She felt her cheeks flame. “So did you.” Unable to believe she’d had the guts to say it, she turned around and locked the door to avoid his heated gaze.

“Do you have to go through the studio to get to your apartment?”

“No.” She pointed to the door a few feet away and said, “That door leads up to my apartment. Where are we going, anyway?”

“You’ll see.” He put a hand on her lower back, guiding her along the front of the building.

When they turned the corner, walking toward the back of the building, she said, “There’s nothing behind the building but a parking lot and loading docks. Should I be worried?”

“Never when you’re with me.”

That big hand of his pressed against her back, guiding her forward, and when they rounded the corner, her breath caught. The frame of his truck was illuminated with strings of tiny white lights. The tailgate was down, and the smallest firepit she’d ever seen sat on the metal bed, a teepee of wood perched in the center. Just beyond, he’d spread out blankets and colorful pillows, and in their center were several take-out containers from her favorite restaurant and two to-go cups.

“Quincy, this is amazing,” she said as they neared the truck. “It’s like those romantic Instagram pictures that I thought never happened in real life. I can’t believe you did all of this for me.”

“Yeah, I can’t either.” An incredulous laugh rumbled out.

The pit of her stomach sank. “What does that mean?”

“Oh, shit. I didn’t mean that the way it came out. I meant that I’ve never done anything like this before. But I’ve waited a long time to go out with you, and I didn’t want to take you just anywhere, like out for pizza and to see a movie.”

“I like pizza and movies,” she said, surprised that he sounded nervous, too.

“Cool. I do, too.”

“But I like this a million times better,” she admitted, and the smile she earned told her exactly how happy that made him.

“I’m glad, because I wanted our first date to be special, and honestly, I have no idea what I’m doing. This is the first real date I’ve ever been on.”

“No way” fell out before she could stop it.

He nodded. “Way.”

“I don’t even know what to say to that. I figured you had women lining up at your door to go out with you.”

“I do, but that doesn’t mean I take them up on it.”

The way he said it wasn’t bragging or cocky. It was unabashedly honest, and between that, his nervousness, and the romantic date he’d arranged, Roni’s trepidation fell away. He set the flowers on the bed of the truck and helped her in, then climbed in behind her.

She picked up the flowers as he knelt to light the fire, and he said, “I had no idea wildflowers were still around this late in the year, but I gave it a shot and got lucky.”