Well, that wasn’t so bad,I thought to myself as I climbed the stairs. I didn’t have much on the agenda for today—but after last night, stripping the bed was an absolute must.
Tegan hadn’t pressed me as much as I thought she would, but I was sure I’d be hit with a barrage of questions the next time I saw Reece.
I checked my phone again, hoping for a message from Alistair, but still nothing. He was probably busy packing. Maybe he was spending time with his daughter before he left? Or maybe it was a casual ‘I’ll text you when I’m free’ type of situation, and I’d read things wrong?
I was so out of my element with all of this.
Was there a ‘The Complete Idiot's Guide To Dating After the Death of Your Spouse’ book?
I’d have to check during my next volunteer shift at the library.
As I finished tugging the fitted sheet off the mattress, my phone vibrated with a text message.
Alistair: Are you home?
TEN
“The chance to love and be loved exists no matter where you are.” -Oprah Winfrey
“What am I doing?” I asked myself as I looked at the bouquet of grocery store flowers sitting in the passenger seat of my rental car. I was cutting it dangerously close with my flight, but I didn’t really give a shit.
Since last night, all I could think about was her. Her laugh, her smile, her scent—the way her body felt pressed against mine. I’d spent the entire morning waffling over whether it was appropriate to text her, and even then, I wasn’t sure what I was supposed to say.
Something about this just felt so necessary. I wanted—no, needed—to show her how interested I was.
My nerves peaked as I turned onto her street, my clammy hands slipping along the leather of the steering wheel.
If this didn’t go over well, that was the end of it. I’d board my flight with a bruised ego and call it a day.
I pulled into her driveway, and before I could even put the car in park, Pam walked out the front door and onto the porch.
Alright, Al. It’s now or never.
Taking a deep breath, I grabbed the flowers and exited the car.
“Al, is everything alright?” she asked, her eyes darting between my face and the flowers.
“Pam, listen. I know my profile on Mate Match said I’m looking for something casual, but I like you. I meanreallylike you.” I joined her on the porch and grabbed her hand. “I know you have your own life here, but I want to see where this goes. Date me, Pam Rollins. I’ll understand if you say no because of the distance, but please just give me a chance?”
I held the flowers out toward her, and she looked at them, her mouth hanging open.
Was it shock? Surprise? Disgust? I couldn’t really tell.
Right when I was about to pull back the bouquet and regret the entire thing, she took it from me and held it against her chest.
“Alright,” she said with a nod and a watery-eyed smile.
“Alright?” I asked, sounding a little too eager.
“Mhmm. I’d love to date you, Alistair Reid. But I have to tell you, I’ve never done this before.”
I laughed and leaned in closer. “That’s alright because I’ve never done this before either. We’ll figure it out together.”
She stared down at the flowers. “I thought you were just going to stop messaging me and disappear.”
“Gods, Pam. I’d never ghost you. Do you know how many times I typed out a ‘good morning’ text earlier, then went back and deleted it? I didn’t want to come on too strong. But you know—” My nose wrinkled, and I gestured to the flowers. “It, uh, seems like I’m doing that anyway.”
She tilted her head and stared at me, her green eyes sparkling behind the lenses of her glasses. “I happen to think it's romantic.”
