“Oh.” She blinked and tried thinking through what was happening. She’d made up a lie about texting her mom, but now Jack’s plan was . . . involving her mom . . . ? Hallie nodded and said, “Yeah, this is that. That whole thing. Um, I thought she was over it, but clearly she still thinks my aunt needs help.”
Hallie rolled her eyes and shook her head as if she found the entire thing exhausting.
“Do you need to go meet them?” he asked.
“I probably should,” Hallie said. “I mean, we’re already finished with dinner, so we’re almost done anyway, right?”
Stephen looked like he was trying to figure out if she was crapping out on the date or if she was legitimately in possession of a wacko aunt and overbearing mother. He nodded. “Yes. Yes, you should totally go.”
She gathered her purse before they exchanged the little I’ll call you goodbye that almost never resulted in an actual call. She said, “Thank you so much for tonight, Stephen.”
“Anytime,” he said, and then she waved and was virtually running out the front door.
She ordered a margarita at the Taco Hut bar, then walked straight out to the back patio. Somehow she just knew Jack would be out there, and she was right. He was leaning back in a chair with a lowball of tequila in his hand, smirking as he watched her approach.
The way he was looking at her might’ve seemed like something at one time, but now she was convinced Jack was right, that it was just the normal chemistry that existed between two people who’d previously had sex.
“Well, that was the weirdest escape call in the history of dating,” Hallie said.
“That’s what makes it genius,” Jack said, kicking out the chair across from him at the table so she could sit on it. “You make it so batshit confusing that the other person has no choice but to say, ‘You should go.’？”
“I don’t know if I’d call it genius, but it’s certainly entertaining,” Hallie said as she plopped down in her seat and took a sip of her drink. “I know we just ate, but I kind of want a taco.”
“Already ordered you one.”
“You did?”
“Chicken taco with cheese on the bottom,” he said.
She almost choked as she laughed and swallowed at the same time. “You remembered!”
“I mean, what’s the point of cold, hard cheese?”
It was impossible not to grin at Jack as he sat there being thoughtful, smug, and absolutely adorable. “You’ve never sounded smarter, Marshall.”
He tipped his glass. “Why, thank you, Piper.”
They just sat there for a minute, grinning at their ridiculous situation.
“So, want to hear something weird?” Hallie asked, stirring her drink with her straw.
“Always,” he said.
“When I was walking over here, I realized that my non-match date tonight actually gave me hope for finding Mr. Soul Mate.”
He tilted his head a little. “How so?”
“Because Stephen is a good guy. Not for me, but still a catch—he’s successful, nice, and attractive. So even though it didn’t work out, I have hope in the possibilities. The next Stephen could be the one.”
Jack gave a nod. “I mean, I suppose that’s what dating is. Finding the quality person who’s more than just a good candidate.”
“Right?” She crossed her arms and said, “I just feel like it could be close.”
“Your words to Ditka’s ears, Piper.”
“You have to stop saying that.”
They ended up closing down the Taco Hut after getting way too into bar trivia. Hallie was great at pop culture, while Jack was ridiculously good at history, so they had an impossible time walking away when they were in first place.
After the restaurant closed, they walked home, which Hallie tipsily decided was the best perk of living downtown.
“Seriously, I should sell my car,” she said, loving the feel of the city at night. All the colorful lights, the car noises, the smells of delicious food and garbage—it was intoxicating. “I love this.”
“Watch the mud,” Jack said, pointing to the thick sludge on the sidewalk. “You don’t want to ruin those boots.”
Hallie smiled at him and bumped his arm with hers. “I knew you’d noticed my pretty suede boots.”
“I only noticed because you looked a little wobbly after your beers.” He grabbed her arm and stopped her forward motion. “Look.”
They’d hit a spot that was apparently at the bottom of the hill, because the entire sidewalk was covered in thick mud.