Page 24 of Always and Forever
I have to think about his question for a minute. “Does driving past the exit for downtown on my way here count?”
He shakes his head with a small grin.
“Then it would have been that time your parents took us all in to go to the museum. Are we going to Victoria tonight?” He won’t tell me anything about the date he’s got planned, but my pulse quickens at the thought of a romantic dinner in the city with Ethan.
“Yes, and that’s all I’m telling you.” He winks at me. He knows that I’m going crazy not knowing the plan. “We’ll have to come back one day during daylight. Hit up the waterfront, go to the museum, Butchart Gardens.” His hand is resting casually over mine on my thigh, his thumb stroking across the back of my hand.
“I’d like that,” I say, turning to face him. He flashes me a quick smile before turning his eyes back to the road. We’re planning future dates and we haven’t even finished our first one yet. That must be a good sign.
Twenty minutes later, we come to a stop behind a lineup of cars. Ethan’s frowning, and turns on the radio to a local traffic station, just in time to hear the announcer talk about a multi-vehicle accident on the highway.
“Shit. There’s no other easy way to the city,” Ethan curses. “We might be late.”
I touch his shoulder. “Seeing as I have no idea where we’re going or what we’re doing, that’s fine with me.”
He chuckles at that. “Good point. Maybe I shouldn’t have said anything and you never would have known.”
“Well,” I say wryly, “The traffic jam probably isn’t part of your plan, so I think I would have guessed something was wrong.”
Half an hour later we are finally past the accident and moving at speed again. Ethan is tense, both hands gripping the steering wheel. I want to reassure him that I don’t mind if we’re late or if plans have to change, I just want to be with him. But he seems so stressed, glancing at the clock every thirty seconds, I say nothing.
Traffic in the city is also unusually heavy, the added delays making Ethan more frustrated. When we pull up to the harbour, right before eight o’clock, he sags in his seat before turning his head to look at me.
“We had a seven thirty reservation at Savour,” he says, naming a fancy restaurant overlooking the water. “I doubt they’ll honor it with us being so late, but we can try.”
I slide across the bench seat until I’m pressed up against him. Holding his face between my hands, I press two quick kisses to his lips. Firm enough that he knows I’m not messing around, but quick enough not to get sidetracked by how damn good of a kisser he is.
“I don’t care if we eat at the fanciest restaurant in the city or a park bench. I’m out with you, this is our first date, and after this we’re going to have hot sex,” I say. “That’s all that matters.”
That gets a laugh out of him at last, and he leans over to kiss me deeply. I let him take his time, his tongue coming out to explore my mouth, and his hands going to my low back.
“I just wanted everything to be perfect for you tonight,” he whispers against my skin. His eyes are closed, but mine are open, drinking in his long eyelashes, the freckle underneath his right eye, and his rugged cheekbones. When my fingertips tickle the skin on the side of his neck, he opens his eyes, and the disappointment there kills me.
“Do you honestly think I’m going to be upset about missing a fancy dinner reservation? Ethan, it’s me. Let’s go get a slice of pizza and park the truck someplace pretty where we can make out.”
“You sure?” There’s a vulnerable edge to his voice.
“Yes. Totally sure.”
Ethan flashes me a much more confident smile. “Okay then, I know a place.” He puts the truck in drive and pulls out. A few moments later, he parks once more, this time in front of a tiny pizzeria with a neon sign out front that saysGino’s.
“Wait here,” he says to me. As he’s about to close the truck door, he pulls it open again. “Anything you hate on pizza?”
“Olives,” I say with a smile. He nods, then shuts the door and walks inside. I watch, bemused, as he greets the man behind the counter with a handshake and one of those manly back slapping hugs. He walks back out and climbs into his seat.
“One hot pie coming in ten minutes.”
“Who’s that?” I ask, curious about this new layer of Ethan I’m uncovering. He knows a guy who owns a pizza joint in Victoria. I didnotsee that coming.
“Gino? He owns the place. Dad and I used to go camping down in Gold Creek each year. We’d always stop in for a pie on the way to the campground,” Ethan says with a smile, leaning his head back against the seat. “I still make sure to come by every time I’m in town. Best pizza on Vancouver Island.”
Half an hour later, the pizza is gone, and I’m wishing I wasn’t wearing skinny jeans. We found a bench in a nearby park, and devoured the hot, cheesy pie. I don’t want to hurt Ethan’s feelings, but I honestly think this was better than dinner at Savour.
“Well, I guess I can cross eating the best pizza on Vancouver Island off of my bucket list,” I say, leaning back with a groan. Ethan laughs and stretches his legs out in front of him, his thigh pressed against mine. His arm lifts behind my shoulder, and I snuggle into his side.
“I’ll never steer you wrong when it comes to pizza. Next time we’ll try his barbecue chicken pie. It’s incredible.”
There he goes making future date plans again. Swoony bastard. A cold wind whips through and I shiver involuntarily. This outfit might look cute, but the jacket is not a warm one.
