Page 6 of Paging Dr. VanRyan
Maddy looked over from the customer she was serving, a warm smile breaking out on her face. I found myself smiling back at her. Wide. Pleased. She broke our stare, concentrating on the customer. But I saw the color that bloomed on her cheeks.
I liked it.
I waited patiently until she was done. She headed my way. “Hello, Matthew.”
“Hey, Maddy.”
We stared at each other briefly before I cleared my throat. “So, the cake was a hit.”
She chuckled. “Good.”
“My mom laughed, and my dad pretended to be indignant, then took a few pictures and laughed with her.”
“I’m glad.”
“You did, ah, a great job of fixing it.”
She shook her head. “Didn’t take much.”
“And the donuts were great. Good pie too.”
Her pretty eyes widened. The blue was soft, like a summer sky early in the morning. Welcoming and warm. “You ate all of that?”
“Well, I didn’t finish the pie.”
“Oh, good then,” she replied with a smirk. “Some willpower.”
“No. I fell asleep.”
That made her laugh out loud and gave me the courage I needed.
“I was wondering…”
“Yes?” she prompted.
“…if you would have dinner with me.”
“Dinner? Like a date?”
“Yes. A date. With me. We’ll eat dinner and see where the night takes us.”
“Um,” she hesitated.
“I can supply references.”
“Of former dates?” she said, shocked.
“No. I meant my boss, my banker—or you can talk to my mom. She’d vouch for me.”
She tilted her head. “I see. Your mom.”
I chuckled. “Lame, I guess. Really, I’m a good guy.”
She was quiet, then smiled. “I’d love to have dinner with you.”
“Awesome.”
“When?” she asked.
