Two weeks later, David stood outside his office, holding some finished paperwork that needed to go to Candice. He’d recited over and over what he would say to her, but nothing sounded right, and so he stood motionless outside his door. A couple of his coworkers walked by with curious glances, and he waved and made small talk, but he saw the strange way they looked at him as they walked away.

Other than a few casual hellos and goodbyes, David hadn’t really talked to Candice since his first day on the job. He’d thought about her constantly, and he wanted to ask her out numerous times, but every time he worked up enough courage, his throat became parched and his tongue felt glued to the top of his mouth. And so, here he was again, trying to work up the courage and not chicken out. A couple of deep breaths later, he was walking to Candice’s office. He wanted to be brave, but she was a hard one to read. Over the past two weeks, she hadn’t made an effort to talk to him at all, and he hoped and prayed he wasn’t getting his hopes up for nothing.

Her office door was open, and David knocked on the doorframe before entering. She was sitting behind her desk, typing on her computer, and he smiled when he saw the eyeglasses perched on the tip of her nose. She looked adorable, but as soon as she saw him standing in the doorway, she yanked them off and dropped them on top of her desk.

“Good morning, Candice. Do you mind if I come in? I just need to drop off these papers for the Henderson project.”

She cleared her throat and motioned for him to enter. “Of course. Come on in.”

David went to her desk and gave her the forms. As soon as he looked into her beautiful brown eyes, every conversation topic he’d rehearsed that morning immediately flew out the window, and he could only think of one thing to say. “How are you?”

He grimaced, but Candice gave him a smile. “Well, right now, I’m stuck. Aaron wanted me to find a couple of nice restaurants for his trip to Seattle next week, and there are so many to choose from. Henry Toler is expanding his hunting and fishing business to Lehi, and Aaron put in a bid last week. Now he’s hoping to win him over with a little wining and dining.”

She rolled her eyes when she said it, and David couldn’t help but laugh. He peeked at her computer screen and recognized a couple of the restaurants she was researching. “Brigham Bay has the best fried oysters and boiled shrimp on the West Coast, and they have a pretty extensive beer and wine list to choose from too.”

He stopped when he caught Candice staring at him with inquiring eyes.

“You’ve been to Seattle?” she asked.

David sat in one of the leather chairs across from her desk. “I was there a couple of years ago for a construction project. I’ve traveled to a lot of those while I worked for Owens Industries. I’ve been to most of the major cities like New York, Chicago, New Orleans, and Miami.”

Her expression never changed, and David felt the heat rise on the back of his neck. He hoped she didn’t think he was being pompous by talking about the places he’d visited. She was a difficult person to read, and he honestly didn’t know what to say to her.

“I envy you,” she replied. “I’ve lived in Lehi my whole life, and I’ve never traveled across the state line. I would love to visit Italy someday. That’s always been a dream of mine.”

David tried not to stare, but she had a wistful look on her face when she said it, making her brown eyes glisten. She had on a pink blouse that complimented her porcelain skin, and she wore her hair up, but there were tiny wisps of it that hung loose and cradled her face. She was simply breathtaking.

“I haven’t traveled overseas yet, but I hope to soon,” he replied.

She didn’t say anything in return, and an awkward silence fell over the room. David’s heart pounded as he tried to come up with something to keep the conversation flowing, but his mind went completely blank. Candice blushed and looked down at the pen she was holding.

“If Aaron doesn’t care for seafood, the Dover Inn in downtown Seattle serves some awesome ribeyes and filet mignon. I always stop there when I’m in town. They don’t have as many beverage choices as Brigham Bay, and it’s a bit more expensive, but I think they would enjoy it.”

He was probably rambling and grasping at straws, but it was the only thing that came to mind. When she frowned, David wished he could take it back.

“Dover Inn was my first choice, but when I called a few minutes ago, I was told they were booked solid next weekend because several families made reservations for Easter.”

David moved to the edge of his seat. He saw an opportunity, but he was afraid to take it because he worried he would come across as arrogant. When more silence fell between them, he decided to take a chance.

“Would you mind if I called? I don’t know if it will help, but I know the manager at Dover Inn personally, and it could be worth a shot. I promise you, those steaks really are worth it.”

Candice laughed and gestured to her desk phone. “Be my guest.”

David stood and walked behind her desk to use the phone. She pulled up the restaurant information on her computer screen, and as he dialed the number, he hoped and prayed for some good luck. The last thing he wanted was to make a fool of himself in front of Candice. On the second ring, someone picked up on the other end of the line. The man had a foreign accent, so he knew it wasn’t Paul, the manager.

“Hello. May I please speak to Paul Bowen?” he asked.

There was a short pause before the man responded. “May I ask who’s calling?”

David gave him his name, and there was another long pause before he heard Paul’s familiar voice.

“David! How are you? I haven’t seen or heard from you in ages.”

He grinned. “I’m doing well. How about you? Staying busy?”

They talked for a couple of minutes about the usual stuff like work and when David would be traveling to Seattle again, while Candice sat by and watched him closely. He felt like he was under a microscope, and his heart raced so frantically, he worried it might leap right out of his chest. When Candice leaned back in her office chair and crossed her long, lean legs, David had to force his attention back to what he was doing.

“Paul, my new boss is flying to Seattle next weekend for a very important business meeting with a potential client, and I was wondering if you might have a slot open for Friday or Saturday evening.”

Paul put him on hold so he could check, and David held his breath and waited. He contemplated several other scenarios in case it all went south, but he doubted he would get over the humiliation if it did. Paul returned to the phone and told him he had one spot left.

“Saturday evening at seven thirty?” he asked while looking to Candice for confirmation, and she nodded her approval. “That sounds great! His name is Aaron Mason, and he’ll be bringing one guest.”

Again, he looked to Candice to make sure he was getting his story straight, and she once again nodded. “Thank you so much, Paul. I appreciate this more than you know. Say hello to Maria and the kids for me, will you?”

They spoke a little while longer, and when he hung up, he expelled a long sigh of relief before sitting back down across from Candice, who was busy writing the information down in her day planner.

“Have you ever thought about a future in politics?” she joked. “Or law?”

David chuckled. “Absolutely not. I don’t have the patience for either one. I’ve been known to schmooze my way into a reservation or two, but that’s as far as it goes.”

Candice stopped writing, and when she looked at him and smiled, he hoped the smile he gave her in return didn’t resemble that of a goofy teenager because he sure felt like one.

“I don’t know how to thank you,” she replied. “I probably would’ve sat here forever, trying to find a restaurant that wasn’t booked over the holiday weekend.”

It may have been just crazy blind optimism on his part, but with everything going so well between them, David decided to throw caution to the wind.

“Candice, I know we haven’t known each other long, but I would love to take you out to dinner sometime.”

The look she gave him could only be described as sheer terror—or perhaps it was genuine excitement. He honestly had no idea, but it made him nervous regardless.

“You mean like a date?” she asked, with an incredulous expression on her face.

David grinned. “Yes, like a date.”

She looked down at her desk and started fidgeting with her pen. For a couple of minutes, she never said a word, and David’s apprehension grew with every second that passed.

“David, it’s very sweet of you to ask, but I can’t. I’m sorry.”

To say he was let down would be an understatement. She didn’t offer a reason, and he didn’t ask for one. He did his best to put on a happy face and act like he wasn’t as disappointed as he felt. “It’s okay. I understand. Perhaps some other time.”

She didn’t agree or disagree, but as David stood to leave, he held his chin high. Candice didn’t know it, but he wasn’t about to give up. He would remain positive, no matter what. Sooner or later, he would convince Candice Hollins to give him—to give them—a chance.