I laughed aloud and shook my head to myself. Why did he have to be so fucking adorable? It wasn’t fair.
Enoch: Offer still stands though. About the food. We can pick something up while we’re out.
Enoch: Say yes. I miss you. I want to hear about your day. And eat food with you. And look at toilets and sinks at Home Depot.
I snorted.
How romantic.
Oh shit! Why did I say that? It’s not a fucking date.
Enoch: Send me your address and I’ll pick you up.
I sighed, kicking my feet against the couch in frustration.
It’s fine. It’s for one night. I’ll help him pick out bathroom fixtures. It’s not a big deal. It’s not serious.
I texted him my address and pressed send before I could change my mind. I quickly hopped off the couch, looking down at my leggings and old t-shirt.
I spent about ten minutes just staring at the clothes in my closet.
What the hell does one wear to a non-date date to the hardware store?
Hell, I’m pathetic.
It’s Enoch, Shiloh. Get over yourself.
He’s already seen you in the least attractive clothing ever.
Anything is a step above Javier’s baggy clothes.
I finally grabbed a pair of black cargo pants and an old Vans t-shirt that I took from Cole and never returned. I layered it with a fitted long-sleeve so my crusty road rash wasn’t on display. I took my hair out of my braids and tried to tame some of the frizz with serum. I sighed and flicked off the lights in my bedroom.
It’d have to do. I wasn’t about to change again and just as I was lacing up my sneakers my phone began to ring.
“Hello?”
“I’m outside. I pulled up into the little circle drive by the main doors. Some old man is out here smoking a cigar in a beach chair and staring at me like he’s going to call the cops.”
I laughed and grabbed my bag. “That’s Earl. He’s harmless. I’ll be down in a minute.”
I quickly locked up, and my stomach flipped when I realized how close I was to seeing him again. It’d been three days and I was feeling giddy. I tried to force the smile away, but I couldn’t wipe it off my damn face. I shouldn’t be giving him the wrong impression, shouldn’t be making him think that I was going toput effort into building a relationship, that I was going to mean something to him.
I passed Earl by the entrance, and he gave me a once over.
“Date?”
I nodded, not really interested in telling him any details. He was a nosy fucker. Everyone in the building was. I guessed it was an epidemic among the over-65 crowd seeing as that was the population of my entire building aside from me.
“You got pepper spray?”
I jangled my keys to show him the bottle of mace on my key ring.
“Good.”
I quickened my pace and opened the passenger door. The smell of Enoch’s cologne and the sound of an unfamiliar folk song greeted me.
“Hi!” He beamed up at me and my stomach flipped again.
