Chapter 23
LIV
Getting ready for a real date with Caleb turns out to be both chaotic and fun.
Hailey and Tessa each have some pretty big ideas about what I should wear, and I wind up trying on a bunch of my own outfits, along with several of Hailey’s.
Tessa is too tiny to share her clothes with either of us, so she grabs her jewelry box instead, and pulls out some gorgeous earrings, necklaces, and bracelets.
“These, I think,” she says, sliding over a really cute set.
“I’ve got a bracelet already,” I remind her, tapping my macaroni bracelet and smiling.
I wind up in a cute dress of my own, but Hailey lends me a silky cardigan and I relent and take the slender silver hoop earrings Tessa says will be amazing with it.
Looking in the mirror, flanked by my pleased-looking besties, I’m reminded that this was all I wished for in high school. And how cute I look in the outfit has nothing on how good it feels to have real friends.
“Where’s he taking you?” Tessa asks.
“I’m not sure,” I admit.
“Wow, a surprise,” Hailey says, her eyebrows lifting slightly. “Good one, Stone.”
Tessa giggles and I smile too.
I’m just grabbing my favorite suede boots when Hailey gasps.
“No way,” she breathes, her eyes fixed on her phone.
“What’s up?” I ask her.
Tessa is already halfway across the room.
“Angel Covington,” Hailey says. “She got fired from her job.”
It’s weird that Hailey would know that. I didn’t exactly think the two of them were friends.
“That’s online?” Tessa asks, frowning as she looks over Hailey’s shoulder.
“Well, it’s not national news or anything, but that stunt she pulled on you in the parking lot didn’t go over well,” Hailey says, glancing up at me.
“She’s a dental hygienist, and it turns out the doc she works for does a lot of dental work for the Stallions.
He told her hockey is a family sport, and that it’s no place for bullies. ”
“No way,” Tessa says with a wondering smile.
“Way,” Hailey says. “I guess karma finally caught up with her.”
That statement is so similar to the thought I had when I first heard about Caleb’s downfall that I feel a twinge of guilt. And I guess it shows on my face.
“Don’t tell me you’re unhappy about this, Liv,” Hailey says. “Angel was awful to you, and to a whole lot of other people too.”
“Everyone deserves a second chance,” I hear myself say.
“Not if they haven’t changed their ways,” Hailey retorts. “That’s kind of the point of the whole second chance thing.”
“Well, hopefully hitting rock bottom encourages her to do some self-reflection,” Tessa says kindly, and I nod. I really hope it does.
A moment later, there’s a knock on the door and my roommates accompany me to the living room.
“Hey,” Caleb says when I open it.
He’s so handsome that it’s all I can do not to melt into the floor.
I’m used to seeing him in jeans and a t-shirt with Daisy, or in his hockey gear, covered in sweat. And I love casual Caleb. He’s half-snuggly, half-hottie, and all man.
But tonight’s version of Caleb Stone is sophisticated and gorgeous. He’s got on a white button-down shirt and a tie, with a sports coat that must have been tailored to his lean, muscled form. He looks like the hero in a spy movie, or maybe even the villain, and it’s enough to make my heart thunder.
He’s so good-looking. He’s too good-looking.
“Okay, double-oh-seven,” Hailey teases him. “Looking good.”
He flashes her a grin, and when I remember his front teeth I feel more settled. We’re both dressed up, that’s all.
He turns back to me and shakes his head as he eyes me up and down, naked admiration in his eyes.
“You’re so beautiful, Olivia,” he says softly.
My cheeks are burning and I look away. But that happens to be directly into Tessa’s face.
“Olivia,” she mouths silently, looking impressed.
“Um, thanks,” I tell him.
“Yes, Olivia,” Hailey adds. “You’re stunning.”
She’s making fun of him a little bit, but he doesn’t know it. And something about that has laughter bubbling up in my chest, even though it’s not really funny.
He’s calling me by my full name, as if he’s telling me he accepts me as I am and as I was, and maybe as I will be, too.
“Are you ready?” he asks.
“Yes,” I tell him, honestly. Not just ready to go, but ready for this, for all of it.
“See you soon, ladies,” he says, turning to them.
“Have her home by eight,” Hailey tells him firmly with a straight face.
But thankfully, he seems to have figured out now that she’s just pulling his leg because he only smiles.
“I’ll bring her home the second she wants to come home,” he says, winking at her. “Will that do?”
“Fine,” Hailey says. “But take her someplace fancy and bring us a doggy-bag.”
“Whatever Olivia wants she gets,” he says.
