Free The Christmas Tree Guy by Railyn Stone

paying?” She looked around, uneasy at the idea of a ‘dine and dash’.
    “Oh, yes. You know how you said I was from a family of entrepreneurs? Well, my family owns the restaurant.” He grinned, holding the door open for her as he waved and said goodbye to the young lady who seated them earlier.
    “Well, there are just tons and tons of layers to you aren’t there?” Reaching the sidewalk, they continued talking as they walked to her SUV.
    “Sydnee, I really enjoyed talking with you today.” He paused for a moment and she could see a tiny bit of apprehension in his eyes. “Do you think maybe we could do this again?”
    “Quinn, I don’t know. I mean, you’re sweet and I really enjoyed talking with you, but…” Her insides liquefied seeing the light bounce in his eyes. She had enjoyed lunch with him. What would it hurt? No. Can’t do it. He’s too young.
    “It’s the age thing huh?” Damn. Is he reading my mind?
    “Well, yes that’s one issue for me.”
    “And what’s the other issue?”
    Shrugging, Sydnee looked away for a moment before turning back and exhaling a deep breath. “Quinn, it’s not really an issue per se…”
    “Really? So the race thing isn’t an issue?”
    “No. I, uh, I guess. It’s a little of both.” He was so point blank and upfront about everything and she understood even better what he meant when he said he didn’t play games. She wanted to be as honest with Quinn as she could. She didn’t have a problem with interracial dating. In all honesty, she’d just never been approached by a man outside of her own race and since she’d never been approached, it was never something for her to consider. Now, she was standing in front of a man finally presenting her with the opportunity and she was ill prepared. She had no idea how to answer him or what to do. Part of her wanted to go out with him. The part of her that seemed to come alive each time she talked to him. The other part of her was scared. Scared of what it would be like to date someone so totally different from her. What would her friends say? Better yet, what would her mother say? She knew if no one else would have a problem with her dating a white man, Carroll Duprey would.
    “It’s only a problem if you let it be.” His boyish grin made her heart thud against her chest and she was amazed at the level of charm he had. What was it about this guy?
    “Quinn-”
    “Look, just dinner, maybe a movie or something like that. Harmless, and from what I can tell, both twenty-six and thirty-four year olds like those things. So we do have something in common.” He stood staring at her and she couldn’t help but be impressed at his confidence. Race, age, nothing seemed to matter to him and it was refreshing to be around someone who didn’t live by labels.
    At this point, she was floundering. She had no other recourse. He’d laid out every reason they could go out and she had no ammunition for rebuttal. “I-”
    “Just dinner and a movie. What do you say? This time I’ll pay. I promise I’m not a cheap date,” he winked, referring to their free lunch at his family’s restaurant.
    “I have a feeling you aren’t going to give up until I say yes,” she laughed, thinking it had been a while since she’d gone out with any man since the blind dates she was set up on and really relaxed. And seriously, what would it hurt for them to go out again?
    “How did you know? I tell you what, just to make it fair this time, why don’t you give me a call?” Reaching into his pocket, he pulled out a card and handed it to her before opening her door.
    “And just what makes you think I’ll call you?”
    “I don’t know that you will, but let’s just say I really hope you do.” He replied as she got in her car and he shut the door lingering long enough to entice her with his dynamic smile. She watched as he turned and his athletic body seemed to glide across the parking lot to his own car.
    Twirling the card over in her hand,