Page 46 of Ideal Life

“Jackson, come on. I’m running behind schedule.”

“Do not give those to her,” Colette said. “She’s going on a date, and she needs to do it on her own, not with that thing telling her what to do.”

“It’s not telling me, it just makes suggestions. And I can turn it off.”

Jackson was a huge guy compared to Erin and Colette, and also a huge sweetheart. He frowned and looked back and forth between them, genuinely torn.

After what seemed like eternity (Erin was definitely going to be late picking up Georgia now—what a great first impression), Jackson shook his head. “Sorry, Erin. I’m with Colette on this one. But have fun on the date, okay?”

Erin rolled her eyes. “Fine. It’s not like I need them to function. But if this date doesn’t go well, I’m blaming you two fuzzies.”

Erin and Georgia found a parking space in downtown Mountain View relatively easily, which was lucky, because it could get crowded here on this long street of restaurants that were cheaper than the ones in Palo Alto but equally delicious.

Delicious, too, was how Georgia looked tonight. Her long black hair fell in soft waves over her bare shoulders, the red of her halter top a contrast to her tanned skin. Georgia also wore oversize sunglasses, giving her an air of Singapore glamour—she had attended one of the most prestigious academies there, an international feeder school for Stanford—and it seemed to Erin that she’d somehow scored a date with one of the characters in Crazy Rich Asians. She’d had a hard time not stealing glances at Georgia as they drove here. (Erin had almost missed their freeway exit because of one such instance; if she’d had her Omni 3Ds, though, that never would have happened.)

Georgia’s eyes darted everywhere as they walked into the courtyard of Taste the World. It was a hidden alcove off the main road, hosting ten shop fronts of different international street food. Colorful flags had been stitched together and draped overhead, making the whole place feel like a joyful, gastronomic circus tent. The air smelled like garlicky grilled seafood, buttery Scottish pie pastry, and the sharp tang of lime and chili peppers from the nearby taqueria. “I’ve never heard of this place, but I think I already love it,” she gushed.

“I thought we could just buy a bunch of little plates from different vendors and try them,” Erin said.

“Oh my god!” Georgia’s hands flew to her chest. “They have a Singaporean stand!”

Erin smiled. Ideal Life Athena had done a fan-freaking-tastic job of finding Taste the World.

They split up, and Georgia took it upon herself to get a variety of Singaporean dishes from Lah Lah Express, while Erin went around and bought a hodgepodge of European bites—French cheese puffs, Polish pierogi dumplings, and Italian fried risotto balls.

“Everything looks amazing,” Erin said, when they reunited at a plastic table in the center of the courtyard. “What did you get?”

“My childhood favorites.” Georgia beamed at the steaming paper plates and bowls in front of them. “Chili crab, nasi lemak, which is coconut rice, and laksa, a spicy noodle soup. Oh, and they had sugarcane juice and Milo Dinosaur, my favorite chocolate malt drink that I used to get after school!”

“I can’t wait to try them,” Erin said. Her own haul looked so bland next to Georgia’s; everything was beige or brown. Ideal Life Athena could have helped her choose a more impressive spread.

Still, the only thing she could do now was commit to what she’d bought on her own.

No—wouldn’t it be better to eat what Georgia had gotten first? That would be the smart move on a date, right?

Eep. Erin didn’t know. Because on the other hand, if you went to a restaurant and people said they were going to share but then everyone ordered their own entrées, it was assumed that the “sharing” was only a small bite. The entrée actually belonged to the orderer. So was that the case here?

Georgia moaned as she ate some of the chili crab. “Sooo good.”

The sound of that moan shot straight through Erin, and she forgot all about thinking. Her id was leading now.

“With a reaction like that, how could I resist?” Erin took the fork from Georgia, letting her fingers graze hers. Another warm shiver vibrated through her.

Then the chili crab lit up her taste buds. “Oh, wow,” Erin said.

“Right?”

After Georgia ate more crab, she grabbed a spoon and scooped up some of the laksa. “You have to try this next. My grandma used to make this soup for me any time I was feeling low, and it always made life ten times better. Not that we’re feeling low right now. But if you want to know my soul, laksa is the key.”

With a flirtatious glint in her eye, she held the spoon out to Erin but didn’t relinquish it, instead offering to feed her.

Erin’s pulse sped up as she leaned in. She tried to make her mouth as sexy as possible as she wrapped her lips around the spoon, although she suspected she looked more like a fish than a very kissable girl.

“Oh god! Hot!” she spluttered as she failingly slurped and spilled soup all over the table.

Georgia floundered for a napkin, but she was laughing as she mopped up the mess.

“Sorry!” she said. “That didn’t work as well as I’d hoped. Was it too hot spicy, or too hot temperature-wise?”