He laughed at her skeptical tone.“I do know how to cook.”Of course, that didn’t mean he actually was currently cooking anything.
“So what are you making?”The question was asked in Esther’s “that’s lovely, but I don’t know if I believe you” voice.
“Rotisserie chicken with fries, a multigrain roll, and salad.”
“You’re such a liar!”She laughed as she said it.“You ordered in, didn’t you?”
“You got me.I’m not cooking it.But I do know how to cook.I just chose not to.So what’s up?”He ran his hand through his hair once more to check for suds.Seeing none, he turned off the water and grabbed his towel.
“Do you work tomorrow?”
“Nope.”He heard her exhale as if relieved.
“Do you think you could help me out with something?”
He stopped toweling off and looked at his phone.“I need to know what the something is before I answer that.”Esther had a way of wrangling him into things he didn’t always want to do because she knew how easily he said yes – sometimes without thinking.
“Monica is sick and won’t be at school tomorrow.She’s the teacher who’s playing for our Christmas concert, so I thought maybe you could bring your guitar and play in place of the piano.”
“Are you sure you don’t want Eddie to help you?He’s the piano player.”
“I asked him.He’s working.”
“So, I’m second place, huh?”With music and as options of guys to date – well, technically, he wasn’t even second place there.When it came to that, he was no place.
“It’s not like that.I knew you’d suggest Eddie, so I started there.”
Yeah, that sounded like Esther.
“So, can you do it?The practice is from one o’clock until two.It’s the second full practice we’ve had, and the concert is in just over a week from now.”
“How was the first run-through?”
“Honestly?Not as good as I had hoped it would be, and I wasn’t expecting perfection.I know how kids can be, but wow, they leveled up a notch on their kid-ness once they all got together yesterday.Please?You’ll be something new to help keep their attention.”
He didn’t have a reason to deny her request, nor could he think of another way to get her help, so, he guessed he’d be going to school tomorrow.“One o’clock, you say?”
“Yes.”
“Sure.I’ll do it.”This was met with a little squeal of delight.
“Thank you, thank you, thank you!”
“No problem.I ask only for a coffee date with my friend in payment.”
There was a pause in the conversation.
“It’s not a date-date, Esther.It’s just going for coffee like we do.I know we’re just friends.”He knew she wasn’t interested in him as anything more than that.“I know you’re into Steve.”
“It’s not that.It’s just … does it have to be tomorrow?”
“No, if you’re busy that’s fine.In fact, forget I even mentioned it.I was mostly teasing.I can get coffee on my own.”Man!Talking to Esther had become challenging ever since she had told him about Steve a week and a half ago.
“It’s just that I have a real date tomorrow night, and I’d like to have all my school stuff done before I leave school – well, the parts that don’t have to go home with me for the weekend.”
A real date.He blew out a slow breath.“Steve finally asked you out, eh?”
“Yeah.He asked me to dinner.We’ve chatted online and gotten hot chocolate a couple of times, but this is the first dinner date, so it feels more official.”She was rambling, which meant she wasn’t comfortable talking about this with him.That made two of them!
