“I’d like that.”
Another awkward silence followed before they said their goodbyes and hung up. Liv tossed her phone onto the pillow beside her, rolled to her side, and tucked her hands under her cheek. She finally fell asleep around midnight.
The next morning she took one more glance at herself in the bathroom mirror before flipping off the light switch. The ivory shift dress fit comfortably with her new curves, the stretch corded lace overlay and scalloped hem classic and pretty. Her loose up-do looked effortless even though it had taken her twenty frustrating minutes to get it right. And her new Burt’s Bees lip gloss made her lips look a little plumper.
She was ready for whatever Danny threw at her today.
Glancing around her bedroom for her cell, she found it next to her overnight bag on the unmade bed. She picked up both and stepped over the clothes strewn about the floor on her way to the living room. A chirp alerted her to a text. She glanced down.
Expect a knock on the door in sixty seconds. Danny’s text said.
Okay, she texted back. Perfect timing. She quickly scribbled a note to her sleeping roommate to wish her a good weekend and left it on the kitchen counter.
When the soft knock sounded at the door, Liv’s legs trembled. Her nerves went all shaky and shy. He’s just a guy, she reminded herself. Chill out.
The quick pep talk lasted all of five seconds, though, because the man standing on the other side of her door when she opened it wasn’t Danny.
“Miss Lincoln?” Tall, dark, and mysterious asked.
“Yes.”
“I’m Derek. I’ll be your driver today. You ready to go?”
Those quivery nerves of hers weren’t ready at all. She didn’t like surprises. Danny knew she didn’t like surprises. She held up her pointer finger. “Just a minute, please.” What’s going on? she texted. Where are you?
I’m waiting for you, he texted back. Like that told her anything. But the bubbles on her phone screen said he wasn’t finished. I’ve planned a scavenger hunt for you. Now stop wasting time and go with Derek.
She didn’t know whether to run back into her bedroom and hide or order Derek to make this fast so she could get her hands on Danny. Love game, his email had said the other day, but she hadn’t expected this. Was this about friendship…or more? She’d accepted feeling some worry about her future and had quit feeling regret about her past, but Danny still held power over both.
She looked up. Derek raised his brows in question. “I’m ready,” she said.
He took her bag and led her to a sleek, black town car where he made sure she was comfortable in the backseat before driving away from her building.
She eyed a Starbucks cup in the cup holder and paper bag on the seat. Lifting the cup, she inhaled the scent of hot chocolate before taking a sip. She’d eaten a bowl of Honey Nut Cheerios earlier so she left the baked treat in the bag for later. A tiny cream-colored notecard sat atop it, though. She opened it.
You really get my engine running.
She grinned at the sentiment. Was that her first clue? If so, she guessed they weren’t just driving around the block. “Can you give me a hint where we’re headed first?”
“I could. But then I’d be a dead man.” Derek’s friendly eyes briefly met hers in the rearview mirror. He turned on the radio, but Liv didn’t really hear the music over the musings in her head.
All too soon they left the city and continued heading south. This morning’s skies were blue, the leaves on the trees swayed in the cold breeze. A half hour passed, then an hour. Liv fidgeted. She’d anticipated the whole hunt taking an hour or so and being with Danny by now. Instead, she watched the ocean out her passenger window and debated on whether to text him.
He beat her to the punch. Enjoy your view until the next clue.
She settled against the leather seat and tried to relax. They had to be close to their destination. Maybe Danny had planned a stay in Carmel for the two of them. That was it, she thought, happy with her theory.
Sure enough, they parked in front of a cute little café in the small, stylish beach town. Derek opened her door, gave her his hand. “The code word is honey,” he said.
Liv wrinkled her nose. Derek did that chin lift thing guys do to indicate she should walk toward the entrance and presumably go inside, so she did. The hostess at the counter greeted her with a friendly “hello.”
“Hi. I think I’m supposed to give you the code word honey?”
“Oh, Olivia!” The woman’s face broke into a giant smile. “It’s nice to meet you.” She bent down, vanishing from sight for a moment, and popped back up holding an iced bundt cake beautifully wrapped in cellophane with a small card tied to the gold ribbon. “For you,” the hostess said.