The Dating Dare. Barbara DunlopЧитать онлайн книгу.
we’re grateful for that,” Bryce put in.
“Right this way,” the hostess said to us.
“I do enjoy my cell phone.” I took Bryce’s lead and tried to lighten the conversation.
Bryce followed the hostess. Sophie went behind him as we wound our way through the tables.
I took up the rear.
The friendly woman showed us to a booth with a half-circle bench. It was on the second floor overlooking the harbor. After a bit of fumbling over the seating arrangements, I ended up on one end of the bench next to Ethan. Bryce took the other end, and Sophie was sandwiched between the two men.
“Drinks?” Bryce asked, opening the cocktail menu.
“Oh, a cranberry martini for me,” Sophie said.
“I’ll take one of those,” Ethan said.
“I’m having a Canadian whiskey,” Bryce said, looking to me.
“A glass of cabernet sauvignon,” I said.
A glass now and a glass with dinner, I decided. Then I’d be nicely relaxed.
“This whole thing started when we lost our pastry chef,” Sophie said. “And we were having trouble finding a new one with the skills and expertise.”
“The ante keeps going up and up,” Bryce said.
“Enter technology,” Ethan said.
“I did an informal poll of our customers,” Sophie explained. “And dessert was the number one determiner of restaurant choice among women. It was only number three for men. They like steak and seafood.”
Ethan jumped back in. “Studies show that on a date, especially the first few dates, men go where women want to go.”
“And the business world is drastically changing,” Sophie said. “There are more women executives.”
“They want great dessert on their expense accounts,” Ethan said.
“Studies show?” I asked him.
“That’s just logic,” he said.
“The skill level, the prep area, the prep time,” Bryce listed off on his fingers. “There’s a reason most restaurants have limited dessert menus, especially the small establishments.”
“We knew technology could help,” Ethan said. “Hence, the inception of BRT Innovations.”
“Our company,” Sophie said, pointing to all three of them.
“I see.” I didn’t see everything yet. But I had a feeling I was going to learn a whole lot more before the night was through.
As a date, the evening hadn’t gone particularly well. As a business meeting, it had gone quite a bit better.
I hadn’t exactly kept up, but I’d learned how much time, thought and energy had gone into the idea for Sweet Tech. If everything they said came to fruition, my friend Sophie really was going to technologically revolutionize desserts.
They’d dropped me off at ten thirty.
Ethan had dutifully walked me to the lobby door. He hadn’t kissed me, just said good-night and that he’d had a nice time.
I said I’d had a nice time, too. I suspected our level of enthusiasm for each other was about equal.
On the upside, the restaurant had been lovely, the food delicious.
I’d had the grilled sole with a spring greens salad, opting for a brandy instead of dessert. A good decision since, on top of the wine, it had lulled me into a lovely deep sleep.
I felt rested this morning, ready for my bike ride along the lakeshore.
No more jealousy over Sophie’s adventure, I decided. No more moaning about being stood up for yesterday’s tennis game. I felt like an independent woman in the morning sunshine, pedaling along the paved bike path, up little rises and down small hills, the wind whistling past my ears.
“Good on you.” A voice came up on my left side.
I looked sideways and realized my glasses were sliding down my nose.
I pushed them into place and saw James coming up to pedal alongside me.
“I wasn’t sure if you were serious,” he said.
“I was serious. I like bike riding.”
“I can see that.”
I smiled. I was happy to see him. We’d joked quite a lot yesterday, and I’d had fun.
“I prefer rowing,” he said.
I knew he’d been on a championship team in college. “Yet, here you are.”
“Here I am. You inspired me.”
The idea of inspiring James amused me. “Like your own personal trainer? ‘Get your butt out of that bed, Gillen! Gear up! Outside! Give me twenty!’”
James laughed at my imitation of a drill sergeant. “Twenty laps of the lake? That seems a bit ambitious.”
“We probably should have packed a lunch,” I said, feeling lighthearted in the fresh air and sunshine.
A woman and two children approached us riding the other way, a boy and a girl looking about ten years old. The kids had flushed cheeks and windblown hair and were pedaling hard to keep up with their mother.
James shifted in behind me to give them space to pass. We both stayed tight to the right side of the path.
“How was your date?” he asked after the family passed.
A man was throwing a ball for his dog on the grass beside us, and I kept a watch in front of me as the animal ran close to the path.
“It was fine,” I answered.
“Fine as in good, or fine as in meh?”
“Fine as in...mediocre, I guess.” Sophie’s business plans were secret for now, so I wasn’t going to talk about them.
It would have been nice if the date part had gone better. I’d wanted to like Ethan. I mean, he wasn’t that bad. Other women might like him just fine.
“Sorry to hear that,” James said. “Where did you go?”
“Russo’s.”
“That sounds nice. Did you have the prime rib?”
“The grilled sole.”
“Their prime rib is to die for.”
“I’ll try that next time.”
“Is there going to be a next time?”
“I hope so.” Then I realized he meant a next date. “I don’t know about a next date. But I’ll definitely go back to Russo’s.”
“Nix the guy, stick with the restaurant. I do like your style, Nat.”
“The guy seemed fine.” I felt guilty dissing him. “His name was Ethan. He’s a tech guy. He seems very smart.”
“But no second date? Are you one of those picky women with a long list of qualities you want in a man?”
“What? No. I’m not like that. I don’t have a list.”
At least, I didn’t have one that was written down. But I’d admit there were certain things I was looking for—a sense of humor, for example, a progressive worldview, maybe somewhat more humble than Ethan. And I wouldn’t be wild about someone who smoked or drank to excess or who, say, had a gambling addiction.
“You’re