One Last First Date

by Kate O'Keeffe

  “I . . . Can I say something?” He looked nervous. This was good. Very good.

  Come on, Parker, say it!

  “What is it?” I encouraged as hope rose in my belly.

  “Do you want to play golf with me next weekend?”

  Kersplat! My heart hit the floor. “Oh . . . err . . . golf?” Golf? He wants me to play golf with him? I was lying naked in bed with this man after our very first time together, and he wanted to ask me to play golf with him?

  He smiled. “Yeah, golf. You know, clubs, balls, green. That kind of thing.”

  “Sure. That sounds fun.” What happened to “I love you”?

  “It’s kind of a big deal for me to ask a girl to play, to be honest. I’ve only ever played with one girl, my ex. You see, I really love golf.”

  Well, at least he used the word “love.” My heart got up off the floor and pricked up its ears. This is a good sign. “I would love to play golf with you.”

  He looked relieved. “Great! Have you played before?”

  “Yes, absolutely. I’m pretty good, actually.” I failed to mention the words “at Nintendo Wii Golf.” Semantics. How hard could golf be?

  “You are awesome.”

  I smiled at him, waiting for more. I waited. And waited. In fact, I waited right through the night and into the next day. By the time he went home, I knew I would have to completely dazzle him with my golfing prowess and force him to tell me he loved me.

  Chapter 12

  PAIGE WAS AT MY desk first thing Monday morning, waiting for me to arrive. “How was it?”

  Although I wasn’t about to delve into any of the sordid details, Paige was my friend and deserved to hear about this important development in mine and Parker’s relationship. After all, I was the first one of us who took the pact to take the leap.

  I grinned at her. “Amazing.”

  She beamed back. “Oh, I’m so happy for you!”

  “Yeah, me too.”

  “And? Did he say it?”

  I smiled, despite the persistent sinking feeling that appeared to have taken up residence in my belly since Saturday night. “No, but he will.” I tried to sound upbeat, despite my mood.

  Paige’s face fell. “I thought he would have. I was sure of it.” She furrowed her brow. “What are you going to do?”

  I placed my laptop bag on my desk with a sigh and slipped my jacket off. “I’m not sure yet. He did ask me to play golf with him, though.”

  Paige laughed. “Golf? Really? That’s not much of a consolation prize.”

  “I guess not.” She was right. Although Parker had only ever played golf with one woman before, it was but a mere tiny footstep in the right direction. By now I needed giant leaps for mankind.

  “Morning, ladies.” Will breezed past us on the way to his—my future—office.

  “Hi, Will.” Paige’s face flushed pink, right on cue.

  “Hey, Millsey,” Will said over his shoulder. He disappeared into his office only to pop his head out a moment later. “Dunny, do have a moment?”

  I rolled my eyes at Paige. “Gotta go.”

  I walked into my future office, temporarily occupied by Will Jordan. “What’s up?”

  He was already sitting back down at his desk. He looked up at me. “How’s your calendar looking this morning?”

  I narrowed my eyes at him. “Not too bad. Why?”

  “You know how we talked about engaging a graphic design company in our last project meeting?”

  “Yes.” I sat down on the other side of the desk from him. “You mentioned you had a contact at Design Zoo.”

  “Exactly. We’ve got an appointment with them in”—he glanced at his watch—“twenty minutes.”

  “You’re giving me twenty minutes to prepare for this? Really?” I tapped my foot. This was so typical of Will, always leaping at things, not bothering to see if it suits others around him.

  “It’ll be a cinch. We know what we need them to do, we just need to get them on the same page with us.”

  “Well, I don’t know if I’m free in twenty minutes.” I knew I was being obstinate. I did not care.

  He smiled. “Nineteen.”

  I crossed my arms. “Nineteen then.”

  He peered at his screen, moving his mouse around. “It looks to me like you’re free.”

  I opened my mouth to speak. Will had access to my calendar? What was I thinking? He was my manager, of course he did. Damn him.

  Looking thoroughly self-satisfied, he stood up. “Grab your things and let’s go.” He slipped on his suit jacket and slid his laptop into its bag.

  With a sigh of resignation, I pushed myself up and left his office. Back at my desk, Paige was gone, leaving a message with “Cozy Cottage at ten?” written on a Post-it note stuck to the side of my laptop bag. I pulled it off and stuck it on my desk, collecting my purse and jacket as Will appeared at my desk.

  Of course he wanted to drive, so I sat in the passenger seat of his flashy, high-status German car to Design Zoo in the upmarket inner-city suburb of Ponsonby. I suggested that I would lead the meeting—for a change—and Will seemed happy with the idea. Odd.

  We were met in reception by Bri, someone I had expected to be a woman, but a tight man-bun, bright paisley shirt, and elaborate facial hair confirmed he was most definitely male. And a total hipster at that. He was very enthusiastic about working with us and offered a ton of ideas, some of which could fit very nicely with our brand.

  At the end of the meeting, we said our farewells to Bri and his ironic hair and climbed back into Will’s car. He turned the ignition over. The car thrummed, low and deep. “After that level of man-bun enthusiasm, I could do with a caffeine top-up, how about you?

  I couldn’t help but chuckle. “Sure. We could grab a takeout.”

  Will hit the accelerator, and the car rumbled off, back toward the central city. “I’ve got a better idea. Let’s go to my favorite café.”

  “Sure.” Judging by his car, his favorite café would be some sort of ritzy place with funky music, walls of mirrors, and a cooler than cool clientele. I sat back in the plush black leather bucket seat, watching the houses, shops, and trees whizz by. “That went well. I think Bri had some useful ideas. I especially liked the third campaign he suggested. The aesthetic was really ‘now.’”

  “Do you think all graphic designers have ridiculous beards and buns on top of their heads?” he asked, completely ignoring anything I’d said.

  “Possibly not the women.”

  Will laughed. “You’re funny, Dunny. Ha! And that rhymes.”

  I glared at him, although my heart wasn’t in it. It was getting exhausting being Will’s arch nemesis. Sometimes a girl simply needed a break. “He’s just creative. They’re all a bit like that. It kind of goes with the territory.”

  Will slowed the car and performed an expert parallel park in a space I would have deemed too tight, even for my little hatchback. He switched off the ignition. “Attagirl.”

  I shot him a look. “You talk to your car?”

  He shrugged, undeterred. “Why not? She’s a beauty.”

  “Do you take her on dates? Buy her pretty things? Ooh, maybe this is your international supermodel girlfriend!”

  He arched an eyebrow in response. “Jump out.”

  I laughed. Why hadn’t he listed that as an embarrassing thing? I closed the door behind me and stood beside the car on a very familiar street, looking at the building in front of me, openmouthed. The Cozy Cottage Café was Will Jordan’s favorite café?

  Will looked back to me over his shoulder. “Are you coming?”

  Rendered speechless, I simply nodded and concentrated on putting one foot in front of the other. Will reached the door and held it open for me. As I walked in, I was instantly hit by the familiar and inviting aroma of coffee and sweet treats, the place warmed by the fire, crackling under the old wooden mantle.

  “You’re going to love this place. The food is fantastic and the coffee second-to-none. I don�
��t come here much because it’s so far from the office, but when I worked around the corner, I came here pretty much every day.”

  I nodded as he spoke, trying desperately to marry the arrogant Will Jordan of my experience with the man whose preferred café was also mine.

  From behind the counter, Bailey spotted me and waved, a confused look on her face as her eyes darted to Will. I smiled at her as though this was perfectly normal and I came here with random men every day of the week.

  At the display cabinet, Will pointed at the flourless chocolate and raspberry cake. “I’m going to buy you a slice of this. It will blow your mind. Seriously.”

  “Sure. Great.” I smiled weakly at him.

  Why did this feel like such a big deal? So what if Will liked this café? It’s not mine; anyone can come here. He has just as much right as the next person. And so what if he loves the same cake as me? It’s a great cake!

  “Good morning, what can I get you?” Adeline, one of Bailey’s staff members asked when we reached the register. “Oh, hey, Cassie.”

  I mumbled a greeting. Bailey caught my eye and smiled.

