A laughing Chris backed out of the parking spot and pulled out into the road.
* * *
Later that night, Chris pulled the Ellicott’s business card out and punched the number into his phone.
“Hello?” Eliza’s voice filled his ear as she answered the call.
“Hi, Eliza. It’s me, Chris.”
“Chris?” The surprise in her voice was soon replaced with acceptance. “Got my number from Jojo, right?”
He chuckled. “Yeah, she helped me out.”
Eliza cleared her throat. “What can I do for you, Chris?”
He had many answers for that question, but he went with the most appropriate one. “I’m just calling to thank you for helping me out with Jojo today.”
“It’s no problem. She’s a sweet kid, and I was happy to help.”
“She’s pretty hard to please these days, but bringing her to Ellicott’s got me some major brownie points with her. I really appreciate it.”
Eliza laughed, the sound soft and musical. “Like I said, no problem. Actually, you already thanked me, by spending all that money in my store. I’d say we’re even.”
“Still, I’d like to do something for you. Why don’t you let me take you to dinner tomorrow night?”
She hesitated for a long moment. “I don’t know, Chris.”
“It’s just dinner. You gotta eat, right?”
She exhaled in his ear, then gave in. “Okay, Chris. I’ll go out with you, but it can’t be anyplace too fancy.”
“We’ll keep it casual, I promise.” Chris grinned at the thought of spending time alone with Eliza after all these years. “What time should I pick you up?”
“Eight. You’ll have to pick me up at the boutique.”
“That’s fine.” He didn’t know if she would be getting off work around that time, or she just didn’t want him at her house, but it didn’t really matter. “See you then. Good night, Eliza.”
“Night, Chris.” She disconnected the call.
Tucking his phone away, a smiling Chris strolled to the bathroom for a hot shower.
* * *
Saturday night, Eliza stepped out of Ellicott’s at five minutes to eight and found Chris’s car idling at the curb. She waved, walked toward the car.
He jumped out and held open the passenger door for her. “Good evening.”
She raked an appreciative gaze over his body, encased in dark denim jeans and a fitted black T-shirt. “Hi, Chris.” She slipped into the car and buckled up as he shut the door.
“You look nice,” he remarked as he settled in next to her and started the car.
She looked down at her tan slacks and white cap-sleeve blouse. “Thanks. It’s just what I wore to work today. You did say it would be casual.”
“It will be.” He pulled away from the curb.
They stopped off for dinner at the Burger Lounge on Fifth Avenue. It wasn’t far from Ellicott’s, and Eliza loved the food there. She chowed down on the cage-free turkey burger, while Chris enjoyed the classic Lounge burger. They shared a mixed basket of fries and onion rings.
Conversation flowed easily between them, and Eliza almost felt like they’d never been apart. “So, tell me about some of the buildings you’ve designed. Are there any around here that I might know?”
“Sure. But there’s so many of them, it would be easier to just drive you around the city and show them to you.” He popped an onion ring into his mouth.
Her eyebrow lifted. “Oh, really?” Was that his way of asking her out again? They’d only been together for about an hour on this outing.
He nodded. “Yes, really. There are about fifteen buildings in different locations around San Diego that are original Marland designs.” He wiped his mouth with a napkin. “But it’s up to you whether you want the tour.”
Finishing her meal, Eliza tossed a crumpled napkin into the empty basket that had held the fries and onion rings. “I’m stuffed. Now I just want to crawl into bed.”
“You know it’s bad for your digestion to lie down right after you eat.” He stood, cleared away their trash and threw it away. When he returned, he held out his hand to help her up. “Lucky for you, our night isn’t over yet.”
She looked up at him, confused. “We’re going somewhere else?”
“Yes. And I promise you’ll love it.”
She pursed her lips. “All right now, Chris. We had dinner, like you asked. How long are you planning to keep me up tonight?” Too late, she realized the implications of what she’d said.
A wicked smile crossed over his face. “Not much longer. Don’t worry. I’ll have you home by eleven.”
Shaking her head, she let him lead her out of the restaurant and back to the car.
She watched the passing scenery as they drove through the darkened streets. It was around nine thirty, and the vibrant night life in San Diego meant there was still a decent amount of traffic. Everything she saw was familiar; she’d grown up here and had returned home to open the boutique about six months ago. Still, gazing out the window was the best way she could think of to suppress the urge to openly stare at Chris.
He’d always been handsome, but now he was even more so. He’d aged like fine wine, and his success in the architecture field only added to his attractiveness. In the confines of the car, there was nothing to dampen the clean, masculine scent of his cologne. He smelled fantastic, and if she recalled correctly, he wore the same scent now as he had back when they’d dated.
She hazarded a glance his way, but didn’t dare look at his face. Instead, she looked at his hand on the gearshift as he drove. The powerful engine of the car responded to his every command, the sound changing in time with his movements. The vehicle was under his complete control, and Eliza knew that if they didn’t stop soon so she could get some fresh air, she would be, too.
He pulled into the parking lot at the San Diego Zoo, and Eliza’s brow furrowed in confusion. “What are you doing, Chris? The zoo closes at nine.”
“I know it does. For everybody else.” He winked as he cut the engine.
That only confused Eliza more, but when he came around to the passenger side to open her door, she took his hand. The only way to find out what he meant was to follow him, so she did.
An employee opened the locked gates for them and ushered them in. “Good evening, Mr. Marland, Ms. Ellicott.”
“Hi.” Eliza turned her questioning gaze to Chris. “What’s going on?”
He tipped the employee, then started walking toward Front Street. “It turns out that if you make a generous donation to the zoo’s improvement fund, you can have the place all to yourself for a private tour.”
She blinked a few times. “You mean...”
“Yep. There aren’t any other visitors here.”
Amazed, she asked, “What are we supposed to do in an empty zoo?”
He chuckled. “It’s not like the animals and their caregivers went home, you know.”
She rolled her eyes. “You know what I mean.”
He guided her down the footpath through Koalafornia Boardwalk. “I remembered how much you loved the koalas, so I thought we’d spend some time at the koala exhibit.”