“No, not at all. Want some cereal?”
“No, thanks.” He sat down at the breakfast bar and watched me as I prepared breakfast. “What are you up to today?”
“Oh, a little of this, a little of that.” I refused to look in his direction.
“What does that mean?” He laughed.
“I have some writing to do. Then I’m going to go out to lunch.”
“Alone?”
Something in the tone of his voice made me turn to look at him. His expression was much more tense than I’d expected.
“No, not alone.”
“With a friend?” He stood up from the breakfast bar and then began pacing.
I was used to Max roaming. He wasn’t much for sitting still. But something still seemed off.
“Well, sort of.”
Max paused in front of my open bedroom door. He could see the dress hanging on my closet door.
“You’re going on a date! That’s a date dress!” He spun around and looked at me. “Why didn’t you tell me?”
“I don’t know. It’s just a first date. I figured I’d see how it went.”
“That’s great, Sammy. I’m happy for you. Where did you meet him?”
I sat down at the breakfast bar. He sat down beside me.
“At the grocery store.”
“That’s funny.” He grinned. “Seriously, is he a friend of a friend or something?”
“No. I just met him. Actually I met him a little while ago, but I bumped into him again today.”
“So you met this guy in a grocery store and now you’re going to lunch with him?” Max shook his head. “What about getting to know him a little first?”
“Isn’t that the whole point of going out to lunch?”
“Well, yeah, but I mean, a few phone calls back and forth would be good. Do you know where he lives? What he does for a living? How many cats he has?”
“No, no, and no. I also don’t know his social security number or the time of his birth. Max, I’m not interviewing him, I’m getting to know him. He’s cute and funny. I like him. I want to see where it goes.”
“Alright.” He sighed. “I guess.”
“I wasn’t asking for permission, you know. You go on dates all the time. I don’t question you about the details of why you are going out with someone.”
“I know.”
“Do you know everything about the women you date before you take them out?”
“That’s different.”
“How is it different?” I shook my head. “It’s not as if I’m moving in with the guy. We’re having lunch.”
“But you met in a grocery store.” Max’s eyes widened as if that explained his entire point of view.
“Max, I’m not talking about it any more. I’m really excited to get to know this man. You’re a grump.”
Max sighed. He reached out and patted the back of my hand.
“You’re right. I’m sorry. I just worry about you.”
“Nothing to worry about. I can take care of myself.” I finished my cereal and carried the bowl to the sink. “What do you think of the dress?”
“I think it’s beautiful.” Max stood up as well. “I guess I better head out. Good luck with your date. If you run into any trouble, call me.”
“I will.” I smiled at him. “Thanks, Max.” I hugged him close. “You are the best best friend a girl could ever have.”
“Good to know.” He kissed my cheek.
After Max left I sat down at my computer. I wanted to get a little writing in before going out on the date.
As much as I wanted to be successful, the more I tried to focus on the chapter I was working on, the less I was able to concentrate. My mind kept drifting back to Greg. What if Max was right? Was I taking too big a risk by accepting the attention of a random man I’d met? I didn’t think it was unreasonable. But then I knew absolutely nothing about Greg. He could be a serial killer. Or a polygamist.
Finally, I turned my computer off.
Max had really gotten under my skin. I didn’t want to let his concerns ruin my date with Greg.
I turned on some music and dressed for the date. As I danced around in my summer dress, I thought about the fact that today could be it. Today could be the day that I had a first date with the man I would spend the rest of my life with. That was a pretty powerful thing to think about. Right now Greg was just the guy I met at the grocery store, but in the future he might be the father of my children.
“Slow down, Sammy!” I laughed at my own reflection in the mirror. “It’s just lunch.”
Chapter 3
Over the phone, Greg suggested a restaurant in the middle of the city. It had a great reputation. When I reached it, I realized that having a great reputation might be a problem. The parking lot was packed.
I searched for a place to park. Was I going to miss my date because I had nowhere to park? I really didn’t want to have to walk three blocks.
Just when I was ready to give up, I spotted Greg, standing in an empty parking spot. He smiled and waved at me. Then he stepped out of the way. I had to admit that I was impressed. Once I’d parked he opened my door for me.
“Sorry, I didn’t realize it was going to be this crowded.”
“That’s fine. Thanks for saving me a spot.”
“It wasn’t easy.” He laughed. “There are some hungry people in this city.”
Once we’d ordered our food I decided to dig into getting to know Greg. I didn’t feel any initial attraction to him, but I knew that for me that could come later. I was much more attracted to personality than I was to a person’s looks.
“So what do you do, Greg?”
“I’m in finance.” Greg shrugged. “What do you do?”
“I’m a writer.” I smiled saying those words. It was still new to me to declare myself a writer, but I really enjoyed it.
“How interesting. You must be very creative then. I’m afraid I’m not very good with creativity. When I was a kid, my art projects were always ash trays that looked like round clay balls.”
“Hey, that’s creative!” I laughed. “I’m not much of an artist myself. But I do like creating a good story.”
“What kind of stories do you write?” He paused as our food was delivered. I realized I might scare him off by telling him the truth.