  “The usual?” Adeline turned to Will. “Cassie likes the flourless chocolate and raspberry cake. Like, a lot. Right, Cassie?”

  I nodded. “Mm-hm.” Not using actual words somehow made this experience less confusing.

  Will raised his eyebrows. “You know this place?”

  I nodded. “Mm-hm.”

  “Isn’t it the best?” His voice was tinged with excitement, like we were now both in on some fantastic secret.

  Finding my voice, I replied, “You’re right, it’s the best café in Auckland.”

  “I’m very glad you see it that way,” Bailey said, appearing behind Adeline. “Hi there. I’m Bailey. I’ve seen you here before, right?”

  Will took Bailey’s outstretched hand. “Yes. I used to come here a bit. I’m Will.”

  “Great to meet you. Has Adeline taken your order?” Bailey asked.

  “I think it has to be two slices of flourless chocolate and raspberry cake, right, Dunny?”

  Bailey and Adeline raised their eyebrows at the mention of my despised nickname. I decided it was best to act as though it was no big deal. “Yes, please. And a latte.”

  “Make that two,” Will added.

  “Why don’t you grab us a table and I’ll be over soon?” I said to him.

  With Will out of earshot, Bailey asked, “What’s happened to the ‘no men allowed’ rule you three have here?”

  “It wasn’t my idea. Will chose it. I had no idea he even knew your café existed.”

  I watched as Bailey looked over at Will, sitting at a table for two near the fireplace, scrolling through his phone. “I remember him. He used to come in a couple of times a week with this pretty brunette.”

  I glanced over at Will. A pretty brunette?

  “To be honest, I thought the first man you brought here would be Parker.”

  “It is. I mean, it will be. Technically, I didn’t bring Will here, he brought me. So . . .”

  “Well, he’s cute. If you want me to cook for him, I’d be more than happy to.” She flashed me her beautiful smile. “How did the dinner go with Parker, anyway?”

  I gave Bailey a quick rundown on the date.

  “Any news?” Her eyes twinkled.

  “He asked me to play golf with him, which is really special.”

  “Fantastic!” she said a little too loudly, making it obvious she was faking her excitement. “Hey, I’ll bring these over for you.”

  Will was still looking through his phone when I sat down in the comfy armchair opposite him and shrugged off my jacket. As usual at this time of year, it was toasty warm inside the café, adding to its homey, welcoming atmosphere. I pulled my own phone out and scrolled through my emails. My interest was piqued when I spied an email from Laura, asking to meet with her at the end of next week to “take the next steps in the interview process.”

  I glanced at Will. He was still engrossed in whatever he was reading. I quickly bashed out a response, agreeing to one of the times she had offered. By then, at the rate we’ve been working, Will and I would have moved the project along nicely.

  “Anything interesting in there?” His eyes had a hint of mischievousness in them.

  “No, nothing out of the ordinary.” I stared him down. There was no way I was going to let on I had a second interview for the job.

  “Are you sure?” he prodded, a smile teasing the corners of his mouth.

  “Yes.” I turned my phone facedown on the table. A quick change of subject was required. The first thing to pop into my head was Will’s supposed supermodel girlfriend. “How’s your girlfriend? Still in Milan or Tokyo or somewhere exciting?”

  He shifted in his seat. I narrowed my eyes at him. Did he look uncomfortable? “She’s back here for a bit. Doing some modeling, then heading off again soon.”

  “It must be hard to have a relationship with someone who’s never really around.”

  “I guess. She’s here enough. Oh, look, here’s our food.”

  Adeline placed the cups of coffee and slices of chocolate heaven in front of us, and for the next few moments, Will and I sat in silence as we devoured them.

  “How’s lover boy?” Will asked once his plate was mere crumbs.

  “He has a name, you know. It’s Parker.”

  “Parker sounds more like a name for a dog. Or incontinence pads.” He chuckled at his own lame joke.

  I rolled my eyes. God, he was so immature. “Don’t be so ridiculous. Parker is a fine name.”

  A smile teased the edges of his mouth. “A ‘fine name,’ is it? Have we been transported back to the nineteenth century? Next you’ll be complimenting his rifle skills and how well he keeps his oxen.”

