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“All finished here?”

“Yes, thanks, Georgia, the cake was delectable! Sam loved his toastie too,” Hazel replied.

Sam was still staring at her, a faraway look on his face. He flinched when Georgia’s arm appeared in front of him to take away his plate. Hazel looked at him, perplexed.

“Thanks so much, Georgia. We should probably let you close up now!” Sam stood abruptly, his chair falling backwards onto the patio. He fumbled and muttered apologies as he bent down to pick it up.

“It’s fine Sam, I can get the chair. Bye you two!” Georgia gathered up their plates and glasses and carried them back inside. Hazel clasped her hands together and looked up at Sam. Continuing to disobey her self-imposed rules, she smiled up at him. He gave a tight smile in return and began to walk back to Beach Road. Hazel followed, struggling to keep up with his pace.

“Sam, wait up. Why are you walking so fast?” Hazel puffed.

Sam slowed his pace and eventually stopped when he reached the end of the alley way.

“My truck is over there. Would you like a ride home?” He spoke quickly as he stared down at the ground.

Hazel felt a sense of delight swell through her, despite the disappointment that she was disobeying her rules. She also felt confused by Sam’s sudden change in behaviour.

“Yes, thank you. That would be very nice,” she replied politely.

He nodded curtly.

Hazel frowned. “Unless that’s completely out of your way?” She said in a small voice. “I can walk home, if it’s too much trouble…” She suddenly felt like a nuisance, confused by his sudden change of demeanour.

“No. No, sorry. I have to go back there anyway. I forgot my tool box.” Sam ran his hand through his hair and gave her a small smile. Hazel followed Sam to his truck. They made the short drive back to Molly’s, barely speaking. Hazel wondered if she was the problem. Maybe he didn’t like the real her? None of her other boyfriends had either, not after a while. Feeling small, Hazel looked out the window. She also felt a bit silly for letting herself get carried away with the attention he’d been giving her. It had felt nice, to have him look at her the way he did, the way he’d asked her questions about herself. Until he saw the real me, she thought. She wrapped her arms around her body, as if she was trying to shield herself from the humiliation she was now feeling.

The truck pulled up the driveway and stopped in front of the house.

“Uh, thanks for the ride Sam,” Hazel mumbled as she went to open the door. She couldn’t get out of there fast enough.

“Hazel, look, I’m sorry.” Sam said, his voice defeated.

She let her hand stop before she pulled on the handle, but she didn’t turn to face him.

“I wanted to ask you something before, but Georgia was there and I got a little nervous,” he admitted, pausing. Eventually he spoke again, “I was, just wondering, if sometime, maybe tomorrow night, you’d like to um, come to dinner with me?” He looked down and pressed his hands against his thighs, waiting for her reply.

Hazel turned very slowly to stare at him. So, she hadn’t read it all wrong? He did actually like her?

Sam gave her a small smile.

She should say no. The way she had just spiralled was a sign this was trouble. But she couldn’t help the way her chest swelled. So, that was how she found herself saying, “yes. I’d love to.”

His wide grin reached all the way to his eyes. “Do you like Italian?”

“I love it.”

“Great. I’ll head home to shower and change after I finish here tomorrow and come back to get you, about six?”

“Perfect.”

He reached out to hold her hand, giving it a gentle squeeze as he laced his fingers with hers. They held hands for a moment.

“I’ll see you tomorrow?”

“Toolbox?” Hazel asked as she opened the door to the truck.

“Oh right.” He grinned at her. Sam got out and followed Hazel over to the front steps. He picked up the toolbox that he had left beside the front verandah.

Despite herself, Hazel couldn’t keep the smile off her face. Sam leaned in to kiss her softly on the cheek. She watched him get back into his truck and drive away, the spot on her cheek where he’d kissed her still tingling. She stood, basking in the afternoon sun, perplexed at the day’s events.