I chose a dish from the menu that seemed close to my usual. When the waitress returned, Jared ordered in perfect Japanese.

I tapped my finger on the table.

Jared watched me fidget with an amused expression. “Do you have somewhere to be?”

“No, I’m just waiting for the explanation.”

He leaned forward. “You’re very impatient this evening.”

I sighed and leaned back against my chair. “I’m sorry. I just feel a surprise coming on.”

“Do you, now?” he teased. “And why is that?”

“C’mon, Jared. I know something’s up.”

He smiled at the waitress as she brought our plates of food, and I sighed.

Jared led us into conversation about other things as we ate. He had made plans for us to have dinner at Lillian’s that weekend. Ryan had returned to spend a few days with Josh, so Claire was in town. I discussed my fall schedule, and we talked about the changes living off-campus would pose. We also decided to call Beth and Chad and invite them to our place for dinner as soon as possible.

“I’ve always liked Beth,” Jared mused.

“Me, too!” I teased, feigning surprise.

“She’s always been a good friend to you, but I particularly appreciate the talks she gave you in my favor. She’s a smart girl, that Beth,” he said, nodding with a smug smile.

I spun the noodles around my fork as I spoke. “There were moments I thought you had her on the payroll. She was very persistent.”

“That’s why I like her,” he smiled. “She knows what’s good for you.”

“She knew better than I did that we would end up together.”

“You didn’t think we’d end up together?” Jared asked, looking a bit surprised.

“Well…I wanted to. But at the time I didn’t think we should,” I explained, stabbing my fork into some type of meat.

“I’m glad you got over that,” he said, deep in thought. “I don’t know what I’d do if…,” he looked at me with deep affection. “You make me so happy, Nina.”

“You make me happy, honey,” I cooed.

Jared raised his brow at my uncharacteristic use of an endearing term and smiled, but his expression changed as his thoughts did. “I know things have happened pretty fast between us,” he grimaced. “Most people would say too fast, but we’re not most people.”

“Definitely not,” I said. I rolled the broccoli to one side of my plate and noticed Jared’s expression twisting to chagrin.

“I should have ordered that without broccoli, I’m sorry.”

I giggled. “It’s fine, Jared. I can separate the broccoli from my food.”

“I just want tonight to be perfect…I’m forgetting things,” he said, glowering at the broccoli on the rim of my plate as if it had insulted him.

That one phrase caught my attention. “Why does it have to be perfect?”