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he was a baby. And just look at him.”
    “ Look at him ,” Liz repeated, inclining her head toward Orion.
    I sighed with frustration. I couldn’t very well tell any of them why I didn’t date. The Supersaver had a snack bar. I’d meet him there, have a sandwich and leave.
    “Fine,” I said. “We can—”
    “Good girl!” Liz cried, clapping her hands together. Now I’ll help Nellie while you two work out the details. Go on.” She shooed me out from behind the counter.
    I regretted letting her do it when I glanced down and saw the white frosting smeared across my apron. My hair was tied back and secured in a net. I didn’t look very date-worthy.
    “What time can I pick you up?” Orion asked, tactfully ignoring my stained apron.
    “Uh … can we just meet here? Is five o’clock okay?”
    He smiled. “Five’s good, but let me pick you up.”
    “I was thinking we could just have dinner here. At the snack bar by the deli.”
    “Samara.” He arched his brows with amusement. “Let me take you out on a real date.”
    “It’s not a date, it’s a book discussion.”
    “Can’t it be both?”
    I sighed and met his sparkling blue eyes. “You heard Liz. I haven’t been out on a date in three years. Longer than that, actually.”
    “I’m looking forward to breaking that streak.”
    I gave a reluctant groan of agreement. “I live on Poplar Street, at Petra Larsen’s house.”
    “That’s a big house for just you,” he said.
    “I live in the garage apartment.”
    He nodded. “Great, so I’ll see you tomorrow night then. Should we trade numbers?”
    “No, I’ll be there.”
    With a grin, he glanced over at Liz. “You got a pen I can use?”
    She handed one over and he took out his wallet, removing a business card with his name and team logo on it.
    “Here’s my number. Not so you can cancel – so you can text me later if you want.”
    I felt a flare of annoyance. No matter how many ways I tried to tell him I wasn’t like other women, he just refused to listen.
    “I don’t text,” I said flatly.
    “Text me that you think I’m a douchebag if you want.” He handed the pen back to Liz.
    “There’s an idea,” I muttered.
    He ran a hand through his hair, looking nervous for just a second. “I’d better get reading. Talk to you later?”
    “Sure.” I nodded and tucked his number into the pocket of my apron.
    Somehow I’d get back at Liz for this. Instead of saving me, she’d made it impossible for me to refuse this date. I decided I wasn’t staying late to help her today, and I also wasn’t doing all the dishes like I usually did.
    A date. With Orion Caldwell of all people. He’d find out that my awkward, closed-off nature wasn’t just a way of putting him off. It was my actual personality. Hopefully this date would be over in record time.

    Orion

    The Dugout had a good crowd for a weekday evening. Like me and my buddy Casey, everyone was there to watch the baseball game.
    I liked baseball, though I did think it was kind of a pussy sport. Just chasing a little ball all over the field and trying to hit it. Yeah — those guys would piss their pants if a 225 pound defender was barreling at them with his hockey stick in the air.
    “Oh look, it’s you,” Casey said, rolling his eyes and pointing at a framed, signed photo of me on the wall. This was why I liked him. Not only wasn’t he impressed by my career, he tended to laugh about it.
    “If you were better looking they’d have your picture on the wall, fuckstick,” I said, shrugging.
    “I’ll tell you one thing,” he said, pointing the tip of his beer bottle at me. “If I was an NHL player, I’d at least be getting some ass.”
    I shook my head, about to reply when movement on the open stool next to me made me turn. And there was Amy. Fuck.
    “Hi,” she said.
    “Hey,” I said tightly.
    “It’s good to see you.”
    “Yeah. I just came to catch the game with some friends.”
    She reached out and touched my arm. I pulled