Free Love And Coffee: A Cup Of Grace Romance Series Book 1 by Katy Halliday Page B

that.
                  “No!” they said in unison. 
                  “That black dress is too fancy for Olive Garden.  You’d look and feel completely out of place,” Kathryn said.
                  “This is perfect.  The blue in the flowers matches your eyes,” Jillian added, leaning back against the doorframe.  She sighed,  “I wish I had a date.”
                  “Oh, don’t be sad, sweetie. You know your turn’s coming.  When we get the coffee shop open, you’ll have your choice of guys.  And Christian one’s at that,” I said.
                  The doorbell rang and I swallowed.  “Well, here goes nothing,” I said.
                  “No, I’ll get the door and you wait just a couple of minutes before making your entrance.  You don’t want to appear desperate,” Kathryn said and headed toward the living room.
                  “Answering the door will make me look desperate?” I asked Jillian.
                  “Oh yeah,” she said, nodding in agreement.
                  I shrugged my shoulders and went back to looking at myself in the mirror. 
                  I could hear Kathryn greeting him and asking him how he was.  I silently counted to 30 Mississippi and decided that was enough.  I took a deep breath and headed toward the living room. 
     

 
     
     
     
    CHAPTER ELEVEN
     
     
     
    “Matt,” I said with a smile. I smoothed the skirt of my dress down, just to be sure that I hadn’t wrinkled it when I took it off earlier.
                  He stood up from the couch and smiled really big.  I loved that smile of his.
                  “Tara, you look really nice,” he said.  He was dressed in Dockers and a navy blue polo shirt, and he smelled incredible. 
                  “Thanks, you look pretty nice yourself.”  I had seen him in business clothes at work so it wasn’t a surprise to see him wear something other than jeans and a t-shirt, but I didn’t remember ever smelling cologne on him before.  It was nice and it suited him.
                  We stood there and looked at each for a few moments.  Just admiring each other.
                  “Well, shall we get going?” he finally asked.
                  He didn’t need to ask twice.  I nodded at him and smiled a goodbye to the girls.  He was a perfect gentleman and opened my car door for me.  A girl could get used to this.
                  “You kids have a good time,” Kathryn called from the still open apartment door.
                  I waved at her and turned to Matt.
                  I wish I could say I entertained him with witty and spirited conversation on the car ride over to the restaurant, but I was strangely tongue tied all of a sudden. Small miracles.
                  At Olive Garden, he pulled my chair out for me.  Like I said, a girl could really get used to this kind of thing and I hoped he would be around long enough for me to do just that.
                  I sat and stared at him while he talked, occasionally putting a piece of breadstick into my mouth.  A tiny piece, of course, to not give away that I wasn’t really a demure, cute little thing, but rather a ferocious eater that would tear into a half side of roast beef when starving.  Or challenged.  I once won a Twinkie eating contest in college.  32 Twinkies in 10 minutes.  Yes.  Be impressed.  I’ve got mad Twinkie skills.
                  After a bit, he stopped and looked at me.  “What?” he said.
                  I blushed.  “What what?”
                  “You’re not saying a word and that is awfully unusual for you.”
                  I gasped.  “What?  What are you talking about?  I am quiet and sweet and quiet and, and