"I'd like to ask you out again."
I stared at the phone. While part of me wanted to leap for joy, the other part wanted to slink away and hide under a rock.
"It will be different this time," he insisted once the silence went on too long.
"I don't know, Lucas. We seem like fire and gasoline."
He chuckled. "Well that's usually because I said or did something stupid that made you explode."
"True," I admitted. "I'm not sure what would be different, though. You still don't want to date, do you?"
"Considering I'm asking you on a date and our slate is clean, do you really believe that?"
I shrugged but then remembered he couldn't see it. "I've never seen you date anyone else. I'm not sure you know what you want."
"Why do I have to know right now? Can't a man take a pretty lady to dinner?"
I smiled against my better judgment. "He can as long as he doesn't expect anything afterward."
"Seriously, Grace. I would like to see you again. In a non-friendly, you wear something pretty and put your hair up so I can see that delicious vein beating at the side of your neck."
My heartbeat picked up into a gallop. "I'm almost creeped out by that."
"Almost?"
"Lucas..."
He laughed. "I'm serious. It will be great. Don't say no, Grace. Please."
Silence stretched for a beat. "Fine. If you show up in a beard, I'm going to beat you with a barbwire bat."
"Violent, but I agree to your terms."
"It's a date then."
"Good."
"Lucas?" I asked before I hung up.
"Yes?"
"Please don't be weird."
He laughed, but it sounded exasperated. "I'll do my absolute best."