“Oh, a little bit of this and a little bit of that. What do you do for fun?”
“I like to spend time outdoors.” He grimaced and then shook his head. “I’m sorry, that’s not really true. I hate bugs and I get horrible sunburn. I just read somewhere that women like men who like the outdoors.”
I laughed with relief that I wasn’t the only nervous one. “That’s alright. You shouldn’t try to be anyone but yourself, Greg.”
“Well, myself isn’t all that exciting. I watch television. I read books.”
“That sounds exciting enough to me.”
I realized in that moment that I was lying. It didn’t sound exciting to me at all. I liked Greg. I thought he was a very nice guy. But I still didn’t see any connection forming between us.
After we’d finished our meal he walked me out to my car. My heart pounded as I wondered if he would try to kiss me. I wasn’t sure if I wanted him to or not.
“Samantha, I had a really nice time. Maybe we could try this again next week?” He looked into my eyes.
My instincts told me that there would never be anything between us, but I wasn’t ready to give up that easily. We’d barely had a chance to get to know each other.
“I’d like that. How about dinner on Saturday?”
“Really?” He smiled. “I’d love that.”
“Great, then it’s a date.” I lingered a moment longer to see if he would try for a kiss—or even a hug. Instead he just opened my car door for me.
As I drove away I felt a mixture of disappointment and confusion. Greg was a great guy. He was a gentleman. He treated me well. Why didn’t I feel attracted to him?
Maybe Max
had gotten into my head a little too much. Maybe I was thinking about Blue too much. Or maybe I’d just forgotten how to relax.
I stopped by the liquor store to buy my favorite bottle of wine. I had a date set for Saturday night. It had been a long time since I’d been able to say that. I had plenty to celebrate, and I wanted to see if I felt differently about Greg once I was a little more relaxed.
As I picked out my wine, I thought about the men that I’d dated in my life. There hadn’t been many. But each one had caused a spark. I’d always just assumed that spark was a natural thing that came with a relationship, no matter who you were with. Now I had to wonder if that spark was something that only happened when there was a mutual chemistry. If there was no spark, could I start one? Did I really want to work that hard?
I walked up to the register, lost in my thoughts. I went to set down my bottle of wine on the counter, but only managed to get it on the edge. The bottle started to tilt. My mind filled with the horrifying image of wine and glass scattered across the floor. I lunged forward to catch it. In the process, I slammed into the arm of a man who was walking up to the register as well. I managed to catch the wine but I knocked him backward into a display of twenty-four-pack beer cans.
“Oh no!” I gasped.
Chapter 4
Luckily the tower only swayed. The clerk behind the counter ran out to strengthen the structure.
“I’m so sorry.” I looked at the man I’d bumped into.
He met my eyes with a slow smile. Instantly I felt that spark. He had a rugged look about him. He was heavier and his hair curled down just past his ears. In conventional terms he was not terribly handsome, but that didn’t matter. My spark grew into a flame.
“No problem. You bumping into me is probably going to be the best part of my day.”
I laughed a little at his compliment. “I’m sure that’s not true.”
“I guess that depends on whether you will give me the chance to get to know you.”
The clerk walked back behind the counter and rang up my wine. As I paid for it I looked back at the man I’d nearly assaulted.
“Really? You want to risk more bodily harm?”
His eyes shone with amusement. “Is that a threat or a promise?”
I laughed again. I liked that he could make me laugh.
I wasn’t normally one to exchange numbers so easily, but by the time I left I had Shawn’s number in my phone, and he had my number in his. I was certainly on a roll when it came to dating. The question was, would that roll lead to anything promising?
Before I enjoyed my wine I decided to get changed and get relaxed. I wanted to be prepared to go absolutely nowhere and just enjoy my wine. I walked into my bedroom to take a shower. When I got out of the shower I wrapped up in a towel and went on a hunt for my favorite sweatpants. I was elbow deep in a pile of unfolded laundry when there was a knock on the door. I rolled my eyes. I was sure it was Max. He was probably coming over to check on me to make sure that I’d survived my date with a stranger.
“Come in, Max!”
There was another knock. I assumed that he couldn’t hear me, or maybe he’d left his key behind. I hurried out into the living room, still in my towel. I unlocked and popped the door open.
“Just a second, I’m trying to find some clothes.”
“Where do you want the flowers?”
When I heard the voice, I knew that it wasn’t Max at all. I gasped and turned around to see a deliveryman with flowers in his hands.
“Oh, I’m sorry. I thought you were my friend. You can just put them anywhere. I’m so sorry!”
I ran for my room. At least I’d used a large towel and everything was covered up—that was, until the towel snagged on the doorknob I was running by. The entire thing pulled off me and landed in a damp pile on the floor.
“No!” I squeaked. I ran into my room and slammed the door shut.
“Okay. Well, the flowers are on the counter, ma’am.”
I heard his voice through my bedroom door. I couldn’t even imagine having to face him again.
“I’m sorry. I don’t have any cash to give you a tip.”
I lied. I had some cash in my wallet, but there was no way I was going back out there.
