Chez, Jack's restaurant choice, was nice. No, it was really, really nice. It seemed like one of those restaurants that only famous people were allowed into. Lana suddenly felt a little out of place and also paranoid that everyone there knew about the crinkled Taco Bell receipts scattered in her car. Would they kick me out of here if they knew the balance in my bank account?

Yet here she was, seated on the outside patio at this fancy restaurant with Jack, who seemed so at ease and so excited to take her out.

When she opened her menu, she noticed none of the items had the cost listed. That's when you know this shit's expensive.

"So, should we get onion rings for the table? I like extra ranch dressing," she said jokingly as she scanned the menu, causing Jack to snort awkwardly out loud, trying to contain his laughter.

"Sorry," Jack said quietly to the posh lady at the table next to them, who had turned and looked in their direction, irritated by the disturbance.

It took every bit of effort for Lana to not burst out laughing as well. "Just kidding. So let's see here... hm..."

Lana scanned the menu. It was hard to decide what to order when the food items were words Lana had never heard of. What's confit? And pissaladerie? "Umm, anything suiting your fancy?" she said.

"Not sure, but I hear the escargot and duck confit here are amazing."

Lana instinctively pouted her lips.

Jack noticed it and laughed. "Don't tell me you don't like escargot or duck?"

"Well, I've never actually had it," Lana said quickly, trying to cover up her dramatic disgust. "But it just doesn't sound good."

"Well, how do you know you don't like it if you haven't tried it?"

"Well, there's still a chance I don't like it. So, better to just stick with what I know I like. Also, what if I'm accidentally allergic? Who knows? It's nice to stick to what I know because it means I'm guaranteed a delicious meal."

"I don't think there's ever a guarantee for a delicious meal. What if the chef was sick that day and a new amateur chef accidentally adds too much salt?" Jack replied cheekily.

Lana laughed. "Touché."

"So, okay, no new foods. Is there the smallest chance that I could convince you to try one new thing tonight? I have a feeling it will change your world!"

Lana pondered for a moment. "Sure, I guess. But, if I end up sick to my stomach tonight, I'll know who to blame."

Truthfully there wasn't even a menu item Lana recognized anyway. Anything she ordered would have been a gamble. Might as well have Jack pick.

Jack laughed and said, "I promise you, I don't think you'll be sick to your stomach from what I'm about to order."

"So how did you manage to get a reservation here on such short notice?" Lana asked as she put her menu down.

"I wish I could say it was my charm and good looks, but the owner is one of my clients at the accounting firm. He's always bugging me to visit but I never had the chance."

"Well, I'm sure your charm and good looks may have played a part somewhat." Lana smiled. She was full-on flirting now and didn't even care.

Jack smiled back. Something in his eyes caught her at that moment. She continued, "I have to say, I feel like you look very familiar. Like maybe we've met in the past? Are you sure we never met before last week when you came in?"

Jack shifted in his seat. "Mmm no, I don't think so. I think I would've remembered a beautiful face like yours, for sure."

Lana quickly looked down and cleared her throat, hoping Jack didn't see how much she was blushing.

Their server came by, and Lana let Jack order for them. What was most impressive was the waiter wasn't even writing down all of the food items Jack was listing. Just smiling and nodding. How is he memorizing this?

Lana tried not to react as Jack told their server what they wanted, saying food names Lana had never heard of. It seemed Jack noticed Lana's skepticism while ordering, so he looked at the waiter and added, "And do you guys carry onion rings by chance?"

The waiter was taken aback by the question, almost insulted. "No, sir. But our chef can... uh... make french fries if you wish? It's not on the menu, but sometimes we accommodate when guests bring... their children..."

Jack looked at Lana who was smiling and aggressively nodding yes to the french fries, clearly not caring that it was only available for children.

"Alright let's get the french fries as well! And that's everything."

Thank God! Can't go wrong with french fries!

"So, tell me about your job," Lana asked as the server walked away.

"Well, there's not much to it. I help people manage their money. And it's pretty boring most of the time. That's about it."

"That's it? I thought you were Mr. I Love Travel Adventure Guy?"

Jack laughed. "Yeah well, I mostly do that adventurous type stuff during my free time. You know, to counteract the boring monotony that is accounting."

"What made you go into it?"

"Well, to be honest, I was pretty reckless in high school and college. I had a really bad gambling habit. I sort of got into a lot of debt and then got to a point where I wanted to turn my life around. So, accounting was a steady career which I needed at the time."

"Well, I'm glad you were able to turn it around. I've heard nightmare stories from people getting into gambling and doing stupid stuff."

