Jonah laughs. “No way. I’ve heard Shaw sing. I’m going with the movies. Sharing a bowl of popcorn, their fingers touch in the dark…”

“No,” Sydney pipes in. Three heads swivel to her. “You’re both wrong. It’s something more romantic like a candlelight dinner on the boat or a picnic, also with candles.”

“So, your guess is he planned candles?” Jonah asks with a smirk. “Shaw? Which one is it?”

“I do like candles.” I kick my foot along the water sending a spray of water at Jonah. “I’m not telling.”

“Come on!” The three of them take turns whining and trying to get me to tell them.

“We should do a double date. Nay, a triple date.” Ollie elbows Jonah. “You could invite Richard and maybe Jade?”

“Oh no, if you didn’t close that last weekend, then you’re on your own, but I would love to see this date. Come on, Shaw, let us crash.”

“A group date could be fun.” Sydney smiles. That smile makes me want to give her anything she asks for. “Does that work for what you had planned? If not, we could do another bonus date.”

I don’t answer right away, torn between admitting the truth and making up something on the spot.

“Well?” Ollie asks. “What’s date three?”

“Movie theater,” I grumble.

Jonah and Sydney crack up and I hide behind my shades.

“Good call. Someplace you can’t talk too much and screw it up.” Ollie nods in understanding. “Plus, popcorn.”

We go to the late show and I must admit that going with a group was more fun than I expected.

“Where’s Richard tonight?” I ask Jonah. Sydney and Ollie are walking ahead of us as we head to the ice cream place next door to the theater.

“He and the band are in California for some festival.”

“Is he coming back?”

“Maybe.” Jonah shrugs his big shoulders, hands in his pocket.

“Sorry, man.”

“It’s cool.”

I’m not convinced, but I leave it alone.

“Why five dates?”

I was waiting for him to give me shit for this. Surprised it took this long.

“When we first met, she’d been burned by this guy and had a rule that she wouldn’t sleep with a guy until they’d been on five dates.”

“And you weren’t willing to wait? That doesn’t seem like you.”