Read Chronicles of a Serial Dater - Book 7: A New Adult Romantic Comedy for Free Online Page B

anything I wouldn’t do!”
    “Well that certainly doesn’t limit my opportunities,” I chuckled.
    I was a little miffed she hadn’t come out to say goodbye, but my nerves erased any irritation. As I walked down those stairs, I thought my heart was going to jump out of my mouth. I’d crushed on Clint for months now. I’d waited a week to see him after finding out he not only didn’t hate me, but was actually pretty fond of me. And now he was waiting outside…
    I spotted him leaning against a black town car and breathed a sigh of relief when I saw how casually he was dressed. It didn’t make him any less handsome, however. Dark hair, broad shoulders, and the smile that spread across his face as our eyes met…
    Focusing on not falling down the stairs as I approached, I didn’t dare speak until I was safely on the ground. I wasn’t sure how to greet him, so I let him take the lead.
    “You look amazing,” he breathed as he kissed me on either cheek.
    “You too,” I replied softly.
    “I missed you,” he said, almost sadly.
    “Me too.”
    He smiled and opened the door, stepping to the side to let me in.
    “It’s a good thing you aren’t wearing a jacket,” I quipped as I slipped past. I couldn’t believe how nervous I was!
    “Yeah, yeah,” he laughed, joining me in the car.
    “So, where are we going?”
    Clint grinned as he reached into the center console between us. “Well, I wanted to keep it a secret a little longer…” As he spoke, he pulled out a narrow black strip of cloth.
    “And that’s for…” I was about to get some serious flashbacks if he wasn’t careful.
    I struggled to make sense of his behavior, the blindfold, and the poem about people acting old.
    He slid closer, his arm circling around my back along the top of the seat. “Humor me.”
    I nodded and let him tie the strip across my eyes, more flustered than anything. I think months of being shocked by men had given me a toolbox of coping strategies. A year before, this would’ve never happened. In a car with a new man, blindfolded, going God-knows-where… I’m pretty sure Clint English was the only man I’d ever let do that.
    Maybe it was the accent.
    Aside from the blindfold, the conversation was normal and casual. He asked about my week, I asked about his. He made me laugh and within five minutes, I was already at ease. Anticipation had put so much pressure on this date, but when it was just the two of us, I don’t know. It felt right.
    The car slowed to a stop, and I reached up to my eyes with an unsteady hand. “Can I…”
    “Yes, of course.”
    Even with the tinted windows, I had to blink with the brightness. I swiveled my head this way and that before letting out a laugh. “Seriously?”
    “It sounded like you didn’t have the best time here,” Clint replied as he climbed out of the car and offered his hand.
    “It wasn’t the shuffleboard I disliked.” Even though I’d been the one to put all these dates online for the whole world to read, it was still bizarre to have someone bring them up, to know details as if they’d been there themselves.
    Clint tilted his head toward the door. “You ready?”
    “You do see that this is a little weird, right?” I laughed. I felt like I was returning to the scene of a crime.
    He grinned in the most endearing way, dimples forming at the corners of his mouth. “Trust me.”
    As we walked into the vast hall, a familiar shout rang out. I traced the sound to its source and rolled my eyes. “Really?”
    “Over here!” Anette yelled waving her hands. Amie was beside her with a bottle of beer looking amused and not at all embarrassed.
    I gave Clint a look. “How did she get here before us?”
    “I may have had the driver circle around a few times,” he replied, rubbing the back of his neck.
    “You two are in collusion,” I said, waggling a finger in his face.
    “Hey. You’re the one who said you would’ve had a better time if there’d been more people around. I