Seb and Martin turned to leave.
Would throwing a blind date into all the turmoil really be all that bad?
“Wait,” he said.
“You’re coming to brunch?” Seb asked over his shoulder.
“That too.” He grabbed his coat. “But I meant I’ll go on that date.”
After everything else, what was the worst that could happen?
3
Nick’s track record when it came to dating could pretty much be described as poor. After his marriage ended, he'd waited years before even trying to meet anyone new. It hadn’t gone well. He’d seen interest fade too many times as he’d explained he worked at the fire department, but that he wasn’t a firefighter. Throw in an ex-wife and a kid, and he was a bad bet. He might be good for a night of fun—although one-night stands always felt awkward to him—but he didn’t have a lot to offer in the long term.
And he had never actually been on a date with someone he hadn’t already known at least a little. Seacroft was small. Finding a stranger to meet for dinner was nearly impossible. So his expectations for dating someone he didn’t know were outdated. When Nick thought of a blind date, he imagined being at a restaurant, wearing a specifically-colored hat, or maybe with a flower on his table, eyes fixed on the door for a face he’d never seen before. Instead, once he’d confirmed he was interested with Brian, an email followed a few days later from Jess, sent to Nick and [email protected].
Hi Nick and Oliver,
I’m so glad you guys have decided to meet! Brian and I think you’ll be really great together.
In case you’d prefer to chat, I’m including your phone numbers too.
Good luck!
Jess
A few hours later, a second email arrived from the new address.
Hi. Nice to meet you. When should we get together?
O
Oliver J. Stevenson was a man of few words. And he wanted Nick to do the heavy lifting when it came to planning, even though Nick barely wanted to go on this damn date in the first place.
Got any restaurants you like?
Nick
The reply took another few days.
Not really. I’m new in town. I’ve been to the diner downtown a few times, so maybe something else?
O
Not helpful. Everyone had been to the diner. Oliver might as well have said he’d tried the McDonald’s by the highway.
While Nick tried to come up with somewhere interesting to go, his home life continued to rattle around his ears. Hayden had recovered from his mysterious illness in time for school on Monday, but then Wednesday he hadn’t come home from class on time. A cop car pulled into the driveway a little before five o’clock, and a grim-faced police officer had opened the back door to let Hayden out of the cruiser.
“He was at the school,” the officer said.
“I had to stay late to help my teacher after class.”
“Which class?” Nick asked.
Hayden shrugged.
“Did you call anyone to let them know you had to stay late?”