  “I could, but he wouldn’t need any of those things. He’s a doctor, don’t you know.” I felt a surge of pride as I thought of Parker, my boyfriend, doing something as important as caring for people’s health.

  “Good for him. Does he like this café?”

  I shifted in my seat. “Ah, actually, I haven’t brought him here yet.”

  Will took a sip of his coffee. “Why not?”

  I played with the handle of my coffee cup as my mind darted to our last date—and the distinct lack of any L-word usage on Parker’s behalf. “I don’t know. It’s kind of a girls’ hangout, I guess. I come here with Paige and Marissa. I had planned on bringing Parker here soon, though.”

  “So, when’s the big day?”

  My heart banged against my ribs. “Excuse me?”

  “He’s the guy you’re going to marry, right?” I nodded. “When’s the big day?”

  “We haven’t got to that stage yet. We’ve only been on twelve dates. These things take time, you know.”

  He smirked. “You’ve been counting?”

  I bristled. “So what if I have? Some of us have a plan for our lives.”

  He leaned back in his chair. “Oh, really. What’s your plan? No, don’t answer, I bet I can work it out.” He paused, assessing me through narrowed eyes. “You’re what? Twenty-eight?”

  My back stiffened. “Twenty-seven.”

  “Okay, you’re twenty-seven. I bet you devised a life plan when you were a tweeny-bopper and you first began to fantasize about your big white wedding. You probably practiced walking down the aisle with your teddy bear.”

  I shook my head. “No.”

  He cocked his head, his brown eyes boring into me.

  “It was my stuffed rabbit, Wilbur.”

  Will chuckled. “Of course it was. So, you’ve got the big day nailed, and you decide, being the A-Type, overachieving chick you are, you needed a ‘Life Plan.’” He did air quotes to emphasize his point. “You probably even wrote it up with a pencil with some sort of fluffy animal on the top.”

  I drummed my fingers on the table in agitation. How is he doing this?

  “I’m guessing”—he rubbed his chin with his fingers—“climb the cor
porate ladder to get to your dream job by twenty-eight; meet Mr. Right; get married no later than twenty-nine; first kid of two or maybe three by the time you’re thirty.” He shot me one of those self-satisfied smirks I knew only too well.

  I looked at him, openmouthed. It was almost as though he’d read my diary from when I was eleven and first devised The Plan. I needed to collect myself; no way was I going to let Will Jordan in on something as personal as my life plan, regardless of whether he was right or not. “Something like that,” I sniffed. “Although, you have a few of the details wrong.”

  “Something exactly like that. Everything going to plan?” He pulled an innocent face. I wanted to throw the rest of my coffee at it, stand up, and stomp out of the café.

  I jutted out my chin. “Yes, thank you.”

  He studied me again. After a pause, he said, “I broke up with Samantha. Well, to be honest, she broke up with me.”

  The penny dropped. That’s why he looked uncomfortable. “I’m sorry to hear that. What happened?”

  He shrugged. “Too hard, I guess. She was away a lot. Plus, she’s totally hot, like the hottest chick around, you know?”

  I rolled my eyes. Of course she was.

  “She could have any man she wanted.”

  The look of vulnerability in his eyes took me by surprise. “You’re a pretty great guy, you know. Any woman would be happy to be with you, I bet.” I was tempted to put my hand on his to comfort him but thought better of it. This was Will Jordan I was talking to, after all.

  He chortled, shaking it off. “Yeah. Anyway. These things happen. It’s no biggie. What about you and what’s-his-name?”

  “Parker.” I shook my head. I didn’t know whether it was the fact Will had shown me some vulnerability, my sugar high from that delicious cake, or the magic of the Cozy Cottage Café, but I decided to open up to him. If he loved the Cozy Cottage, he couldn’t be all bad. Could he?

  “It’s pretty good, I guess,” I said, looking down at my coffee cup.

  “Sounds like a problem.”

  I let out a puff of air. “You were kind of right about me having a life plan.”

  He nodded, clearly not surprised.

  “And, well, I kind of expected things to have . . . I don’t know, moved on a bit. Emotionally.”