“A heart attack?” she said, gasping. Eyes wide, she stared back and forth between her friends. “Do you really think that could happen?”
“Do you really want to take that chance?” Donna asked, solemnly. “Take Levi up on his very generous offer, Willow. Trust me.”
Now she had no choice but to look at Levi, and she couldn’t quite read his expression. “You know this won’t be a quick trip, right?”
“Right now, I don’t know anything about it,” he said lightly. “But maybe we can get together tomorrow for lunch and talk about it?”
She practically sagged with relief. A night to think about it would really help, and to be able to sit with him without her friends hovering would be even better.
Smiling, she nodded. “Sounds good! Where should I meet you?”
“Why don’t you meet me here tomorrow around noon and we can pick a place to go then,” he suggested.
“It’s a date!” she said and then realized she was already way too into this fake relationship than she should be. “I mean…it’s not really…it’s…”
He squeezed her shoulder. “Willow, I know what you meant, and yeah, it’s a date.” Smiling, Levi winked and took a step back. “You ladies have a good night. I’ll be at the bar if you need anything.” And then he turned and walked away, the crowd swallowing him up.
But that didn’t stop her from trying to watch.
“Oh. My. God!” Jen said excitedly, slapping Willow on the back. “This is amazing! Not only do you get to see your grandmother like you wanted, but you get to do it with a hot boyfriend! Yay, you!”
“I don’t know…”
“One week of having that sexy man all to yourself!” Donna chimed in. “How awesome is that?”
Sighing loudly, Willow faced both her friends. “I never said I was going to do this.”
They both looked at her like she’d lost her mind. “Why wouldn’t you?” Donna asked. “What’s the matter? Is he not hot enough? Nice enough? Sexy enough?” She huffed with annoyance. “When a hot guy offers to help you out, you say yes!”
“What if he’s crazy, huh? What if he’s like some sort of deranged murderer and this is his MO? We don’t even know him!” Willow countered. “It’s not right to just go on a trip with a stranger! I may never come back!”
“Okay, no more late-night serial killer documentaries for you,” Jen murmured as they all sat down around the table.
“I do not watch serial killer documentaries,” she murmured.
“Oh, please! You are such a liar!” Donna cried. “We’ve binge-watched several of them together!”
“Maybe a few…”
“Last month, we spent an entire Saturday watching them!” Jen added. “Remember? You brought your famous death by chocolate brownies, and we all thought it was the perfect dessert for a serial killer marathon?”
“Okay, I think we’re getting off-topic here. The fact is that we know nothing about Levi!”
“We know…”
“And saying he’s good looking doesn’t count!” she quickly interjected before either friend could bring that up again.
Like she needed the reminder of how attractive he is–tall, muscular, sandy brown hair, dark blue eyes, and a dimple.
Yeah, she was very familiar with Levi’s looks.
“It’s obvious that you’re attracted to him,” Donna said. “And now you get to like…practice date him.”
“Practice date? What does that even mean?”
“It means you get to sample the goods before committing,” Jen said, laughing. “Like…you know…a test drive! You get to date him for a week, and if there’s a spark there, you can explore it afterward. But you’ll have the week you’re away with him to see if you might be a good fit.”
“It’s perfect, Willow. The two of you could fall madly in love and…”
“We don’t even know his last name for crying out loud!”
“So you’ll find it out tomorrow on your date. What’s the big deal?” Jen asked. “You spend a couple of hours with him and…you know…interview him.”
“Interview him? What does that even…” She paused. “Okay, how do I do that without being obvious or sounding like a complete dork?”
“Well, you’re going to be obvious, Willow,” Donna said. “You’re going to have to have a list of questions that you need him to answer so you’ll be believable in front of your family.”
“Yeah, and as for the dorky part…um…just…don’t,” Jen reasoned.
Opting to ignore that comment, she looked at Donna. “Like what kind of questions?” Groaning, she added, “This already is beginning to feel like way too much work.”
“Oooh! I know!” Jen said excitedly. “Let’s finish our drinks and go back to your place! We’ll pick up some ice cream or something on the way, and when we get to your apartment, we’ll help you think of all the things you’ll need to ask him.”
“You’re going to have to come up with a story about how you met…”
“Why can’t we just use how we really met?” Willow asked, feeling more confused and overwhelmed by the moment.
“Okay,” Donna said, patting her on the arm. “That will work, but you may have to adjust your timeline based on when you first told your grandmother you were dating.”
“Oh! And his name! You may have to ask Levi to change his name based on whatever name you gave your grandmother.” Jen looked at her expectantly. “Well? What name did you give?”
Oh, God…this is embarrassing.
“I…” Willow paused and wrapped her hands around her drink as she stared down at it. “I may have said his name was Levi.”
“Oh, my God!” both friends cried in unison.
“I just…”
“Are you not getting how perfect this is yet?” Jen asked, bouncing in her seat. “We couldn’t have planned this better ourselves!”
“We have a lot of prepping to do,” Donna said, pulling the drink from Willow’s hand. “Sorry, no drink for you. You need to drive. Sooner rather than later.”