“Don’t worry about that. That was tip enough!” He laughed and I heard the front door close.
I was mortified, but I was also excited about the flowers. Greg sure had worked fast. It was so thoughtful of him to send me flowers. I hadn’t received flowers from anyone but Max in quite some time.
After making sure I was fully clothed I ventured out into the living room. The flowers were on the counter as the deliveryman said they would be. It was a beautiful bouquet. I searched among the leaves for the card.
I glanced over the card in my hand. My heart nearly stopped when I read the message on it.
Samantha,
This is just the first of many ways I hope to make it up to you.
Blue
I was so shocked that the card fluttered right out of my hand. How did Blue know my address? Why had he sent me flowers? Was it just to confuse me? I sniffed the flowers. They smelled lovely. But I was still a little unsettled. I was sure that over the months of our communication Blue had enough information about me to figure out where I lived. That wasn’t the problem. The problem was that I had absolutely no idea where he lived.
I decided to send him an e-mail to thank him.
Blue,
What a lovely surprise. The flowers are beautiful. Thank you. I told you that you have nothing to make up to me. Please don’t worry about that. Since you know where I live, I’d love to know where you live so that I could send you a proper thank-you card.
Samantha
After I sent the e-mail I wondered if I’d been too direct. Would he be a little uneasy about me asking him for his information? I decided that if he was, then I had good reason to be concerned.
I was tired of playing cat and mouse with him. I wanted to be on equal ground. I hadn’t even asked him the questions that I’d asked Greg. I had no idea what Blue did for a living, or for fun for that matter. It was very surprising to me that the majority of our relationship was built around deep conversations rather than actual physical information.
Chapter 5
I decided to do a quick read of the last chapter I’d written. In reality I was waiting for Blue’s information. I couldn’t wait to Google Earth him.
I promised myself that I wouldn’t be a stalker and just show up at his door, but the possibility that I could was exciting to me. Then there was the idea that if I knew where he lived I could just happen into him one day by accident. No more excuses, no more plans falling through—just Blue and me face to face.
It was both terrifying and thrilling to think of finally meeting him. It had become more than just a want for me. It was a need.
Maybe Blue was the reason I couldn’t feel a spark with Greg. Maybe it was because all of my spark was already used up by thoughts of Blue, and, guiltily, thoughts of Max too. Then again, I’d certainly felt a spark with Shawn at the liquor store.
I sighed with confusion. I knew that finding my true love would be difficult, but I hadn’t expected it to be so emotionally complicated.
I checked my e-mail to see if Blue had written back. There was no reply waiting for me. On top of my excitement and my apprehension, now I felt irritated. After sending me surprise flowers, he had no time to send me a quick note?
“Typical Blue,” I muttered.
I forced myself away from the computer and decided to try to mute my emotions a bit with a few episodes of my favorite show. The few episodes turned into a mini-marathon. By the time I surfaced from the dramatic adventures of my favorite heroine, the sun had set.
I still hadn’t received a reply. I told myself that that was it now—I would stop hoping for more. He was toying with me, and it only worked if I let him.
I cleaned up the kitchen after a quick dinner and was ready to settle into bed
early when my phone rang. I picked it up to see that it was a number I didn’t recognize. My heart lurched as I wondered if it could be Blue. He knew my address, so it wouldn’t be that hard to find my phone number.
“Hello?”
“Hi there.”
I didn’t recognize the voice. I didn’t expect to.
“Who is this?”
“We met today in the liquor store. Or should I say that we collided.”
“Oh, Shawn!” I smiled. “How are you?”
“No permanent damage. Other than a little ding to my heart.”
I rolled my eyes at his cheesy line, but it was working.
“Well, I’m glad you called.”
“I was hoping we could go out tomorrow night. I’ll take you to my favorite place.”
Max’s voice popped up in my head warning me about meeting strange men. I ignored it.
“I’d like that. What time?”
“Say seven?”
“Perfect. If you give me the name of the place, I’ll meet you there.”
“Alright, it’s Fox’s Hole.”
“Is that a restaurant?”
“Well, they have food, but it’s more like a bar.”
I frowned. I didn’t think I wanted these first dates to be in bars—I was trying a different strategy, after all. But I had to think outside the box to find the man I was meant to be with.
“Alright, I’ll be there at seven.”
After I hung up the phone I felt buzzed with anticipation. But it didn’t compare in the slightest to the excitement I’d felt when I discovered the flowers were from Blue.
I fell asleep that night trying to build the idea in my head that it wouldn’t be long until I met the man of my dreams. It wasn’t a matter of when, it was a matter of who. I just had to be open about it and not let my desire for Blue—or for Max—slow me down.
In the morning I checked my e-mail. I did hope that Blue had sent me a message.
My mailbox was still empty. Annoyance surged through me. Again I told myself that I wasn’t going to wait for him any longer. I had a date with Shawn that night and a date with Greg on Saturday. There was no reason to dwell on a man who might as well have been imaginary. As if to distract me, my phone rang.
It was Max.
Single Wide Female: The Bucket List Mega Bundle - 24 Books (Books #1-24) Page 69