It took everything in me not to respond with her name. Lately, the thing I daydreamed about the most was Bailey Kingsley-Eckhart.
We headed back down the mountain around lunchtime, both because we were hungry and because she had plans to meet up with her sisters for lunch.
When I pulled to a stop in front of the house, I turned to her. “What’re you doing for dinner?”
“Nothing that I know of.”
“Can I take you on a date?”
“We just came from a date,” she joked.
“I mean a real date. A date-date.”
Her mouth opened and closed a few times, but no words came out. I didn’t back down. I waited patiently.
“Uh, I probably shouldn’t be going on dates. I’m still married,” she finally responded.
“Is that a no?”
She seemed to consider for a long few moments. “Okay.” Her eyes were wide as her voice came out in a whisper.
“Dress for a date, Bae-Bae. I love when you do yournatural thing. The whole no makeup look with the ponytail. You’re gorgeous. But tonight, I want to take Bailey Kingsley on a date. I want the woman you were before life started life-ing. Can I get that?”
She started nodding before she spoke. “You could, if I had some dress-up clothes with me. Unfortunately, I don’t.”
“You need me to give you a card?”
“Uh . . .”
While she was deciding, I shot a text to my sister-in-law, Alisha. I trusted that she would handle everything. “I’ll pick you up at 7:45.”
Chapter
Twelve
Bailey
I barely madeit to my bedroom before my phone was ringing.
“Hello?” I questioned after seeing Collins’s name flash across my screen.
“I hear you need your hair done.”
“What?”
“Bright told mom that you need your hair done. Come to the lodge right now. Perkins’s chair is free.”
“First of all, hello, Collins. How is your day going? How’s my niece? Is she ready to come out?”
Collins chuckled. “Hey, Bailey. I’m fine. Your niece is fine. Now, stop playing with me. We don’t have a lot of time.”
I whined her name. “Collins.”
“Bright’s taking you on a big girl date. You need to look the part. Come over to the lodge.”
“I’m married. I shouldn’t be dating. I’mma text him and tell him that this is not a good idea.”
“There’s no crime in two people going out to eat. Plus, your paperwork is filed. A month from now, you’ll be divorced. Start heading this way.”