“But…”
“No. No buts. We have work to do, and I know I’ve already got a running tally of things you’re going to need for tomorrow,” Donna explained. “You can drink when we get to your place.”
“I don’t think they offer to-go cups here…”
Her friends laughed and finished their drinks. “You are so funny, Willow! Levi is going to love you!” Jen said as she climbed off her seat.
Glancing over her shoulder, Willow caught of glimpse of him and sighed.
If only…
“So, um…how old are you?”
Levi did his best to not laugh. Willow was sitting across from him at his favorite sushi place and reading from a small notebook. From what he could see, she had a lot of notes written down.
Like seriously, a lot.
“I’m thirty,” he answered, knowing they were just getting started.
“Have you ever been married before?”
“No.”
“Are you currently dating anyone?”
“You mean other than you?” he teased.
Looking up, Willow’s hazel eyes were wide. “We’re not…I mean…not really. I meant…”
Reaching across the table, Levi placed his hand over hers. “Relax, Willow. Please. I know what you meant, and I was trying to lighten the mood. But just to be clear, no. I’m not dating anyone. I never would have volunteered to be your fake boyfriend if I already had a girlfriend. That wouldn’t have been cool.”
“Oh,” she said softly, seeming to relax. “Okay.”
“Okay, then.” He smiled but didn’t remove his hand. “Next question.”
Their waitress approached before Willow could respond. “Are you ready to order?” she asked.
Levi looked across the table. “I know what I’m having, what about you?”
“Um…can I please get the salmon bento box with the California rolls?”
Nodding, the waitress wrote down Wi
llow’s order before looking at him.
“Can I please get the spicy tuna roll and the dragon roll?”
She nodded again. “Would you like soup with that?”
“No, thanks.”
“Thank you,” she said with a smile before walking away.
“So…” Levi said, getting them back on track. “What’s the next question?”
Willow studied the page in front of her and frowned before she closed the notebook, placing it on the table. “Can I ask you something?”
“I thought that’s what we were already doing.”
Her laugh was soft–like the way she was currently blushing. “Why did you volunteer to do this?”
How the hell was he going to explain that? There was no way he could come out and say it was the only way to guarantee that she’d go out with him, so where did that leave him?
“Levi?”
Slowly, he pulled his hand back. “Honestly? I saw how upset you were and…I don’t know…this seemed important to you.” He shrugged. “I figured I’d try to help.”
“But you have no idea what all this is going to entail, and you don’t even know me!”
“Well, I was hoping you’d tell me what it was going to entail over lunch. As for not knowing you, I disagree,” he stated. “We’ve hung out together every Friday night for the last two months, so you’re obviously not a stranger.”
“You know what I mean,” she said wearily. “And we don’t really hang out together. I just happen to go to McGee’s while you’re working once a week. It’s not the same as you sitting at the table with me and us spending the night together.” Then she gasped and blushed even more. “Oh, my gosh, that is not what I meant! I swear!”
Reaching out, he touched her hand again. “I know what you meant and I guess I don’t see much of a difference.” He paused for a moment and studied her. “Do you remember the night we met?”
“Ugh…I wish I didn’t…”
“Why?”
“Why? Levi, I was a total klutz who face-planted on the sidewalk!” She groaned. “I had a giant bump on my head, everything fell out of my bag, my phone screen cracked, one of my shoes came off, and I cried! I’m a grown woman who cried because she fell! It was mortifying!”
He thought she was cute as hell, but he had a feeling she wouldn’t appreciate that observation right now.
“You tripped on an uneven sidewalk, Willow. It wasn’t like there wasn’t a good reason for it.”
“I wasn’t paying attention to where I was going. I was staring up at the clouds because they were incredibly fluffy that day.”
He wasn’t going to touch that comment with a ten-foot pole.
“Anyway…” He carefully began. “We sat and talked for almost two hours straight that day. We talked until your friends were able to get there, and then I kept coming over and checking on you. We may not be lifelong buddies, but I’d like to think we’re friends.”
“I know we’re friends, Levi…”
“Just a minute ago you said we barely know each other.” And yeah, he knew he was acting just a wee-bit babyish about the whole thing, but it kind of bothered him that Willow didn’t see him the way he saw her.
Hopefully, by the end of this trip–if she agreed to it–she would.
Her expression turned a little sad, and he knew he needed to get them to move on. “So, where does your grandmother live?”
“Um…Florida. She lives in a retirement community called The Villages.”
“I’ve heard of it,” he said and watched as she relaxed a bit. “Central Florida, right?”
“Yes. She’s lived there for around fifteen years now, and we always go down to visit for her birthday. This year she’ll be 75 so it’s kind of a big deal.”
“My grandmother just turned 80, and we threw her a big party at her favorite restaurant. She loved how so many people came out to celebrate with her. We have a very large family and pretty much took over the whole restaurant that day.”
“Well, our family isn’t all that large. This is my grandmother on my father’s side and he’s her only child.”
