The whole thing with Alex and the 12% had thrown off my equilibrium, like a spinning top that was losing speed and starting to wobble. This date was just different enough that it might rattle things back into place.
Okay, so the logic wasn’t rock solid, but the hope persisted.
Besides, in my experience, great things always involved opposition. My car not starting was exactly that.
Sitting in the driver seat of my inoperative car, I thought for a minute, then shot a text to Grant.
He was already heading to the music venue anyway; he might as well swing by and pick me up.
It was five-to-nine when Grant pulled in front of my place, and I was on edge. I hated being late.
His gaze fixed on my outfit for a second as I approached the car, and I wondered if I had toilet paper hanging off my heel or stuck to my thigh or something. Or maybe he was a connoisseur of the live music scene and my outfit screamed I was a fishout of water.
“So,” he said as we pulled away from the curb, “what’s this place like?”
Grant was in his usual getup, like dressing for the occasion hadn’t even crossed his mind. I guessed this was technically work for him, though.
For me, it was…I didn’t even know. Some unidentifiable mashup of work and not-quite-pleasure.
“I don’t know,” I said. “I think it might be a place for up-and-coming artists to play. Leo mentioned there’d be food and drinks.”
“You sure it’s not his gym and he’s hoping you’ll spot him on the bench press?”
I shot him an unamused look. “How many gyms have music, food, and drinks, Grant?”
“I’dgo to a gym like that.”
I couldn’t really picture Grant at the gym, but a man didn’t get a body like his by sitting at a computer 24/7.
I inhaled, then frowned and glanced behind me. A brown paper bag with the Dawson’s Donuts logo sat on the back seat.
I looked at Grant.
“It’s tradition now,” he said.
I kind of hated thoughtful Grant. He was really hard not to like, and Leo was the one I wanted to like tonight.
The best parking option was a huge garage two blocks from the address Leo had provided. We pulled in and wound our way up, and I refused to think of the last time Grant and I had been in a structure like this together. On no account could he be allowed to co-opt the concept of parking garages for the rest of my life—or even tonight.
“Late work day for you,” I said as we took the elevator down to the ground floor.
He shoved his hands in his pockets and leaned against the wall. He looked…attractive, which was annoying because he looked the same as he always did. “This is nothing. Unless you and Leo are planning to pull an all-nighter…” He cocked a suggestive brow.
“I have a midnight curfew. But even if an all-nighter did happen, I can assure you that you wouldn’t be invited.”
“Oh, I’d definitely be invited. I’m here to observe the first date. Thewhooolething.” His eyes danced.
The elevator door opened, and we made our way to the address Leo had provided, keeping a quick pace since I was more than fifteen minutes late.
Grant chuckled at my speed-walking but managed to keep up.
We turned the corner onto the street, and I glanced at the address on the nearest building, then at the place next to it—our destination.
Two extremely large men stood on either side of a matte-black door, their hands clasped in front of them like they were hoping to snag the top image result on Google for the termbouncers.
The door opened, and two girls in short, glitzy dresses stepped out, bringing booming music and flashing lights with them.
I glanced at the addresses of the buildings on either side again and checked them against my message from Leo. There was no mistaking it, though. This was the place.