“Good answer,” Tessa tells him encouragingly. “Have fun, you two.”
Caleb wraps his big, warm hand around mine and we head out to the hallway together.
“I can’t tell if they like me or not,” he admits as we start down the stairs.
“They’re a little protective,” I tell him. “But I think you won them over when you said what you did after the game.”
“And what about you?” he asks, stopping at the landing to turn to me. With him one step below, we’re face-to-face, and it’s strange to look directly into his eyes like this.
“You won me over with what you said after that,” I admit, feeling my cheeks burn as I try not to notice all over again how blue those eyes are when they light on mine.
“I’ll never take you for granted,” he tells me, reaching out to tuck a piece of hair behind my ear so gently. “Thank you for giving me a chance to be in your life.”
How am I supposed to keep my cool when he keeps saying stuff like this to me?
“I just want to stand in this stairwell and kiss you,” he says without giving me a chance to answer. “But we have a reservation and I think you’re going to like this place.”
“Let’s go,” I tell him.
We get to his SUV and he helps me in before hopping in the driver’s side.
The radio comes on when he starts the engine, and we both smile at the sound of the Beatles singing “Here Comes the Sun.” The optimistic lyrics and the yearning tune perfectly match the way I feel heading out on our first date.
It isn’t long before Caleb pulls into a parking spot right in front of Lush, a small but beautiful indoor plant nursery and gift shop with a restaurant in one of the greenhouses behind it. I’ve always wanted to eat here, but I’ve only ever browsed the nursery part.
“No way,” I murmur.
“Does this seem good?” he asks.
“It’s perfect,” I tell him honestly.
There’s a much fancier restaurant in town, and a couple of upscale pub-style spots. But this place is special. I’ve only caught glimpses of candles and small tables from one of the nursery windows, but I already know it’s going to be romantic.
Caleb looks really pleased that I’m happy, which only makes me happier.
We head inside, hand in hand, and the hostess greets Caleb warmly.
Honestly, maybe she greets him a little too warmly. I’m not fond of her flirty smile or the way she trills about his great season so far. Have I already become a jealous girlfriend before we even finish our first date?
But he only answers with studious politeness, ignoring the flirting, and we follow her back to the greenhouse, which is much more beautiful than I even imagined.
Soft acoustic guitar music is playing and we can’t even see another table from the nook she seats us in.
Our table is small and round, and it’s tucked in a corner near a small wood-burning stove. Pretty white lights have been wound around the potted figs and birds of paradise and there are three candles winking on the tabletop.
“Your server will be right with you,” the hostess tells us.
Caleb pulls my chair out for me and I’m in heaven as soon as he’s sitting opposite me. The candlelight dances in his blue eyes as he looks across the table at me like he can’t believe how lucky he is. I recognize that look right away, because it’s exactly how I’m feeling right now.
We peruse the menu for a while, and end up ordering a bit of everything. It’s actually pretty healthy fare, and a lot of the offerings are from local farms.
As we’re sipping our drinks and waiting for our food, Caleb asks me how it’s going with juggling all my baking and working at the diner.
We talk for a while about the options I have right now. I’ve been thinking about asking to reduce my shifts. Hailey is convinced she can find us an affordable space in town. I’m not so sure about that, and I hate to risk my job at the diner.
“Wouldn’t Robert take you back if you needed it?” Caleb asks. “He seems pretty… loyal to you.”
Thinking about how Robert banned Caleb just to stand up for me makes me smile. He’s officially un-banned now, but I don’t think he’s in any hurry to come back and face Robert again.
“I guess he would,” I realize out loud. “I never really thought about it, but I know he has a hard time filling the night shifts.”
“So you have nothing to lose?” Caleb asks.
“I guess not,” I realize out loud.
It’s funny, up until these last few weeks, I might have been more worried that a public failure would be unbearable. I would have been hung up on how it might feel to leave the diner and then have to go crawling back.
But if Caleb Stone burned down his life and built it back again, then why couldn’t I?
“Well, no pressure,” he says. “Because I know starting any new project is hard. But I think you should go for it if the idea makes you happy.”
“I wouldn’t have to work overnights anymore,” I say longingly. “And if we did well enough, I might even be able to hire some staff and have more flexibility.”
I can’t help thinking of Daisy when she starts school next year, and how much I’d love to be able to still have time with her.
“Daisy really wants you to come to swimming with her sometime,” Caleb says, dropping his blue eyes to the candles in an uncharacteristically shy moment.
“I would love that,” I tell him. “She’s the reason I’d like to be home more in the evenings.”