Page 20 of July (New Orleans #7)

Jill sat back in the chair and said, “I honestly haven’t ever thought of it like that.”

“Really?”

“I mean, I market NOLA Guides.”

“Yeah, and the city. You’re giving tourists reasons to stick around longer or come back by telling them the best places to go. That’s marketing, isn’t it? I didn’t get the degree, so maybe I’m off base.”

“No, you’re right: it is. I guess I’ve just always pictured marketing as an office job, really, lugging a laptop from one conference room to the other all day, and I didn’t want that.”

“Or, holding up those big signs on the street corners, advertising businesses. How are your sign-spinning skills?” Willa asked with a laugh.

“Oh, terrible, I’d imagine,” Jill replied and took another bite of the cheesecake.

“Have you ever tried, though? How would you know?”

“Because I’m kind of klutzy. Not overly klutzy or anything, but I’m just not very sporty.”

“No sports as a kid?”

Jill shook her head and said, “Juni doesn’t play anything, either. Should she? Doesn’t that help with socialization and stuff?”

“It can,” Willa replied, squeezing her hand. “But only if she wants to.”

“I don’t know if my mom ever asked her or got her into anything.”

“Ask Juni later,” Willa suggested.

“Yeah, maybe I will. So, tell me about you. I know about the two siblings with W-names. What else is there?”

“Not much, I’m afraid. I really am pretty boring.”

“No way. Tell me about you growing up. Sports?”

“I swam when I was a kid, but I was really young and showed no promise.” Willa laughed. “I did ballet for a few years, too, and I had the body for it, they said, but not the desire to put in the hours.”

Jill tilted her head to the side and said, “You absolutely have the body for it.”

Willa smiled and put her fork into the cheesecake, but instead of bringing it to her own lips, she turned the fork toward Jill, who leaned forward and took the bite off of it. Jill smiled at her after and watched as Willa dipped the fork into the cake again and took a bite herself.

“How are you this sexy and still single?” she asked.

“I could ask the same thing about you,” Willa replied.

“Your bedroom is where, again?”

Willa laughed and fed Jill another bite. The cheesecake gone now, they pushed the plate away, and Jill entwined their fingers.

“Tell me something about you,” she said as she slid a thumb along Willa’s hand.

“I hate peanut butter.”

Jill leaned back like she’d just heard the craziest thing ever.

“You what?”

“Yeah, I don’t like it. I guess I hate the chunky kind. I can stand the smooth stuff, but not really much of a fan of either.”

“Not even with chocolate?”

“The chocolate makes it better, but I’d still prefer just chocolate,” Willa said.

“Well, I don’t know if we can keep doing this, then,” Jill joked. “I’m a major peanut butter fan. Obsessed, really. I eat it with jelly, with marshmallow fluff, with bananas and apples, with chocolate for sure, and just about everything else.”

“Look at it this way: I won’t ever steal your peanut butter.

If you have some in the kitchen, it’s all yours.

I think I might have some here, actually.

My sister hates that I never buy it, so she brings it every so often.

She eats it on popcorn. She just melts it and puts it on top like caramel. She’s weird.”

“I’ve never done that. I need to try it. Maybe with some chocolate on there, too. I know you can buy that fancy stuff, but I like hot, fresh popcorn, not the bagged kind.”

“I’ll have to keep that in mind. I have popcorn here if you want to try it now.” Willa hooked a thumb in the direction of her cabinets. “It might be buttered, though. Does that matter?”

“No clue. I’ve never had the peanut butter on it. And we can’t this time. I made a reservation, remember?”

“Yeah. Jill…” Willa paused. “I’m a little embarrassed, but I meant what I said earlier: I can’t… pay for dinner tonight. I might not even be able to cover half of it, depending on how expensive it is, and I know you–”

“Hey,” Jill began. “Tonight’s on me. I made the plans. I’m picking up the check. Next date can be popcorn on the couch, for all I care, okay?”

“Part of the reason I haven’t dated in a while is that I kind of hate having to choose between eating all week or buying a girl dinner.”

“I’ve been there and still kind of am, depending on the month. Tonight won’t be super expensive, okay?”

Willa nodded.

“And never be embarrassed about that. I have no idea what’s going to happen with us, but if this works out, we’d have to talk about all of those things, right? We might as well get some practice now.” Jill shrugged a shoulder.

“I guess,” Willa said. “I used my sister for a nice dinner the other night.”

“What?” Jill laughed.

“She’s a fancy lawyer with a fat paycheck, and we went to dinner. She usually pays when we go out. I call her for dinner about once a week if I can get away with it.”

“Clever,” Jill said. “I used my pizza points for dinner, remember? I also have a few gift cards I’ve been given over the years. I use those in a pinch. Restaurants that give bread to everyone are my favorite. I can fill up on that and order a salad or something cheap.”

“Never tried that,” Willa replied.

“The place we’re going to has bread, but I don’t want you to just get a cheap salad if you want something else.

The bread is really good, so fill up on that if you want, but order whatever you like.

I’m getting a thirty-percent discount because I know the chef.

He’ll also probably do something nice like give us a free appetizer or something because he’s always trying new recipes in the kitchen, and if Mel or I stop by, he gives us something to try. ”

“This sounds like fun,” Willa said.

“Going out with me didn’t sound like fun before?” Jill joked.

Willa just smiled as she shook her head at her antics and stood, letting go of Jill’s hand.

She went to put the plate and forks into the sink and the plastic container in the trash.

Jill stood up as well and watched as Willa then walked right up to her with her arms held out.

She knew what Willa wanted, so she moved into the embrace.

“You said I give good hugs.”

“The best,” Jill said and hugged her back.

She closed her eyes and breathed Willa in, not wanting to move from this spot but also really wanting to take her on their date.

“Can I have another one of these when I drop you off?” she asked.

“Who knows? Maybe you’ll even get a kiss at the end of the night.”