On the other side of town, Martin was driving Serena around, feeling as if he were living in a dream. It all seemed surreal.
Serena had texted him earlier: [Let's hang out.]
At first, Martin thought he'd read the message wrong. It wasn't until after he'd reread it dozens of times that he believed it was real.
This was the first time Serena had ever asked him out!
And it was the first time she had responded to his long-standing affection for her.
"Serena, where would you like to go?" Martin asked gently, glancing at the girl in the passenger seat.
Serena appeared indifferent. "I don't care."
She was just bored of hanging around her aunt's house and was looking for something to kill time.
"Feeling down?" Martin picked up on her mood. "Is something bothering you? Did someone upset you?"
Serena didn't want to answer, and Martin didn't press. Instead, he suggested, "How about we go to the lavender fields?"
