Sean looked at her with that unwavering intensity again. “You most certainly have.”
Butterflies filled her stomach. Maybe she could do this and, she started to speak "I was wondering —"
“No, Daddy!” Sean and Nicole turned to see a family standing at the counter. A mom was holding a chubby baby with dark curly hair in the cutest little overalls and a dad was down at eye level attempting to reason with a toddler over a cake pop.
Sean chuckled. “I think he’s got his work cut out for him. She’s as cute as a button.” Nicole looked at the family and back at Sean. She thought he had a wistful look on his face. He was probably looking forward to having kids of his own one day. Why wouldn’t he, right?
That was something she didn’t have left to give. Her eyes began to sting a little. She covered it up with a small cough and Sean returned his eyes to her.
“I’m sorry about that. What were you about to say?”
Nicole cleared her throat. She didn’t belong with him. It would be better for them both for her to nip this in the bud.
“I was wondering if you were ready to go?”
“Oh,” Sean said, his face scrunched up in confusion. He turned over his phone. “Wow, it’s eight o'clock. We’ve been here quite a while.”
“And it’s a school night,” Nicole said. She pushed out her chair and stood up. She started to put on her jacket.
Sean came around. “Here, let me help you.” He came close behind her and held up her coat.
As Nicole put her arm into the sleeve, she couldn’t help but inhale a whiff of his scent. It was woodsy with a hint of citrus, like he’d washed his hair with lemon-scented shampoo after an afternoon of chopping wood. Her resolve began to falter. Maybe she was getting ahead of herself. Maybe they could date or just be friends. Then she heard the baby gurgling.Nope, she thought.
“Thanks,” she said, and Sean put his hand on her back.
“Here, let me walk you to the door. Did you park out front?”
“I walked. Gotta get those steps in, you know?” she said collegially.
“I guess,” he said flatly. “Let me give you a ride home.”
She paused as they stepped out of the café. “That’s not necessary. I walk all the time.”
“It’s dark. I’m sure it’s fine, but please,” he insisted, “Let me drop you off at home, so I know you made it home safe.”
“Ok.”
The ride to Nicole’s house was quiet. The awkwardness was so thick in the jeep she could hardly breathe. Fortunately, her house was only a few minutes from the coffee shop. While they waited for the stoplight on Main Street, Nicole struggled for something to say. “Are you looking forward to Halloween?” she asked. She could have smacked her forehead; what a dumb question.
“I’m not much for Halloween. This year, Jasper asked me to do a pairing dinner, so I’ll be at Hop’s Heaven for his GourmetGhost Gathering. I’ll be at Jasper’s for trivia night this week, so we are going to test out a few appetizers for the fall menu.”
“Gourmet Ghost Gathering, that’s quite a mouthful,” she said.
Sean rolled his eyes, “Tell me about it.”
He pulled into her driveway, and she had her seatbelt off the moment the Jeep was in park. She opened the door and hopped out before Sean could get his seatbelt off and walk around to open her door.
“Well, ah, I guess I’ll see you around then?” he asked.
Looking at his fallen face, she felt so bad.No,she told herself, it was better this way; for both of them. He’d realize that soon enough. “Thank you again. I had a nice time! Yes, I suppose I’ll see you around town.” Then she turned and speed-walked up to her house. It looked so cold and uninviting after the hours spent in Sean’s warmth.
Nicole heard him engage the clutch as opened her door. She wanted to turn around and yell, “Wait! I think I might be making a mistake! Maybe we can do this?” But it was too late, and he was already down the road. This was for the best, wasn’t it? She closed the door behind her and locked it. She should be happy. She hadn’t been on a date in years, and it had been nice. Marriage, a family, these things weren’t in the cards for her anymore and that’s just how it was. She was just lucky to be alive and not have cancer anymore. Every day she got now was a bonus.
Chapter Eight
The next morning Nicole swiped open her phone and noticed a couple of messages had come from her newly renamed group chat. The Group chat was nowWe need the deets Nicole.Nicole chuckled. She needed the laugh this morning.
DEV: As a courtesy to you, and because I fell asleep while reading a bedtime story to the twins, I’ve waited until the morning to text you.
