The intercom from the main door buzzed. She glanced at the clock in the kitchen. Right on time. She punched the release button and spoke into the intercom. “Come on up, Zach.”

Amy pressed a hand to her stomach. If she didn’t know better, she’d say she’d had jumping beans for lunch. She drew in a deep breath. Just Zach. Someone she saw every day at school—and then summer school—and had hung out with countless times over the last nine months. Nothing had changed. Not really. She shook her head. Right.

A minute later, there was a knock on her door. Amy checked through the peep hole before opening it. “Wow. You look great.”

He chuckled and offered her a bouquet of mixed blossoms. “I think that’s supposed to be my line.”

Heat rushed across her cheeks. Amy buried her nose in the flowers and tried to focus. The knife-edged crease on his khakis and aqua button-down under a tan and aqua sweater vest was dressier than she’d expected. Were her wool slacks and sweater too casual? “You didn’t say where we were going...”

“You’re perfect.” His eyes sparkled as they lingered on her face.

Amy cleared her throat. “Okay. Um. Let me put these in some water and we can go.”

She took the flowers into her kitchen and grabbed a vase from the top of her fridge. She ran some water into the bottom and stuck the flowers in. She’d snip the stems and arrange them later.

“Ready?”

She nodded. “Yep.”

They walked down to Zach’s car in silence. Did he feel awkward too?

“Since we watched a movie last night, I thought we’d try for something different tonight, if that’s okay?”

“Of course. Do I get to know?” She smiled as she slid into the passenger seat and he gently closed the door.

After rounding the car, Zach settled behind the wheel and started the engine. “Sure. Do you golf?”

“Seriously? Do I look like I golf?”

He shot her a fast grin. “That’s a trick question if I’ve ever heard one. I take it that’s a no, then?”

“Of course it’s a no. You golf?”

Zach shrugged. “Now and again. I don’t rush out every Saturday or anything. But what I do enjoy, as often as I can, is hitting some balls at the driving range. There’s a really nice range near the waterfront, just south of the Mall. We don’t have to; I just thought it might be fun.”

Amy chewed her lip. Was there a right and wrong answer here? Golf...it just smacked of old men in polo shirts and argyle socks. But... “Nah, let’s give it a try. Maybe I’ll find something new that I enjoy.”

“Cool.” He grinned at her before darting across two lanes of traffic so they could turn. “Dinner first. You like Indian food, right?”

“You mean like curry?”

He chuckled. “There’s a bit more to it than that, but curry’s a place to start.”

“I’ve really only ever had curry—like that recipe I gave you in the spring? I like that kind of stuff.” From the pinched expression on his face, that was the wrong admission to make. It wasn’t as if she didn’t enjoy trying new things...she simply didn’t make a huge habit out of adventurous eating. “But since it seems to be a night for trying new things, why not?”

“You’re sure? There’s a good burger place near here as well. I’m fine with either.”

Burgers. Her mouth watered. But no. She could eat a burger any day and... She didn’t want Zach thinking she was a stick in the mud. “I’m sure. It’s good to branch out.”

He eased into a parking spot on the street that had just been vacated. “Now that’s what I call timing. And it’s not too far to walk. For October, it’s a reasonably nice night.”

Amy buttoned her coat before opening the car door. It wasn’t horribly cold—maybe the low fifties—but there was often a wind down here by the water that could cut through innumerable layers of clothing.

Zach took her elbow and shut the car door, nodding down the street. “This way.”

It wasn’t as busy as she’d imagined. Didn’t the Arena Stage have a show tonight? Maybe it was too early for theater goers to be converging on the area. “For someone who doesn’t live in the city, you sure know the area pretty well.”

“Between work and going out, I’m down here enough it made sense to learn the streets.” Red worked up his neck onto his cheeks. “I, uh, might have spent time studying the maps and planning different routes to various places. Even if I try to use the Metro when I can, it’s never a bad idea to be comfortable in the car.”

“You studied the map. For fun.”

Zach shrugged. “I like maps.”

Amy laughed.

“Here we are.” Zach opened the restaurant door and waited while she entered.

A heavenly mix of spices—heavy on cumin and cinnamon, with an undercurrent of something spicy—greeted her nose. “Mmm. That’s enough to make anyone hungry.”

The hostess seated them and, before long, they’d ordered the tasting menu for two. It promised sample-sized dishes of the house specialties. None of them were familiar, though Zach assured her they were good. She could always make a sandwich when she got home if it didn’t work out.

Amy spread her napkin in her lap. “Why don’t you live in D.C.?”

Zach’s eyebrows shot up. “No particular reason, honestly. When I moved out here, I managed to hook up with Jackson and Ben. They were looking for a third roommate, I needed a place, and we’d all hit it off. Plus I love our church. I didn’t have a job yet, so it seemed like a decent location, all things considered.”

She nodded. That made sense. “But you’ve been at our school, what, two years now?”

“This is the start of my third.”

“Why not move closer now that you know where you’re working?” Why would anyone continue to have a commute like his? It was one thing when you were getting started, but now?

He scoffed. “Where am I going to be able to afford a place in D.C.?”

“Uh, hello? I have a place in the city. It’s not that hard to find somewhere to live near the school. And if you’re willing to put in some sweat equity, you could probably even buy instead of renting.” Every time something came up for sale on her block she ran through the numbers. But so much depended on getting tenants for the other units. Good tenants. Most of the folks on her block were great, but there were always the outliers who didn’t want to keep things looking nice and who resented anyone’s efforts to keep the neighborhood from sliding into sketchy. She wasn’t ready to take the risk. Yet.

“I guess. I really hadn’t thought about it. When I think of living in D.C., I guess my mind goes to Georgetown and Capitol Hill.”

She forced her lips to curve and swallowed a retort as their food arrived. Better to let it go than to ask if he realized how that sounded. After all, none of the kids at their school lived anywhere near those parts of the city. Why wouldn’t it occur to him to live near the school? Why was it okay to teach there but not to live nearby?