I emerged, ready to go. “I did.”
He brushed his hand across a teal blanket I had tossed over the corner of my couch. I stepped up to his side. Pat’s gaze left the room and settled on me, starting at my face and working down. He swallowed and averted his eyes. “It looks really good.”
I suppressed a smile as I tried to decide if he was still talking about the decor.
“Come see back here.” He turned to follow me to the second bedroom. Pushing open the door, I revealed my prized room. My minimalist, cozy office. Complete with my kayak rack on the wall.
“Wow. You have a knack for colors and stuff. It looks awesome. Kind of empty in here, but in a good way? Not like my apartment looks empty.”
I grabbed his arm and laughed. The three bachelors in 1522 did not have the desire or aptitude for beautifying a room that was for sure. Pat patiently endured a tour while I showed him the rest of my two-bedroom apartment. His reactions were positive, sweet, invested. I blushed multiple times.
“You know I picked all the colors at Kenzie and Jeff’s house.”
His eyebrows shot up. “Are you serious?”
“Yeah!”
“Their place is beautiful.”
“Well, the colors are my doing.”
“You might be in the wrong line of work, Jules.”
I shrugged. I’d often thought the same.
“I’m impressed, seriously.”
“Thanks.” I tucked some hair behind my ear, keenly aware of the effect his praise had on me. “You ready to go?”
He tapped his thighs. A gesture I’d come to expect. “Yeah, what are we eating?”
“Something fast. I haven’t eaten all day, and I’m starting to shake.”
“Same.” Pat agreed then paused. “Well, not the shaking part.”
I giggled. “How about a sub? I could go for a foot-long.”
“Subs it is.”
The sub joint we chose was super crowded, so we opted to take our sandwiches to a nearby park. There was a bench near the lake, slightly hidden by a few trees. It was the perfect spot to eat and chat. We made small talk while we munched on our dinners and did a little people watching. Walkers, joggers, moms with kids, and teens riding skateboards traveled down the trail occasionally.
“Aww. You should’ve brought Valiant!”
“You know what? I was going to, but he swam in the river today back in Pleasant Gap and smelled so bad. Didn’t take the time to give him a bath.”
“You were rushed to get to me.” I held back a smirk. Surprised I said that.
He smiled, blushing a bit. “Yeah, guess so.”
All of the suspicion and concern I felt before melted away. Pat was the easiest person to be around. Although he seemed giddy. Was it because of me? I was a little giddy being with him, too.
“I am glad we picked a quiet spot.” He stuffed his trash back into the sack. “I need to talk to you about a couple things. Wanted to wait until we ate though.”
My heart stuttered, but I put on a good poker face to mask my sudden, intense curiosity. “Well, I guess you fed me, so I have to listen.”
He rolled his eyes playfully then the smile dropped from his face. He grew serious, turning toward me and clearing his throat. “It’s about my—”
A couple came into view from around the trees. I jumped up and smiled. It was Jack! And he was on a date!
