Page 26 of The Baby Dragon Bakery
Lavinia nodded. Saphira blinked, surprised.
“This is great,” Genevieve said to Saphira. “I always knew he liked her.”
Saphira blinked. “It is,” Saphira agreed, then paused. “I had an inkling he might like you too, but I thought you were interested in . . .” She trailed off, shaking her head. “Never mind.” She gave Lavinia a bright smile. “I hope you have lots of fun!”
“Me too,” Lavinia said, trying not to think about what Saphira was going to say. She chatted for a bit, then blew Genevieve and Saphira a kiss goodbye and headed out.
She drove over to Starshine Public Gardens, where the town movie night would be. It was always set up on an inflatable screen in the field, and everyone either brought camp chairs orsat on the ground. She had been coming with her family ever since she was a kid, and of course, then Theo would join as well. It was a popular spot for families and couples alike; this was not her first time going on a date here.
When she got out of her car with her things, she saw Calahan at the front of the garden’s entrance, holding a tote bag and a box. He had thrown on a brown overcoat over his blue sweater and she thought he looked especially handsome; when he saw her, his face lit up. She smiled, walking over, trying not to skip with excitement.
“Hey,” she said.
“Hi.” He held up the box in his hands. “I brought pizza since I figured it might get too late for dinner.”
She appreciated the foresight, and she didn’t mind that they weren’t going out for dinner; dinner dates could be stressful with how formal they felt.
“Oh, yum!” she said. “I had the same thought and brought snacks!” She held up her own tote bag.
He smiled, dimples showing. “We’ll have an entire feast, then.”
They walked over together, where there was already a decent crowd set up in the field. Calahan had brought a blanket as well, so they used her blanket to sit on, and he put his blanket over their legs. Which was also good because this leather miniskirt was not made for sitting on the ground and was riding up. The night was a little chilly, cloudy, and windy; she wrapped her mother’s shawl loosely around her shoulders.
They chatted for a bit, eating the pizza, which was still warm, then the candy she had brought. Soon thereafter, the movie began, and the crowd quieted, attendees snuggling closerif they wanted to make commentary on the film. The showing was one of those action-fantasy movies—it was the type Theo loved, so Lavinia had seen it already. Lavinia was hardly paying attention to the screen.
She was hyper-alert to every movement she made, not to mention every movement Calahan made. This close, she caught his scent, which she realized was familiar to her after working together for so long at the cafe: he smelled like ink and paper.
As the movie progressed, she slowly inched closer to him, her knee brushing against his under the blanket. Then, finally, he scooted over entirely, until he was right beside her. He put his arm behind her, and she leaned back, against his chest, in a way that felt very natural and normal. The contact warmed through her core.
After the movie finished, they sat for a bit longer, even as people stood up and left. They ate the rest of the pizza, which had long since gone cold, and finished off the candy as well.
“We should probably head out,” Lavinia eventually said, when most of the field had cleared and even the inflatable screen had been dismantled. Calahan rose to his feet and offered her his hand with a dimpled smile. She took it.
He packed up their things, throwing the garbage out, and they walked back to the parking lots, where there were only a few cars left, two of which were theirs. He walked her to her car, putting her bag away.
“I had a lot of fun tonight,” Calahan said, not quite going just yet. Her heartbeat quickened as she gazed up at him, the shawl dropping from her shoulders. A shiver ran down her spine.
“Me too,” she replied, smiling. His gaze went to her mouth,and he took a step forward. Anticipation fizzed through her body, and she waited, holding her breath until he bridged the space between them completely.
He kissed her, lips soft against hers. Lavinia hummed, relishing the contact she had been craving and had been denied by another. Going on her tiptoes, Lavinia wound her arms around his neck, kissing him back, bringing him in closer. He held her waist, hands steady.
The kiss was sweet. A perfect ending to a perfect first date.
He pulled back, and they both grinned. She unwound her arms and he let go of her waist, reaching for her hand.
“Goodnight,” Calahan said, squeezing.
“Goodnight,” she replied, squeezing back.
She got into her car, and he waited until she drove away, lifting a hand up to wave. Once she was out of his sight, Lavinia squealed in her car. She put on some upbeat music and sang alone as she drove home.
Everything was happening exactly like she wanted it to! There was nothing to worry about at all! She was on track to find love, and before her deadline, too.
When she got home, she went up to her room and got ready for bed, busy with washing off her makeup and changing. After all that was done, she returned to her bedroom, finally catching a moment of quiet for the first time that day.
And in that silence, a little spike of anxiety pricked her. She rubbed her chest, frowning.
Things had gone perfectly, as well as she could have imagined. Calahan was sweet and fun.