"Yeah, thankfully I have some great friends who helped me and talked some sense into me. I mean, I still do the occasional stupid stuff, but not at all as much as before. I guess my job now keeps me grounded a bit." Jack shifted uncomfortably in his seat. Lana could tell he didn't mean to divulge that last part.

"Interesting. What was the last stupid thing you did?" Lana couldn't help but ask.

Jack laughed and continued to shift in his seat. "I can't tell you! We're only on our first date."

"Second date! And I'll tell you if you tell me!" Lana shot back.

"What? Tell me the last stupid thing you've done? Let me guess, you went five miles per hour over the speed limit once?"

Lana laughed. She actually couldn't recall the last stupid thing she'd done, but then it hit her. "Actually, I did something idiotic last week."

Jack seemed to neutralize his expression. Lana continued, "I got asked out a week before you asked me and gave the guy my number. It was really, really dumb. He wasn't even a good guy."

"How do you know he wasn't a good guy?"

"I just, um, knew." Lana shrugged. She didn't want to go into the details about that night at Goodwill. She just wanted to forget about it.

At that moment the server came by with their first dishes. The garlic and rosemary scents from the food filled Lana's nostrils, and her mouth watered slightly.

"Okay, ready for your world to change? Which do you want to try first?" Jack said while looking at all the plates on the table.

Lana didn't know what was what, so she picked something that sort of looked like a pastry filled with some meat. She tasted it, and she had to admit, it was heavenly. "Wow, just wow. That is amazing," she said as she wiped her mouth down.

Lana went from dish to dish, loving every item in front of them. Everything was so good that she barely touched the plate of French Fries that came.

"Are you feeling sick? Should we call the medic? What's your temperature like?"

"Very funny. I'm fine, thank you for your concern." Lana helped herself to more food. "So, is your family in LA or still living in Manhattan?"

"They're all in Manhattan still. I have a very big family, which is rare in New York City. I have four younger sisters living there with my parents."

No wonder he is so kind. He must've learned to treat women well early on.

"What about you?" Jack asked just before he put a piece of chicken in his mouth.

"Well, I was an only child, and it's just my mom and me in LA. My grandmother passed away when I was younger too. My mom lives close by, and I see her maybe once or twice a week."

"Oh, that's great that you guys are close."

"She's one of my best friends."

The rest of the evening was spent chatting about life, and Lana couldn't help but fall a little every time Jack shared personal details. He seemed so transparent about his shortcomings, which made him even more perfect in Lana's eyes.

By the time they finished their dessert, Lana was stuffed. "I don't think I can eat anything ever again. This was amazing. Thank you for taking me here."

"I think you'll be hungry again soon. It always happens to me." Jack paid the bill, and while he was waiting to get his card back, he asked, "Do you think you have time for me to take you to one more place? I think you'll like it, and it's not that far from here."

"That sounds nice." I don't want this night to end!

As soon as Jack got his card back, they left the restaurant and headed down the road. Lana paused while they were walking and hugged Jack. "Thank you again for an amazing night and for treating me to dinner. It was a nice restaurant that I'm glad I was able to try with you."

She relished the feeling of his strong arms circling her waist in return. They both lingered for a moment on the sidewalk outside the restaurant, and Lana looked up at Jack, whose gaze was intent on her. She noticed he stole a glance at her mouth. She looked down at his mouth, letting him know it was okay to proceed.

Yet, Jack's arms loosen, and his body turned from hers. Her shoulders slumped slightly as he placed his hand on hers and led her down the road to their next destination. What? Did I just misread that moment?

They remained quiet for about a block before Jack broke the silence. "Sorry, I know it was the perfect moment for me to kiss you. And trust me when I say, I wanted to. Like so bad. But, I just want to save it until after you see what I'm about to show you."

Lana straightened up and faced him with a blush. "Where are you taking me?"

"You'll see soon enough. We're almost there."

They finally got to a... taco stand? Uhhh, he's already hungry again? I mean, it's tacos, so I guess it makes sense.

"We're here!" Jack said, and Lana's confusion set in even more. He spoke to the burly man behind the stand, and the man handed Jack a gift bag. "Thanks, Julio!"

Julio waved at them as Jack led Lana to a nearby park bench. He seemed to be a bit shaky, but Lana assumed she just read that wrong. "I got you something, and Julio has just been keeping a close eye on it for me for the night."

Lana beamed. A gift? From the most amazing man ever? A man that's made me swoon to no end?

They sat down on the bench and Jack handed her the bag. Lana excitedly pulled out whatever was in it.

But the excitement that was plastered across Lana's face quickly faded, and she furrowed her brows. In an instant, her jaw fell open, and her eyes grew wide when she looked at the item in front of her—a green decorative box that looked strangely familiar to a box she once had only a week ago.

***

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