The Blind Date by Landish, Lauren (suggested reading .txt) 📕

ahead. “I was nine, and Arielle was six. After Arielle’s birth, the stress was bad. He and Mom would fight, usually over money because there was never enough. They tried to keep it away from us, so I don’t know all the details. But one Sunday, I woke up and he was gone. Other than an occasional child support check, we haven’t heard from him since. Honestly, I’m glad. Even if he was a part of what made me snap at you back then.”

“What do you mean?”

Noah makes another turn and accelerates a little. “Arielle had just turned eighteen, and we knew the rare child support payments would stop. They weren’t much and never frequent enough to count on, but they helped. So I knew Mom was losing that help, even though Arielle was still in high school, still living at home, and with dreams of college. It had me pissed. It wasn’t the whole reason I snapped, but it was part of it.”

The admission means a lot, and I feel closer to Noah now than I ever have. “And the rest? You said it was part of it.”

Noah glances over and takes a deep breath. “When River and I created Friendzone, I was so sure it was our ticket. That I’d be able to take care of myself, of my family. That Mom would be able to retire and finally not worry, and Arielle could become anything she wanted. Instead, I had a bit of money, but by the time River and I paid off the loans and investors, it wasn’t enough to go around the way I’d hoped, and I had to take a corporate job.”

“Yet you seem happy with your work now. River definitely does.”

Noah nods. “I do love my job. I have good people, good mentors, and yes, a damn good paycheck. But at the time, I was young, dumb, and broke. I was mad that you had this opportunity for school at your feet and planned to just walk away from it when my mom was working two jobs to split the cost of Arielle’s school with me. I was pissed that your dad was there, joking around and being all lovey-dovey with your mom, when mine had bailed. I was jealous of you for having the guts to try and make it on your own. But really, it had nothing to do with you. I hated what I saw as my own failure.”

“I don’t think you could’ve been a failure if you’d tried. It’s not who you are,” I assure him. “And thank you. For the full truth.”

“I’m still so sorry about what I said,” Noah says, looking over at me quickly before returning his eyes to the road.

I squeeze his hand, wanting to write the end of that chapter and move on to this one forever. “Can we agree that we’ve made our peace about that day? I never held a grudge because River said you were going through some family stuff and that it wasn’t about me. That doesn’t mean I didn’t think you were a rude asshole, but I understand now. Let’s leave the past in the past and see what the future might hold.”

Noah nods, and it feels like the beginning of something new, and that’s exciting. And looking over at Noah, I realize that he feels exactly the same way.

But dredging all of that up is a hell of a way to start a date.

“Where are you taking me, anyway?” I ask, hoping for a lighter topic.

“You’ll see.”

I relax into the seat, trusting that he’s got a plan, plus a back-up plan, and a back-up to the back-up. It’s who he is. Me? I could ride around all night and just stop when something caught my eye. But as my belly growls a little, I think maybe he’s got the better idea this time—a destination in mind with what I’m sure will be good food. Noah wouldn’t have it any other way.

I’m surprised when he parks at Big Mike’s, though. I would’ve thought he’d find it low-class or overly-kitschy as a themed diner that somehow combines everything from the fifties to the eighties. I’ve heard of it online but have never been here before.

I’m excited for my first time to be with Noah.

Walking into Big Mike’s, Noah holds the door for me, and I truly feel like a lady. The way Noah looks at me, I feel sexy and powerful, and as we sit down, I have to smile as he shifts in his seat, probably adjusting himself. “Is there something wrong, Mr. Daniels?”

Noah leans over to take my hand. “No. I was just thinking that your legs look amazing in those heels with your dress swishing as your hips sway when you walk. I was considering whether I could get you to walk around a bit more so I could watch.”

His voice goes rough and deep, and I wonder what else he wants to watch.

That thought makes reality flood in, and it really starts to hit me. He’s one sexy man, and he wants me and isn’t shy about letting me know it.

“Oh, my God . . . I’m on a date with my best friend’s big brother.”

Noah laughs, his eyes full of understanding. “And I’m on a date with my little sister’s best friend,” he reminds me. “Whichever way you want to put it . . . I’m okay with it.”

We both smile in acceptance of the crazy situation we’ve found ourselves in, and I take a moment to actually look around Big Mike’s. In most of the writeups online, it’s been described as a throwback diner. But right now, it looks more like a retro nightclub with food. There’s dim safety lighting around the base of each booth, throwing the neon lighting on the wall into sharp relief and making the whole restaurant look very blue and pink. Even the black and white vinyl floor is washed in the hues of the colorful lighting.

Almost every table is packed, and the dance floor