Harold chuckled to himself.
“What’s so funny?” she asked.
“Oh, nothing. Just an old man who ain’t got nothing better to do than laugh to himself.”
She pursed her lips at him and folded her arms. “If we’re gonna be friends, Harold, you’d better tell me what you’re laughing about.”
“All right,” he said, taking his napkin from his lap, wiping his mouth, plopping it on the table, and then leaning forward. “Since I’m guessing you look about the same now as you did last time you saw your Theo, I can guarantee he didnotpicture you as his kid sister. Now, I don’t know the fella so I can’t say whether he felt the way about you that you do him, but sister? Uh-uh.” Harold wagged his finger.
Heat washed over Dani’s cheeks.
“And don’t you go thinking I’m being a creepy old geezer,” he continued, putting up his hand. “Just being honest, is all. Maybe now’s the time I should mention that Patty was my friend’s sister, so I think I’m a bit of an expert on the topic. Though older sister, I should add.”
“So what you’re saying is I’m not your type?” Dani asked, with a smile.
Harold let out a full belly laugh. “Exactly. I like my women like I like my wine and my cheese: aged to perfection.” He brought his fingers to his mouth and gave a chef’s kiss.
“You know, Harold,” Dani said, smiling while she nibbled on the last of the grape leaves, “you aren’t the travel companion I envisioned, but you’re better.”
He placed his hand on his chest and gave a little bow from his seat. “Just keeping it for real life. That’s what the young ’uns say nowadays, right?”
Dani snickered. “Something like that.”
“So besides the fact that he was your brother’s best friend, give me some other reasons why nothing ever happened between the two of you.”
She smiled and eyed him curiously. “What for?”
“I want to poke holes in your reasoning.”
“Oh, I don’t know.” Dani sighed. “He was too good for me.”
“Poppycock!” Harold called out about two volumes louder than anything else he’d said all night.
A few passersby turned to look, and Dani sank a bit into her chair and put her hand up to her forehead to cover her face. Harold sat confidently in his seat, even more confident in his words. But he knew nothing about Dani’s real life. He didn’t know that all the things Dani boasted about accomplishing in the future, all the places she said she’d go, yet none of them ever happened. She was stuck. Her old classmates had been right. Shewasall talk. Shecouldn’thack living on her own.
Theo, on the other hand, was out there. Doing things. Traveling the world. Being someone. It wouldn’t have been fair of her to expect him to give all that up for her. Not when he had a whole sea of possibilities in Chicago. And plenty of Triple Gs in the dating pool.
It wasn’t that Grand Rapids was small. Or without opportunity. But moving back home out of fear? That was the sort of thing only failures did. People who were scared to spread their wings.
“What makes you think he was so much better than you?” Harold asked. “I’ve only known you for a few days, but you seem like a right catch to me. Any man—or woman, if you’re into that sort of thing—would be lucky to be with a smart, caring, funny, beautiful woman like you.”
Dani smiled. “Well, thank you, Harold. I only mean that hehad a lot going for him, and I’m literally living in a studio apartment behind my parents’ house.”
“So?”
“So,” she continued, “I’m not exactly a model of success. He’s the director of research for a museum.”
“Pfft,” he spit, waving his hand. “Love doesn’t give a rat’s patootie about job titles and ‘success,’ ” he said, using air quotes.
Where was Harold when Dani could have used this pep talk years ago, back before it was too late?
“You’re right,” she said.
“I know I am. I’m just sayin’, don’t go letting love pass you by again. You never know if it might be your last opportunity.”
His words hit her in the heart like a ton of bricks, as did the memories from her last night with Theo. The ones she could remember, anyway.
“So, you doing this cave thing tomorrow?” Harold asked, changing the subject. “Can’t say I liked Cosmo’s upsell, but I’m not one to turn down an authentic meal.” He patted his stomach as if he hadn’t already eaten a plate of gyros, salad, grape leaves, and fries.
