Page 169 of Holidating
About food.
Jeez.
You pick the spot and tell me whereand when.
He cracks up. Then he makes a reservation.
Okay—I have a plan. Can I pick you up at six? It’s a bit of a drive, but I’ve been wanting to try this place.
Cool! What’s the dress code?
It’s a nice place. But it’s still Vermont. So I guess that means jeans, but your nicest ones.
Vermont dressy. Got it. Dark jeans and a sweater without holes. See you then!
When she emerges from her house on Wednesday night, pausing to lock the door, she’s wearing a suede skirt, sleek heeled boots, and a sweater in a shade of blue that somehow looks both warm and expensive as it complements her eyes.
Not that he’d ever admit it, but Damien took a lot of care with his appearance tonight. He’s wearing dark-wash jeans and a black merino sweater that Zara bought him when he started art school, with a black wool blazer over it.
Earlier, while admiring his reflection in the mirror, he’d made eye contact with himself and grinned. Yes, he was going all out for this date, almost to the point of being a little ridiculous.
But so what? Sometimes playing it cool isn’t the right move.
He gets out of the Jeep and walks around to the passenger door to open it for her. “Madame Overland,” he says. “You could have brought along a suitcase with some bricks in it, just to keep me in shape.”
Her smile blooms brightly. “Are you ever going to stop teasing me about my luggage?”
“Doesn’t seem like it.” He gives her a wink as he closes the door for her.
“Why does your car smell like heaven?” she asks after he gets behind the wheel and steers the Jeep toward the road.
“That’s my cologne,” he says.
“What? No.”
He snickers. “It’s part of my plan for the evening. Do you happen to know any of the Shipleys?”
She tilts her head. “The cider people?”
“That’s them. Griffin makes the cider, but his brother Dylan has a caramel business during the holiday season. I offered to drop off his caramels in Burlington at the Ironwood Hotel if he could get me a reservation at Burly, which is on the same property.”
He glances at Nicolette and catches a flicker of something like surprise on her face. “Oh.”
“It’s a nice place,” he says. “And a tough reservation.”
“I’m sure,” she says. “But Damien, you don’t have to take me to the nicest restaurant in Vermont. That seems like a lot of effort.”
“Maybe?” He shrugs. “But here’s the thing. I’ve been hearing about this restaurant for a long time. Griffin’s wife is a chef, and she raves about it. But I’ve never been. Every time it comes up, I thinksomeday I'll go there. But I never have.”
“Okay,” she says.
“And Overland? I’ve often felt the same way about you. I’d think someday maybe the time will be right, and we'll have our moment. But then we never did. I don’t know if this is it, or not, but I’ve got nothing to lose. Let me take you to the nicest restaurant in Vermont tonight, okay? Because we never know how many great moments we’re going to get.”
She reaches over and squeezes his forearm. “Thank you. I accept. I’m going to google the menu and see what’s on it tonight.”
“Cool. Just don’t read it aloud to me, because I’m hungry already and I’m not into sadomasochism.”
She barks out a laugh and covers her mouth. “Noted.”
