Page 34

"Hey, Kat!" I jog across the parking lot to catch her before she reaches her car. She turns at the sound of her name and waits for me to catch up. "Hey, do you have a minute?"

She arches a brow. "Sure, but something about the look in your eye is making me a little unsure if that's the right answer."

"I need to ask you a favor. I want to ask Mia out on a date."

In the two weeks since we talked everything out, I’ve seen a shift in the two of us.

The way we still gravitate toward one another, find each other across a room.

We’ve worked at getting that foundation back underneath us.

I’m not going to waste it this time. They always say you have to ask for the things you want, and I am more than ready to ask.

"Okay, but that's usually a one-person job." She leans against her car, crossing her arms over her chest. "What could you possibly need me for?"

"I want to surprise her. I'm not sure she'll say yes if I ask. Things are better, but they're not perfect and I'm not sure she's ready to fully look past everything that happened."

"So you want to trick her? That doesn't seem like it's going to go any better. "

Well, when she says it like that, it makes me feel like a dick.

"Be honest with me, Kat. Do you think Mia and I could be good together?" I ask.

She sighs out in defeat. "Yes, I think you guys could be great together, actually. Mia deserves to be happy, and you already follow her around like a lovesick puppy. I mean, seriously, you’re worse than your dog.”

"Don't I deserve to be happy, too?"

"Like I said, Mia deserves to be happy. Tell me the plan and then I'll decide if I want to help you."

Well, I guess I better really sell it, then. "Okay, so…"

Even as I walk up to Mia's door, I can't believe Katrina actually agreed to help me and managed to pull it off.

I made her promise not to tell anyone about tonight, in case it blows up in my face.

The plan is simple: Kat was supposed to offer to set Mia up on a date, a show of support in her mission to get back out there.

I then told her, in detail, every plan I have for the date and asked her to pass it on to Mia.

Apparently, she'd been intrigued by everything going through Kat instead of being forced to share awkward text messages with someone she didn't know. Kat also made sure to point out that Mia had no qualms about getting set up by her, despite my situation with Jasmine.

I let Kat have the win.

I reach Mia's door and inhale a deep breath before reaching up and knocking. I hear movement on the other side before the door opens to reveal Mia. Confusion instantly overcomes her features .

My breath is taken in that instant. She looks stunning; comfortable, like I requested, but stunning enough to stand out in any crowd. Her wide-leg pants flow and the old school band tee knotted at her waist highlights two things I love about her: her tattoos and her waist.

"Ronan?" She leans against the open door with a frown. My focus is pulled to the muted rose color on her lips. "What are you doing here? I can't talk long. I have a date."

Despite knowing a date is coming, she isn’t kicking me out. She is focusing on the friend who's at her door instead of worrying about someone who's coming, like I had known she would.

"What time is your date supposed to be here?"

She glances down at the dainty gold watch on her wrist, a frown forming. "Right now."

I frown back. "Oh, he's late."

She peeks her head out to look down the hall before ducking back in with a shrug. "Life happens; people are late sometimes."

"Don't even try to pull that with me, Mia." I grin. "I know tardiness is one of your least favorite things, so it's a good thing your date is standing right here."

Her arms cross over her chest. "What are you talking about, Ronan? Kat set me up—"

"With a new client who is looking to update his bachelor pad," I recite. "He's new to the city and wants a fun evening out with no commitment required."

"How do you possibly know all that?" she demands, hands on her hips now. "Did you set Kat up to this?"

"His name is Ryan, right?" I ask with a smirk.

"Oh, my god, you asshole!" She's laughing as she shoves me lightly, so I don't take the insult to heart. "Come in while I finish grabbing my things."

I step inside the apartment, shutting the door behind me and watch as Mia walks over to the couch.

Her place is exactly how I pictured it. A workstation is set up at the window in the living room, overlooking whatever view she has.

The couch has blankets folded across the back, pillows on either end to create a cozy atmosphere.

There are pictures hanging on the walls, showcasing her eclectic taste, and somehow pulling it all together to make it unquestionably Mia.

