by B. N. Hale
“I don’t know,” she said. “Honestly, I just know you’re going to need a ride.”
Pleased she’d managed to get some information, Kate released Sara’s chair and leaned back. “At least I know he’s going to ask today.”
“He’s really cute, you know.”
“You met him?” she asked, surprised.
“He caught me when I left work last Tuesday,” Sara admitted. “Asked for my help. How could I refuse such a romantic?”
“You can’t,” she said, half disparaging, half admiring.
Sara shook her head. “We all dream of meeting a guy like that and you meet him on a blind date. How do I get mine?”
Kate laughed lightly. “I don’t know if he’s even mine yet.”
“But you want him to be?”
Kate didn’t hesitate. “Of course.”
“Then what are you waiting for?”
“Him,” she said. “He feels the same for me, I can tell, but something is holding him back.”
“You think he’s lying to you?”
Kate shook her head. “Why would he? He hasn’t even touched me. Usually guys lie because they want sex.”
“Or they lie because they have something to hide.”
“True,” Kate agreed. “But I don’t get the feeling he did anything wrong. I think regret drives him to date the way he does.”
“So what does that mean for you?” Sara asked, leaning back in her chair. “Can you be with him if he has a secret like that?”
“You think he’ll never tell me?” she asked. She hadn’t considered that possibility.
“Everyone has secrets,” Sara said. “The question isn’t if they have them, it’s if you can live with them.”
Kate considered her words until a door clicked open and one of the other assistant engineers entered. Yawning, the man strode to his office. The key clicked in the lock and then he shuffled out of sight. Sara gave Kate a searching look and then returned to her cubicle.
Sara was always smart, both with people and with math. She wasn’t what most guys would consider pretty, making her prospects limited. In fact, she was exactly the type of girl Reed might have taken on a date. When she’d talked about finding a guy like Reed, her eyes had been wistful, a yearning that bordered on desperation.
Is that what Reed saw? Is that why he dated as he did? She frowned, wondering if she could live with his secret, wondering if he would ever reveal it. Although Reed was an open book with everything else, he had yet to reveal his motivations.
Throughout the day she struggled to focus on work, but her thoughts were dominated by the ramifications of Sara’s comments. Kate wanted to dismiss them but couldn’t, and by 2:00 pm she’d realized that as much as she felt for Reed, if he couldn’t reveal what held him back, she couldn’t stay with him.
The certainty was sobering, and she realized their dates had been progressively more serious, exemplified by his kissing her cheek. Like two trains racing towards each other on the same track, they were bound for a collision.
Sara appeared promptly at two. “Ready?” she asked, her tone betraying her eagerness.
“Ready,” Kate said.
She gathered her purse and rose to her feet. Although she’d been conflicted all day, a sense of certainty permeated her thoughts. She knew what she wanted, and knew she could no longer wait.
As they walked to the elevator, Sara was jittery. Several times she’d looked out the window in an attempt to see Kate’s car but Kate had parked around the corner. They entered the elevator and Sara stabbed the button.
“How are you not more excited?” she asked.
“I am excited,” Kate said honestly, a flicker of anticipation sparking in her heart. “With Reed, everything is exciting.”
“Does he have a brother?” she asked.
“Only a sister,” Kate replied.
“Why are all the good ones taken?” Sara lamented.
Kate caught her eye. “We only say that until we find a good one.”
The elevator pinged and they walked out of the building together. “You really think there’s one for me?” Sara asked, her tone doubtful.
“Everyone has their match,” Kate said.
Sara raised an eyebrow. “Does that mean you’re his match?”
They came to a halt facing Kate’s car. “I don’t know about that,” Kate breathed.
The parking lot had transformed while they were at work. Black paper and cardboard covered her car, making it look like a mine cart. Mine tracks stretched away from the wheels and entered a cave, also built from cardboard and wood. The theatre-level display transformed the corner of the parking lot into a gold mine, complete with glittering gold nuggets glimmering in the walls.
“It just appeared,” a woman said to Sara, her voice awed as she took pictures. “I was out here an hour ago and it wasn’t here.”
The mine was quickly drawing a crowd, with dozens already gathered around, taking pictures and video. Sara spotted a chest hidden next to Kate’s car-turned-minecart. With the lid cracked open and light spilling from the interior, it begged to be explored.
“Well?” Sara demanded. “If you don’t open it, I will.”
Kate grinned and strode to the chest, drawing a shout from the swelling crowd that realized it was for her. She stooped to the chest and lifted the lid to find a map and a letter. She pulled it open and, at the urging of her colleagues, read aloud.
“To a girl with a heart of gold, you deserve an adventure. I’ll take you to a mine of old, to a world of depth and treasure.”
She smiled and swept her hand at the crowd. “It appears I have a date,” she called.
One Reed was not prepared for.
To continue to Volume 9, you can find 27 Dates: The Rainy Date on Amazon here.
Author Bio
Originally from Utah, Ben has grown up with a passion for learning. While still young, he practiced various sports, became an Eagle Scout, and taught himself to play the piano. As a teenager he began creative dating and continued the practice into college, where he took a break to do volunteer work in Brazil. After school, he launched his first series, The Chronicles of Lumineia, and has since published over 20 titles across multiple genres. He loves to snowboard, build treehouses, and play board games, especially with his family. His greatest support and inspiration comes from his wonderful wife and six beautiful children. Currently he resides in Missouri while working on his Masters in Professional Writing.
To contact the author, discover more about 27 Dates, or find out about the upcoming sequels, check out his website at 27Dates.com. You can also follow the author on twitter @27Dates or Facebook.