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

ever again be that little boy who was hoping for a trash sandwich. And I’ve seen Mom’s eyes when she comes over—the relief that we all survived, her pride that she was able to provide for Arielle and me, and her joy in my success.

It’s ridiculous to be nervous about an apartment. I know that. And I’ve had women here before. But none of them knew me the way Riley does, and that makes all the difference.

I snag my keys and finally get them in the lock, twisting the key and opening the door. “Come on in.”

From the moment I hit the lights and we walk in, I know I worried for nothing. Riley looks around with interest, but there’s no judgment. She’s not impressed by trappings that way. Instead, I think she’s enjoying seeing how I choose to live, what creature comforts I’ve chosen, and getting to know me in another new way. I feel the weight of nervousness lift off me.

“Wow, I love it,” Riley says as she crosses my living room, dropping her purse on my small dining table.

Seeing her here fills the space with a life I hadn’t noticed it was missing, like she brings energy with her, sprinkling it in her wake with every step.

“Me too. It’s not as cozy as your place, but it’s home, you know?”

She beams at the compliment to her apartment. “I like bright colors and suns, and the clean background to let them all shine. But that’s not you. This is you. Classic, quality, and maybe a bit showy.” She winks with the last bit, and I shrug, not offended.

“Confident, not cocky,” I say, agreeing with her. “Look at this.” I guide her over to the window on the far left of the living room and place my hands on her upper arms, lining her up just right in the prime spot for the view. “Right there,” I say, pointing out the window across the span of sky and buildings. “You can see the logo on the top of Life Corp. It’s what let me know this was the one. I can see my future from here.”

“It’s beautiful,” she whispers reverently, understanding why that would be so important for me.

With her back to my chest, part of me wants to jump right back to where we were, push her up against the window, and ravage her.

I want her. Desperately. But I want more than that with Riley.

“Would you like some wine?”

She looks over her shoulder at me, nibbling her lip nervously, and I know I made the right choice.

“Sit down. Let me grab it.” I step back from her, feeling the loss of her heat, and head to the kitchen. I can still see her over the island counter as she sits down on the leather couch, crossing her legs demurely.

I pop the cork on a bottle and pour two glasses. Carrying them back to her, I hand her one and sit down beside her.

“Thank you. A toast?” she asks, holding her glass with delicate fingers.

“To pasts that shaped us, presents that fulfill us, and futures that are better than we can dream.” I clink my glass against hers, and we take sips, eyeing each other over the rims.

“Mmm, that’s good—the wine and the toast. I haven’t heard that one.”

I chuckle and shrug. “That’s because I just made it up.”

Her brows jump in surprise. “Really? Quite poetic, Mr. Daniels.”

I bow my head with a smug smirk and Riley grins back. I like that she can see my humor in the cockiness now. It tells me that the past is truly gone to time and she’s here in the now with me. “I try. Tell me, what’s the future you dream of?”

Riley takes another sip, thinking before she answers. “Honestly?” Riley says, and I nod. “I want to help people for as long as I can. I want to make the world a better place, as silly and beauty queen-like as that sounds. And I think I’m doing that. As for how long I can do it or how that takes shape through the years, I don’t know.”

“It doesn’t sound silly at all. You are doing that for so many. You’ve already done it for me, changed me,” I tell her honestly.

Riley blushes but looks pleased. She wiggles happily. “What about you? Got any more brilliant apps in that brain of yours?”

“Not yet. There’s still too much to do with BlindDate, and I hope we can make it the number-one dating app. Especially since it seems to work so well.” I lift a brow her way. “Ninety-six percent.”

She smiles, and I continue, “I’m going to work my ass off on BlindDate, and then we’ll come up with the next thing, and then the next. I plan to work my way to the top, earning it every step of the way. The sky’s the limit.”

“Why stop there? There’s an entire universe beyond that.” She’s serious, not being facetious.

“Well, in case you hadn’t noticed, I’m a planner. So step one can be the sky. Step two can be the universe. I wish I could be a fly by the seat of my pants type sometimes, like River.” I hate to mention one of the elephants in the room, but it’s pertinent to the conversation. “He’s so adventurous. Someone could say ‘wanna skydive?’ and I’d do it, but I’d still be checking my chute, making alternate safety plans, and confirming the landing zone while River jumped out the plane with nothing but an umbrella to slow him down. But somehow, he makes it work.”

Riley leans forward. “Because of you. He makes you do big things, and you make him do them correctly. You’re a good team. Maybe like us?”

I grin. “We might be a good team too, a little sunshine and a little rain, but I can guarantee you that I’ve never wanted to sip wine from River’s lips the way I want to taste yours right now.”

Riley licks her lips as though