“Pancakes or waffles.Or if you want to get brownie points, then donuts.”
I couldn’t remember the last time I’d gotten the girls donuts.It was an expense that I couldn’t justify at the moment when there were things like electrical bills to pay.
He walked to the door, and I followed in a daze.AmI making plans with Vance for tomorrow morning?
“Text me if you need anything else.”
I nodded, having no intention of texting him.“Good night, Vance.”
He smiled, his eyes soft when he looked at me before he bent down to press a soft kiss to my lips.“Good night,ipo.”
The door closed with a soft click behind him, leaving me to demonstrate the definition of dazed and confused.I must have been the one to fall and hit my head.Or all the fumes coming in from the other apartments had finally had an effect on me.
But one thing was for sure: I needed someone to decipher this for me.
So I called Keely.She was our dating expert, after all.
I was prepared to leave a message, but she answered before her voicemail kicked in.“Hey, honey bunny.”
“Hey, yourself.Do you have a minute?”
“Sure do.The boys are watching TV, so there won’t be any interruptions for a while.What’s up?”
I settled back on the couch, eyeing the spot where Vance had been sitting.
“Vance is back.”
“Took him long enough.And I’m guessing you’re not calling to inform me that he’s back.”
“He was at my apartment.”
“I see.And what was he doing at your apartment this late?”
I took a deep breath, reminding myself that this was no big deal.People dated all the time.Some just needed a little more advice than others.Like me.I was the some.And I needed all the advice I could get.“He kissed me.”
“Well, well, well.He sure doesn’t waste any time.”
My breathing sped up, and I couldn’t help but smile.“So, you think he actually wants to date me?”The words came out in a waterfall, almost indecipherable.
“Date you.Spoon you.Fork you.”
“I don’t know if I can do this, Keely.What if he changes his mind?”
“That’s a risk you need to take.But if you want my opinion, he’s serious about this.Exhibit A: He didn’t charge you.That’s something he’s never done.Malena told me.”
“You guys talked about this?”I cut in.
“Of course.We have to make sure the next guy you pick is going to treat you like a queen.Now, where was I?Right.Exhibit B: He messaged you every day while he was in New York.Exhibit C: He’s moving to Butler.Voluntarily.Nobody moves to Butler voluntarily if they’ve lived in New York before.Exhibit D: He opened an office in Denver.Shall I go on?”
Holy moly, it really was happening.Because even though I was scared out of my mind, I wanted to be with Vance more than anything.
“Chickadee, just go with it.He’s seriously head over heels for you.This is a good thing.And you deserve someone good who cares about you.And Vance seems to fit the profile.”The phone made a sound as if she’d dropped it before she came back on the line.“Shit, sorry, honey.I need to go.The boys are fighting over the last packet of Cheetos, and I’m afraid one of them might actually get knocked out this time.But we’ll talk tomorrow.Love you.”
“Love you too.”
This could be the best thing to ever happen to me or the worst.But the only way to find out was to actually let it happen.And there was no stopping this, because despite my doubts, I wanted him.
Chapter seventeen
