Page 4 of Buns in the Oven

I didn’t have to think about it any longer once I knew that. I mean, it’s not like I would have said no if my brother had disapproved—I’ll do whatever I damn well please—but I still loved the fact that Wes asked for my brother’s blessing. I smiled and told Wes I’d love to go out with him. He gave me a heart-melting smile back, asked for my address, and told me he’d pick me up tonight at seven.

And now it’s nearly seven and I’m filled with first date jitters.

I decide my hair looks as good as I’m going to get it. I put the mirror down and head to my closet to grab the outfit I’ve already picked out. I’m going to wear a dress I bought a few months ago—it was too cute to not buy, and it was on sale. I haven’t had an opportunity to wear it yet. The tags are even still on.

Cutting off the tags feels great. So does putting on the dress. It’s one of those dresses that hugs my curves just right—there’s a lot of them to hug—and instantly makes me feel great. I grab a cute pair of heels to go with it and, after slipping them on, give myself a once-over in the full-length mirror in my bedroom.

I’d do me, I think, and then laugh at my own ridiculousness.

My apartment buzzer sounds and I head over to answer it. Pushing the button, I say, “I’ll be right down!”

Then I grab my bag and hurry downstairs, taking a moment before stepping out of the building to gather myself.

I really, really hope this date goes well.

Wes looks even more handsome when I see him again. He has on a cobalt blue button-up shirt that shows off his physique, and his hair is perfectly combed back.

“Hey,” he says, his eyes lighting up when he sees me. “Wow. You look beautiful, Stella.”

I love hearing him say that so much.

“Thank you,” I say. “You look great, too.”

Wes drives us down to the waterfront for our date. The first thing we do is go to this little aquarium that I’ve never been to. They’re only open for another hour, so it’s not as crowded as I bet it is during the day. It almost feels like we have the place to ourselves.

Slowly, we make our way from exhibit to exhibit. There’s even one underground area where you can watch the otters and beluga whales and a few other animals swimming underwater.

“Oh, this is so cool, Wes,” I say, smiling over at him after an otter swims past us.

“I’m glad you’re enjoying it,” he says. “I am, too. We should come back again sometime.”

“Absolutely,” I say, warming at the thought of the future dates we’re apparently going to have.

We leave the aquarium just as it’s closing and walk a few blocks down the pier to a restaurant that claims to have the world’s best fish and chips. Wes and I both take one look at the sign and then look at each other. We both start laughing at how obvious it is that we both want to go inside and see for ourselves how good the fish and chips are.

Inside, a hostess shows us to a table and we order a large fish and chips to share, a Caesar salad, and two sodas. While we’re waiting for our food to arrive, we fall into easy, nice conversation, getting to know each other better. As much as I’m physically attracted to Wes, I really do want to make a deeper connection with him, too. I want to know more about his family and his hopes and dreams and all that kind of stuff.

Based on all the questions he’s asking me, it seems like he wants to know that kind of stuff about me, too.

So we talk. And we keep talking through our meal—although the fish and chips is pretty damn good and we have to take a few minutes to just savor it. But then we go back to talking. We find out that we’ve both always wanted to adopt a rescue dog, we both loveStarship Troopers, and we both want to travel to India. By the time the bill comes, my attraction for Wes is stronger and deeper than ever.

I can’t wait to get this fine man into bed.

Wes has one more activity for the evening, though. As we walk out of the restaurant, he gestures toward the huge Ferris wheel on the dock and asks me if I’m afraid of heights.

“Not at all,” I say.

“Good,” he says. “Because that’s where we’re going next.”

There’s a line for the Ferris wheel, but we don’t have to wait long. Soon, we’re ducking our heads and stepping into one of the little cabins, and a worker is wishing us a nice ride and shutting the door.

I scoot close to Wes on the seat and he slings an arm around my shoulder. I feel so cozy with him. So safe and protected. Most of all, I just feel happy.

The wheel rotates a little bit, then pauses as other people get into their cabins. The pattern continues for another half-circle, until the whole thing’s loaded up. Then the ride officially begins, the wheel turning in a slow circle.

In front of us, there’s a gorgeous view of the water and the night sky. Behind us, the city’s tall buildings glimmer.

“This is so romantic,” I sigh.