“Good morning.” Sally looks at me with an arched brow. “So who was that man who walked out this door with Jane?”
“You don’t miss much, do you?” I shake my head at her.
She puts her coffee down on the counter and turns to me. “Give me all the details because I can tell by that smile on your face…you have something to tell me.”
“You know how Jane has been trying to set me up with her grandson.” I give her a pointed look. “Maybe I would have said yes if I had seen a picture of him. He has a look to him, huh?”
Sally settles into her chair behind the reception desk and says, “He needs to take you on a date.” She is fanning herself.
“Well, Jane doesn’t know, but he already asked me on a date.”
I wasn’t about to tell her the one-night stand story. That is for another day, at this point. When you think you have life figured out, you are thrown for a loop.
Deciding it's time to cut the Dane talk, I say, “He seems great, and I’m looking forward to our date. But I don’t see it leading anywhere too serious; he just doesn’t strike me as the settling down kind.”
“I mean, it might just be a fun night.” She winks at me and laughs.
“Alright, enough about that; let's finalize these details for the openings.”
My phone vibrates, and I glance down to see Dane’s text.
Dane:
Seeing you this morning is the highlight of my day. If I had known, I’d have brought you a coffee.
FOURTEEN
Dane
After I drop Gram off at her house, I hit up my home gym, trying to burn off some of this restless energy. Kendall has me on edge, my mind racing. When I was close to her, it felt like my whole body was vibrating. Touching her, kissing her—it felt instinctual.
As I work out, my phone vibrates. It’s a text from her, and I don’t think this smile is leaving my face anytime soon.
Kendall:
Coffee would have been fabulous. But really, thank you for moving all that furniture.
Seeing her this morning has me on a high. Working out helps me think through things for work, but today it’s not work that floods my mind—just her.
I keep my workout to thirty minutes and am still sweating profusely. I’ll probably head into the office today. Weekends are workdays for me. So, I make my way to the kitchen first to fill up my water bottle and head straight to my shower. There's amountain of work waiting at the office, and Logan can't handle it all alone. I’m surprised he hasn’t texted me to see when I’ll be in. Usually, I’m already at the office by now on a Saturday.
Once I’m in the shower, I can't shake off this inner reckoning. Maggie crushed my heart and my soul. I’ve been living under the impression that I shouldn’t date anyone, that it would save me the heartache. One-night stands solved that problem until Kendall. I have no idea what I’m doing, but what I do know—she might be worth it.
The water from multiple showerheads pummels my body. I had the shower custom-built, and I can control the temperature and pressure. It’s luxurious, especially after a workout when my muscles need some heat and massaging. As I step out of the shower, I reach for my towel and dry off my body.
My feet sound softly against the hardwood floor of my enormous room, each step measured and purposeful. In the spacious walk-in closet, roughly the size of a small bedroom, there are custom-built shelves and drawers. Deciding to head into the office casually, I grab a pair of dark jeans, a crisp white button-down shirt, and slide them on. A last glance in the mirror reveals a face that has seen too many sleepless nights, prompting me to run my fingers through my slightly disheveled hair.
Scanning the room for my phone, I spot it sitting on my bed. The urge to text Kendall about our date is overwhelming. Even though I just texted her an hour ago, I can’t hold back and just do it.
Dane:
I can’t get you off my mind… dress up tomorrow. I'm taking you somewhere special.
Kendall:
It was like a sauna in here earlier ;) Okay! Is it a secret?
Dane:
