Third Date by Kylie Keene

have much in my checking account.  
    I wore my best butt-lifting jeans and a form-fitting sweater. I’d love to show more skin but it’s still frigid outside and I tend to be cold even when I’m indoors.  
    Grant shows up at the restaurant right on time. The hostess seats us at a booth and we both take our coats off. He sets his coat next to him on the seat, then points to mine. “Do you want me to take yours so you have more room?”
    “No, that’s okay. But thanks for asking.”
    My dream man is very polite.
    He’s wearing jeans and a blue polo shirt. I like the casual look on him. And I can check him out better when he’s not covered in the suit. I do a quick scan of his arms. They’re not as muscular as I thought they’d be, but I’m sure he didn’t have time to work out during law school. Actually, as I get a better look, his arms are kind of thin. I usually like a guy who’s bigger and more muscular, but I can get over that. There’s nothing wrong with thin. I’m thin and not at all muscular, so we’re a good match.
    I find myself staring at Grant like Aiden did to me and I quickly look away. I’m not sure what to say to this guy. I’m so nervous. I should talk about work. That’s why we’re here. Or at least that’s why he thinks we’re here.  
    “So what exactly do you do in the legal department?” I have no interest in anything the legal department does. I think legal stuff is boring, but I’m certain my dream man can make it interesting.
    “I’m working on ensuring our products conform to the new labeling laws. There are so many rules around organic labeling and then the regulators keep changing them. With the company adding new product lines, we’ll have to rely on new vendors for ingredients, so I’m drawing up contracts that specifically address the new rules for organics to make sure our products meet the new standards.”  
    Okay, he didn’t make it interesting, but that’s okay. Nobody could make that stuff interesting.
    The waitress comes over and Grant notices I haven’t even picked up the menu.
    “I think we still need a few minutes,” he tells her.  
    Sending her away like that was a date-like move, wasn’t it? I’m not sure, but it seemed like it.  
    I’m staring at him again. I need to stop. I glance down at the table and hear him talking.
    “Sorry, Morgan. Were you ready to order? I can get her back.”
    “No, I’m not ready.” I open my menu and start flipping through, trying to find the right dish to order. Pasta? No, it’s too messy. Salad? Also messy and I risk getting pieces of lettuce stuck in my teeth. Burger? Too greasy. Damn! Why did we come here? There’s nothing to eat, at least nothing that’s good for a first date. But it’s not a date. It’s just dinner with my mentee. Or is it a date? It kind of feels like a date. I don’t know what it is.  
    “You know what you want?” Grant asks.  
    My mind immediately puts a dirty spin on it and I feel my cheeks blush.  
    I snap out of it. “Oh, um, yeah. I think I’ll have the salmon.”
    “Yeah, me, too. We must have similar tastes.” He smiles and I can’t tell if it’s a friendly smile or a flirtatious one. Why am I not able to read him better?
    “You haven’t said much, Morgan. Tell me about yourself.”
    My nerves take over. I have nothing to say to him. All my hobbies are lame. And I never go out. I basically have no life.  
    “Well, I grew up in Bloomington.” That’s the best thing I could come up with? Where I grew up? Ugh, I’m so bad at this.
    “The place with the mega mall.” He smiles again and it makes me relax a little.
    “Yeah, that’s the one. My dad still lives there. In Bloomington. Not the mall.” That was a dumb thing to say. I feel my face getting hot.
    Grant laughs. “What about your mom? Does she live around here?”
    I pause before answering. I don’t like talking about my mom, especially on a first date. I don’t want this guy taking pity on me, but