At some point in their city-wide adventure, Jacqui realized that she was having fun. More fun, really, than she’d had in a while. Khizar was good company—talkative, amusing, attentive. He obviously had a good heart, which Jacqui appreciated.
He asked questions about the city as they drove from place to place, and Jacqui found herself being both tour guide and historian as she told him about her town. Milwaukee had a long and storied history, and Jacqui enjoyed sharing it with someone who was so interested.
When all the food was handed out, Jacqui gave Khizar directions back to the bakery. When he stopped the car in front of her shop, he insisted on her waiting to get out so that he could open her car door.
Standing on the sidewalk in front of the door, Khizar took her hand.
“Thank you, Jacqui, for helping me today. I couldn’t have done it without you.”
Jacqui blushed, a little flustered by the attention, but didn’t pull her hand away. “I’m happy I could help. I had fun today, really!”
Khizar took a deep breath, like he was trying to decide if he should ask her something, so Jacqui waited. She was surprised at his question.
“Jacqui, I know this is a bit presumptuous, but would you have dinner with me this evening?”
Jacqui studied him. Sure, they’d spent most of the afternoon together, but she wasn’t sure why he would ask her to dinner. Her uncertainly must have shown on her expression, because Khizar worked to convince her.
“I already have a reservation for dinner and it’s not a problem to change it to two people. As you are officially the only person I know in Milwaukee, you’d be doing me a favor by keeping me company this evening.”
Jacqui cocked her head to one side. “I thought you were here on business?”
He conceded her point with a nod.
“I am. Although I have meetings set up and have talked to my contacts over the phone, I haven’t actually met any of those people yet. You, I know.” Khizar gave her a charming smile. “You, I like, too. I’m sure I’ll enjoy talking business with those people, but you, I think I just like talking with in general.”
She thought about it and couldn’t think of a reason not to say yes. It was just dinner, and it would be nice to have a meal with a handsome man.
“Okay, yes. Dinner would be nice,” she said.
He nodded once, pleased.
“Excellent. I can pick you up here in, say, two hours?”
“That works for me. I’ll see you here at six, then.”
Khizar let go of her hand and left her to unlock the shop. He waved as he drove away, and for a long moment, all Jacqui could do was stare after the car.
Not the way she’d expected her day to go, that was for sure. Most of her days followed the same agenda: get up too early, work hard, worry about whether or not she was going to be able to pay the rent, fall in bed exhausted and stressed and not able to sleep.
Nowhere in her normal schedule was there time for a simple thing like a date.
Usually, that was fine. Friends had tried to set her up on blind dates here and there, but Jacqui usually waved them off. She’d have time to date when either the shop was successful, or when it wasn’t.
But there was something about Khizar. The handsome, wealthy businessman thing definitely worked for him, but Jacqui was more intrigued by the idea that he wanted to help people. How he’d chosen her bakery, she didn’t know, but regardless, she’d had fun that afternoon.
Jacqui rushed into the bakery, finished her tasks for the day, ran to the bank with the day’s deposit, and then home to quickly change for dinner. She made it back to the bakery in record time, and was waiting for Khizar when he arrived.
Once again, he insisted on opening her car door, and made sure she was buckled up before he pulled out into traffic again. They chatted as he drove through the city, and when he pulled up in front of the restaurant, she peered out her window.
A valet opened his car door, while another valet opened hers. She slid out of the car to see that they were at by far the best restaurant in the city. Khizar held out his arm and she took it, a little intimidated by the opulence of it all.
He leaned down and whispered in her ear, “I’m counting on you to walk me through Milwaukee food, Jacqui.”