I looked across to the kitchen to see the time on the microwave.
“Ian, it’s almost seven. We have to head over to Aiden’s house for the bonfire. He’s so excited to do it at his place this week, we can’t be late. I even made a cake.”
“Trust me, we won’t be late to anything,” I said. “It’s just one stop.”
“Just one stop and then to Aiden and Desiree’s, right? It’s a good ways up the mountain.”
“Just one stop. For dinner.”
“Dinner?” I almost yelled. “We don’t have time for that. Everyone will already be there, and we will be the last ones walking in.”
“Would it make you feel any better,” Ian said, crossing over to me and putting his hands on my shoulders gently, “if I told you everyone already knew where we were going and they were cool with it?”
“They do?” I asked, now completely in the dark.
Ian nodded. “Everybody knows. Okay? No stress.”
“Okay,” I sighed. “If you insist. I guess I could go for something other than burgers anyway. You know Aiden, if it’s at his place, it’s all burgers and dogs.”
“This is true,” Ian said, checking his reflection in the mirror in the hall. “Are you ready?”
“We need the cake,” I said. “You don’t think it’s too hot and will melt, do you?”
“Nah,” he said. “I have a feeling it’ll be just fine.”
With that, I followed him out to the car, and he opened the door for me. As I sat down, he went around to the other side, nearly bouncing with excitement. It was weird seeing him so peppy like this. Even though we both looked forward to our bonfire dates, this was a little over-the-top.
“What has gotten into you today?” I asked.
“Oh, nothing,” he said. “I have a confession, though.”
“What’s that?”
“I’ve had these reservations for months,” he said, chuckling deviously to himself.
“Wait, what? Why didn’t you tell me?”
“It was a surprise. And I had some things to make sure of and move around before I knew for sure it would work out. But it has. So we’re heading there now.”
“Is this like a fancy place? Should I go back inside and change? I’m just wearing bonfire clothes.”
“Bonfire clothes are fine,” he said. “I’m not all that dressed up.”
“Ian, you’re wearing a blazer. You never wear blazers,” I said.
“No, not if I can help it,” he said. “However, I am not wearing a tie, am I?”
“No… Where are you taking me?”
“It’s a surprise,” he urged. “Just relax. It’ll all make sense soon.”
“Alright,” I said, sitting back.
The truth was, I loved surprises, but I was also terrible about them. I loved being surprised, but I would do everything in my power to ruin it first. Christmas as a kid required renting a storage unit to keep my things in, lest I get one opportunity to go through the house and find where they hid things from me. Considering I had my own surprise waiting for Ian, this was a double whammy. No one expects a surprise—it’s kind of the point—but I really wasn’t expecting a surprise when I was already preparing to surprise him.
We drove for a few minutes before he turned down a familiar road, and I realized there was only one reason to go there. For the life of me, though, I could not figure out why we were going there.
“Dina’s Diner?” I asked. “Your reservations are at Dina’s Diner?”
He kept his mouth clamped shut, but the grin was spreading across his face.
“Ian,” I continued, “it’s a diner. You don’t need reservations for a diner. It’s kind of the whole point.”
“You do when you’re asking for the entire place to shut down for you.”
“Excuse me?”
“Nothing,” he said. “Just wait.”
Crossing my arms over my chest and pursing my lips to one side, I sat back again. What was he up to?
Sure enough, we pulled into the diner, and I noticed that the parking lot was completely packed. Not only that, but I recognized some of the cars. Slowly, things started to dawn on me, and I turned to him as he parked.
“Why is everyone here?” I asked. “What did you do?”
“I told you I had a reservation that I had been planning for months. This is it. Come on.”
He got out and opened my door, and I slipped my hand in his as we walked up to the building. The lights were off inside, which kind of gave it a creepy vibe, but when he pulled on the door, it was unlocked. Reaching to the side, he flipped a switch, and all the breath left my chest as I looked around the room.
Everyone was there. Everyone. Aiden and Desiree were in a corner with their two kids, Carter and Lauren were in another. Finn, Wendy, Ollie, and baby Hope were in a booth, and Hawk and Dee with their two kids were across from them.