"Why didn't you ask me out like a normal person?" She's sitting on the arm of the couch, slipping on a pair of flats. "You tricked Katrina into asking me for you."

I stuff my hands in the pockets of my jeans, suddenly unsure if I want to own up to this—own up to the truth that I wasn't sure it'd work in my favor if I asked her myself. I hadn't been brave enough to face what felt like the very real possibility that Mia would reject me.

"I wasn't sure you'd say yes," I admit quietly. She looks up from her shoes to stare at me with wide eyes. I shrug. "Having Katrina tell you she wanted to set you up seemed like a safer option."

"After the success rate she has with you, I'm surprised you took the chance." She stands, grabbing her bag. "All right, what are we doing tonight?"

She's not turning me down, not kicking me out. Instead, she's standing before me, looking like a realization of every dream I never let myself dream, ready to go out with me.

"Well, that's for me to know and you to find out." I grin. "Are you ready to go?"

We fall into easy small talk as she leads me out, locking her apartment behind us.

She tells me about some of the marketing clients she has right now, and I fill her in on how I'm concerned Emmie might not be taking this as serious as I'd hoped.

We keep talking about whatever comes to mind as I navigate toward downtown.

I manage to find a parking spot fairly close and lead her to the small cafe the date will be taking place at.

For this first date, we’re doing something completely out of my comfort zone.

It’ll hopefully give me the chance to show Mia I’m the man she always believed me to be by showing that I listen to her interests and take her desires into account.

But if I accidentally burn anything, I hope she takes some pity on me.

"So we're doing dinner?" she speculates. She linked our arms together the second I came around my SUV to join her on the sidewalk and hasn't let go since. "Is that the plan?"

"We are technically doing dinner," I reply, reaching for the door to the cafe. "But it might not happen in the way you're expecting."

Eyeing me curiously, she steps through the door and stops at the hostess stand. I give the hostess my name and she marks us off before leading us up a winding staircase in the back. Mia gasps when we reach the top, but says nothing else as we're led to our stations.

The hostess takes our drink order before disappearing back downstairs.

The second we're alone, Mia turns to me. "Are you serious, Ronan? A cooking class?"

Her hazel eyes are practically gleaming with excitement, and I don't care how many things I burn if it means I get to see this. Grinning down at her, I nod. "Yeah, are you surprised?"

"Um, yes, absolutely! I never would have guessed you'd pick something like this. I know why you're always eating at Bryce and Josie's. "

"When you have the same delivery person five days in a row, it gets a little pathetic," I reply, my cheeks flush. "I can't promise I'm going to be good at this."

She bumps her shoulder into mine. "Well, it's a good thing you have someone who's excellent at this on your team."

"And I'm the one with the ego?"

Over the next three hours, I have one of the best nights of my life.

The menu is so far over the limited skill set I have.

Mia, on the other hand, looked in her element, only brightening even more when we got to the dessert portion.

I already knew this is where she excels the most, but doing it with her was something else entirely.

With an ease only someone like Mia could possess, she guided me when I became lost, but didn't make me feel awkward about it.

The couple across from us, however, was a totally different story.

In between our own cooking, Mia and I spent time listening in on the fight they were having; it was fueled by competitive natures at war with one another, each unable to give up control.

We weren't the only ones paying attention to them, either.

At the end of the night, Mia links our arms together again, allowing me to lead her back to the car. Only then do we actually bring up the couple.

"I have never heard such petty arguments before," she comments. "And if you want this night to keep being as magical as possible, you will say nothing about the last couple of months."

"I was going to say years," I tease. "But, yeah, months work, too."

"What did I just say?"

We come to a stop at my car, and I set the leftovers on the hood right before she wraps her arms around my neck, pulling my focus down to her. My hands land on her hips.

"Do you think they're going to breakup or make up? "

"To be honest? I don't care." I lean in until my forehead is resting against hers. I squeeze her hips lightly. "I'm more interested in our fate. You said tonight has been magical?"

She bites at the corner of her lip, trying to hide her growing smirk. I want to pull it free, relish in the feeling of it moving against mine.

So that's what I do.