The food arrives a few minutes later.Burgers, fries, and milkshake for Quinn.She takes one bite and sighs happily.
“Okay, you were right.”
“About?”
“This place.”
“Told you.”
For a while we just eat and the conversation stays light.Safe topics like movies, baking, and Alistair’s terrible jokes.But eventually the conversation circles back to the obvious.
“So,” Quinn says.“What happens now?”
I lean back slightly.“That’s up to you.”
“That’s not helpful.”
“You just ended a long relationship.”
“I noticed,” she says dryly.
“You get to decide what you want next.”
She studies me carefully.“And what if I decide I want to spend time with you?”
My heart stutters once.“Then we spend time together.”
“That’s it?”
“That’s it.”
“No grand declarations?”
“Not tonight.”
“Why?”
“Because you need to be sure.Because I don’t want to be a rebound.”
Her expression softens slightly.“You’re very careful.”
“I’m trying to be.”
She taps her straw against the milkshake glass thoughtfully.“You know what I want right now?”
“What?”
“A normal night.”
“What does that mean?”
“Food.Conversation.No drama.”
I smile.“That’s manageable.”
She meets my eyes across the table.“And maybe a picnic tomorrow.”
“A picnic?”