Page 23 of It Started With a Scarf

You pick.

Me:

Sounds good. Thank you!!!

He liked my message, and I assumed that was it.

I set my phone down and then I grabbed a pillow, placed it over my face, and screamed into it. I had never done that before, and if I was going to, it seemed like the right time. I wasn't sure what I was screeching about—the scarf or the lunch date. I thought it wasn'tjustabout the scarf.

I was a little excited about seeing Dominic. I knew better than to get my hopes up for something like that, though. It seemed as though he had a lady friend in that picture.

I steered my thoughts to the scarf, thinking about how he might have found it and how amazing that would be. I thought it had fallen off when I was on the bus, and I wondered how he got it. I was pondering that when I heard my phone beep again.

Dominic:

Just text me before Friday and let me know where you want to meet.

My insides were alive with some kind of hope and excitement that I thought was dangerous. I thought long and hard about my response. I typed it and then edited it. It got shorter with every re-write, and finally, I ended with two words.

Me:

Sure thing!

Chapter 8

Dominic

Three days later

Dominic had let Marley pick the place they met for lunch. It was called Gino's and he had imagined that it would be a sit-down Italian restaurant, but he was wrong—it was fast food, and it was burgers. He had just arrived there, and he could see that it was extremely casual—similar to Shake Shack.

He smiled at her choice. She was either an easygoing date or she just wanted to get it over quickly. He chose to believe she was easygoing. The burger place was in a building that was less than a mile from his apartment. It was on the first floor, but you had to walk inside the building to get to it, so he hadn't seen it from the street. It was a busy building, and he had to park a couple of blocks away.

Being February, it was cold out, and he had on his own jacket and scarf, plus hers. Both of them were under his coat, so she couldn't see it. He doubled hers over and draped it next to his.

He spotted her the instant he walked into the restaurant. He decided he would hand her the scarf when he first walked up to her because he knew she must be anxious to get it.

It was one of those restaurants where you order at the counter, so he planned on hesitating near the entrance to hand it to her.

She caught sight of him, and she smiled and waved. He remembered her from the restaurant, but that night she had been all dressed up with her hair down, and now she was dressed casually in tennis shoes and sweats with her hair in a ponytail. He hated her sweatshirt, but that was just because it said the name of a team he had a rivalry with in college. She probably had no idea. He tried not to hold it against her.How could he? It was impossible to be mad at this woman. She was adorable.She had a jacket draped over her arm, and she grinned at him, squinting those eyes. She was sporty, quirky, artsy, and somehow still normal and natural. She had her own style, her own way about her, and it was different than other girls.

She was dressed so casually today that he wondered if she was working like she said she would be. He assumed she was meeting him on her lunch break.

She stood up straight and took a nervous deep breath, smiling at him. He saw her chest rise and fall, and he was smitten. This woman was beautiful. He had something she wanted, and she was nervous and expectant because of it. Dominic could not stop looking at her. She was simply gorgeous, and Dominic was proud of himself for planning for this very moment.

He had prepared for these feelings.

For a few weeks, he was seeing a woman in Milwaukee. They had gone on four dates, but Dominic had called her and told her things were off the minute Marley had gotten in touch with him. It had been going well, so the other woman was confused, but it was also a fresh relationship, so that made it easier.

One look at Marley, and he realized it was all worth it.

"Hello," she said.

"Hey, I have your scarf." He stepped to the side so they would be out of the way, and she turned to face him as he took off his coat and scarves and fished hers from his hand.

"It's cold out there," he said.

"I know. I can't take it. I'm ready for spr-r-ring." She shivered and clacked her teeth when she said the words, and Dominic smiled at her.

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