“What about you? Do you have any siblings?”
She nodded. “A brother and a sister. Both married with children. I’m the youngest, so now everyone’s wondering when I’m going to follow suit and settle down.”
“Settle down?” he repeated, laughing softly. “I didn’t think people said things like that anymore.”
“They do in my family,” she muttered before opening her little notebook again. “So, um…”
“What do your siblings do?”
“Do?”
“Yeah, you know…for a living?”
Willow let out a small groan and leaned back in her seat. “Other than being the perfect children, you mean?”
He had a feeling he’d just opened a can of worms.
“They’re your stereotypical over-achievers. My brother Miles is a doctor, and my sister Audrey is a lawyer. And then there’s me, the unemployed sibling with no high aspirations. Much to my parents’ chagrin.”
“Chagrin?”
“Yeah, you know…they’re embarrassed by the fact that their youngest child won’t fall in line and do what they want her to do.”
“Which is…?”
“Psychology. I hate it. I have a degree in it, but…it’s just not for me.”
“So, what is for you?”
“I wish I knew. I mean, I know I’m going to have to decide on something sooner rather than later, but for right now, I have no idea what that is. I keep thinking it’s going to just come to me in a dream or something, but so far, no luck.”
“Wow.”
“Did you always want to be a bartender?”
“Not exactly.”
“What does that mean?”
It wasn’t something he wanted to get into right now. It was a bit of a long story and he felt like they had more important things to discuss.
“When is this visit supposed to happen?” he asked instead of answering her.
“You’re avoiding the question, Levi.”
“Not really. Just postponing it for now because we have more pressing matters to cover. If we’re going to do this–and I really hope you’ll accept my offer–then I’m going to need to know specifics. If I’m going to take off of work…”
“Oh, my goodness…you’re right! That really should have been the first thing we talked about. Gammy’s birthday is at the end of the month, and it’s a two-day drive from here to Florida, so…”
“Wait, we’re driving?”
She nodded.
“But…why? Flying would give you more time to visit.”
“Like I said, I’m not really working right now.”
“Willow, you’re practically a nanny to Josh, and then there are the dogs…”
“Um, yeah. They cover the bills but…it doesn’t leave a lot for extras. Like travel,” she murmured and sighed. “If it’s okay with you, we’ll drive. It’ll cost less.”
“O-kay…and how long will we be gone for?”
“Two days driving there, two days to get home, and four days there, so…a little over a week. Will that be okay for you? Will your boss be okay with you taking that much time off?”
He waved her off. “Yeah, it won’t be a problem.”
“Are you sure?”
“Absolutely.” He smiled. “Okay, so driving down. Where will we be stopping and staying along the way?”
“Someplace budget-friendly since I’ll be paying all the expenses,” she said, blushing again while not looking at him.
“Wait…why? I don’t have a problem helping to pay for stuff. There’s no reason you have to do it all.”
Now she did look at him. “Levi, you’re helping me out! You’re doing me a favor! You’re missing work to help me! Covering your expenses is the least I can do, and you’re not going to change my mind. I can be very stubborn, and on this, you’re not going to get your way!”
Willow had a feisty
side that was kind of adorable.
“What if I knew of a place we could stay along the way that wouldn’t cost anything?”
She frowned. “Like where?”
“My sister lives in Richmond. We could stay there for the night. What do you say?”
“I don’t know…won’t that be weird?”
“Nah, I’ll explain to Nat what’s going on. It won’t be deluxe accommodations or anything–probably the couch and the floor–but it will be free, and we’ll get dinner and breakfast out of it.”
“I’d feel like I’m taking advantage…”
It would be wrong to blurt out just how badly he wanted her to take advantage of him. So instead, he said…
“Are you kidding? Nat’s always saying I don’t come and visit enough. So really, you’d be doing me a favor.”
“If you’re sure…”
“I’m positive. Trust me.”
Sitting up a little straighter, she smiled at him. “Okay then. Richmond’s not quite halfway, but it still should work.”
“I have another sister in Savannah. Maybe we stop a second night and hit the road early the next morning, so we get to your grandmother’s by lunchtime. What do you think?”
“Hmm…three days of driving is kind of long…”
“Depends on how you look at it. If we did the drive in two days, we'd arrive at your grandmother’s kind of late at night. You won’t get any real time to visit her that day. But if we stop in Savannah and leave early the next morning, you’ll get almost a full day with her when we arrive.”
“I didn’t think of that,” she said thoughtfully. “That probably would be a lot better for everyone. Especially since we’ll be staying with her.”
“We are?” Okay, that was brand-new information.
Although…most of this was brand-new information. He just hadn’t thought about the logistics of their arrangements once they arrived in Florida.
Nodding, Willow explained, “My folks stay at this boutique hotel near one of the town squares. Neither of my siblings can go this year, but honestly, I’m the only one who stays with her. She lives in a two-bedroom bungalow. It’s super cute and cozy, but definitely not a lot of room for everyone to come and stay.”
Test Drive: Road Tripping Series Page 3