The Third Date

Chapter 1: Dramatic Love

By the end of their second date, Melinda had decided that Daniel was either unusually sincere or very good at pretending to be.

He had arrived ten minutes early, laughed at her worst joke, and listened patiently while she explained why restaurant menus made her anxious.

“Too many choices,” she said, turning the menu over as if the other side might contain fewer options. “What if I order the pasta and spend the entire meal wishing I had chosen the burger?”

Daniel considered this seriously.

“Order both.”

“I’m not made of money.”

“Then I’ll order the burger. You can steal half of it.”

“That seems unfair.”

“I’ve known you for almost two weeks,” he said. “I already understand the risks.”

She laughed, and something inside her relaxed.