It took a lot of effort, but I managed not to smile. I didn’t want to give it away quite yet. I wanted to tell him at lunch about the job offer, that way we could get a proper drink to celebrate.
Jacob had found a quaint little café at the end of town to get lunch. It was really cute, with outdoor tables and a huge menu with good-looking food. We had the hostess seat us outside on the patio so we could enjoy the California sun.
“This place is adorable,” I said, glancing around and enjoying being out for the first time in weeks.
We sat across from each other and held hands over the top of the table. I hadn’t been able to take my eyes off of him since he had arrived.
“You have to try their strawberry and Nutella crepes,” he said. “When I lived here, I’d come here at least once a week to order them. Trust me, you won’t regret it. It's one of the few things I like around here.”
“They sound divine,” I said. “I can't wait to taste them.”
“I can't wait to taste you,” he replied with a smirk. “Why are we at a restaurant again? And not in your bed?”
I chuckled and pushed his shoulder gently. “Because we're waiting for my roommate to leave.”
“Right,” he said, nodding. “That way you can be loud.”
“Shh!” I pushed his shoulder again, a little harder this time as I turned bright red. “The waitress will hear you.”
“Oh, well that wouldn't do,” he said, shaking his head. He grinned, showing me all his teeth. “Then she'd want to join in, and I'm just not sure I'm ready to share you.”
I rolled my eyes at him and pushed him one more time on the shoulder for good measure. “You're trouble.”
“You like it,” he assured me. I found that I really did.
The waitress came up and Jacob ordered everything, including some appetizers, two grilled cheese and tomato soup combos and of course, the Nutella crepes for dessert. When the girl left, Jacob brought his attention back to me.
“Okay, now that our food is ordered, I want to hear the news,” he said. He pushed up his glasses, ready for whatever I was going to tell him.
“What news?” I asked, faking a confused expression.
“Ha, very funny,” he said. “Don’t leave me in suspense any longer, Alicia. You’re killing me.”
“I don’t know how to tell you,” I said, biting my lip and looking away. I deserved an Oscar for this performance.
“Just spill it,” he said. “Did you win the competition or not?”
I took a sip from my water, then my lips curled up into a smile. I couldn’t contain it any longer.
“I won,” I announced.
“You won?”
“Yep. I got the job,” I said, nodding and letting my smile free.
“You’re kidding me,” he said, his eyes widening.
“No, I’m serious, Jacob,” I replied. “I got an email this morning from Steve Lynchell himself. He said that my app was the best one out of the bunch. He offered me a full time position with ZephTech.”
“Alicia, that’s amazing!” He hopped up from his chair and maneuvered around the table. He wrapped both arms around me and squeezed me tight, while kissing me on the cheek. I giggled and turned red, as the other patrons of the restaurant turned to look. He kissed me a few more times and then returned to his seat. I was glowing.
“It’s pretty exciting, huh?” I said.
“So exciting. What else did they say in the email?” he asked. His eyes sparkled with excitement for me. “Tell me everything.”
“Mr. Lynchell basically said that he thought my dating app had everything that they were looking for. He said it was beautiful, easy to use and served a function. I hit all three nails on the head, apparently.”
“See, I told you that your creativity would get you a job,” Jacob said, proudly. “I didn’t see any of the other entries, but I’m positive that yours looked the best. You did an amazing job, Alicia. I’m so proud of you.”