey half-expected him to argue. Not because he didn’t want the food, but because that’s what guys did. But after watching Lacey for a moment, Trevor took an extra bunch of grapes, a few more slices of cheese, and ripped another section off thebaguette.
Several people walked around the promenade as the two started eating their paltry dinner. After a few bites in awkward silence, Trevor asked, “So, are you fromaroundhere?”
“Nope,” she answered. “My family’s from Iowa, the land of corn and JohnWayne.”
“JohnWayne?”
