I could see the picture in my head - when I opened the door the night would immediately turn darker and I’d end up in a seedy alleyway filled with dirty trash cans. The air would be scented with rotting food and stray cats would fight over scraps. A police siren would wail in the background. Or perhaps, my problem was I’d seen far too many bad crime shows? I held my phone in my hand, just in case. I opened the door into a well-lit courtyard. Jason sat at a table, which had two seats, in the centre of the area. Tiny lights hung from lanterns overhead across beams. Potted herbs like rosemary scented the area. Background music from his phone. No visible chainsaw. He smiled as I approached and casually waved his hand to the chair across from him. I pressed my lips together to keep from smiling. “Another date? I’m not sure I can handle two in one night, especially since this one was sprung on me.” “Wasn’t your first sprung on you too?”
