“Yeah, I’m sure. The rest of you got a lot done, it won’t take us long to finish up.”
“If you’re sure…”
“I am,” he glances over at Eric. “Have fun tonight, and maybe we’ll see you at the fair tomorrow.”
“Does everyone know?”
“Pretty much,” he shrugs and pulls the cloth from my hand. “If I don’t run into you tomorrow, I’ll see you next weekend.”
Wow. So much for keeping things low key until we know we mesh well together. Though apparently everyone we work with thinks it’s a done deal. There really are no secrets when it comes to this bar.
Turning toward the bar area, I search under the cabinet until I find my wallet and keys. It was so packed when I got here that I didn’t bother taking it to the office.
“Are you ready to go?” Eric leans over the countertop making no secret he’s checking me out while I’m bent over.
“Yeah, I think so.” My knee pops as I stand up and I hope he didn’t hear it. This whole getting older business sucks.
“Want to meet me at my place while I pick up food?”
The idea of eating isn’t even appealing. Right now, all I want is a pillow and bed. I’m not normally this tired but between the crowd tonight and the sun earlier today, my eyes may not stay open very long.
“Actually, can we just go to your place? I’m good with a bowl of cereal or whatever you have there.”
“Are you feeling okay?” He tilts his head to the side, studying me.
“Yeah, just tired. It’s been a long day.” I move until I’m standing beside him. “And I need some rest if you’re going to show me all the wonders of this fair y’all have.”
“Don’t mock it just yet.” He grabs my hand and leads me to the front door. Everyone is filing out in front of us, and finally we get to leave for the night. “We may be a small town, but we do put on a pretty awesome shindig.”
“Can’t wait to see it.” He walks me to my car, and opens the door for me after I unlock it.
“Are you okay to drive?” Bending down his eyes meet mine, making sure I’m not going to fall asleep while driving.
“Yes. Your house is like five minutes away. I’ll be fine.” I duck down into the car to avoid his worry. Childish? Maybe. But I’m not going to pass out in such a short drive.
“Okay. Give me a few minutes to make sure everyone gets out of the lot. Then we can head to the house.”
A quick nod to acknowledge my agreement. We will definitely need to have a talk about him being so overprotective. This level of tired is nothing like the sleepless nights I had with the kids when they were babies.
He’s standing in front of my car with his arms folded across his chest, watching every car as they leave. It’s good to know that protection doesn’t just cover me. He truly cares about everyone we work with. A part of me wonders if something happened to his mom, or someone he knows, to want to make sure any of the women who work at the bar get in their cars safely.
It’s also something I didn’t think people would have to worry about in a small town. In the city for sure, I’ve been approached by some not-so-great people walking to my car at the grocery store. But I guess a person can never be too safe. Just look at the guy who tried to manhandle me in a crowded bar. The audacity of people is unparalleled.
Finally, the last car leaves and Eric turns to give me a thumbs up before climbing into his car. As exhausted as I am, I’m nervous. Tonight, I’ll be sleeping in bed with another man, totally conscious of my actions this time around. I haven’t slept with anyone other than my kids or ex in years. God, I hope I don’t snore. Time will tell, and tomorrow morning I’ll wake up mortified or everything will be amazing.
15
Eric
It’s happening!Joan is staying the night with me. On purpose this time. I spent all morning deep cleaning. Not that my house is dirty in general, but I need to put my best foot forward.
We pull up to my house, I stop at the curb so she can park in the driveway. I’m unbuckled and out of the truck before she has the car in park. My front yard is small and it takes no time to cross it to open the door for her.
“Do you have a bag?”
“It’s, uh, in the backseat.” She moves toward the back door, but I block her attempt.
“I got it.” Opening the door, I pull the strap of the duffel bag toward me. Damn, what does she have in here? It feels pretty heavy for one night.
