“Yeah. That’d be okay. I’ll warn you, I didn’t look great in the photo I sent you, but now, after a day out and about, it’s a lot worse.” I quickly step to the drawer where I keep extra hair ties and try to wrangle my hair from the blonde mess of flyaways into a presentable pony.
“Well, I’m in sweatpants, and I think my T-shirt has a stain on it.” Royal almost sounds embarrassed, maybe? “I should probably change shirts.”
“Gasp!” I fake the noise. “A stain? Unacceptable. My friends can never have a stain.” I’m giggling by the time I get the last word out. “Seriously.” I draw a deep breath to pull myself together. “I’m not worried about a stain.”
“Good, because I’m not worried about however badly you think you look. I’m sure you’re perfect.” Royal turns my words, the entire sentiment, back against me.
I stop trying to wrangle my hair and let it fall back loose around my shoulders because I can hear how much he means it. His honesty resonates in my bones.
“If you’re sure.” I tap the video call button on my phone and pick it up.
“Positive,” Royal answers, and a second later, his face comes into view. “There you are, gorgeous.”
He smiles widely when he says that, and it looks so genuine. He’s animated and full of life.
I push past the stupid grin that wants to form on my face when he calls me that. “Okay, so you’re having what for dinner?”
“Duck and sweet potatoes.”
I go back to looking at the menu, but I want to be watching him. I think he has a dimple when he smiles, but I can’t be sure without seeing it some more.
“Duck is like chicken. So if I have chicken, it’s almost like we’re eating the same meal.” I look back at my phone. “Not really, but close enough.”
“What’s your go-to chicken meal?” Royal moves, and the background behind him spins.
I try to catch glimpses of what is in the room with him, but he fills up too much of the frame.
“Well, normally I like General Tso’s chicken and snow peas or honey chicken.” I look at options and try to decide.
“Order them all, then you can eat a little bit of each.” Royal seems to read my mind.
“Doesn’t that seem excessive?” I eye the potstickers and crab rangoons on the menu too.
“Pftt,” Royal huffs. “You’re supposed to order an inordinate amount of Chinese food. It’s like a rule. If you don’t order enough food to feed at least three people more than are attending said meal, it’s against the law.”
“The law, hmmm?” I shake my head and look at him on the screen.
He nods, his brown hair flopping with the movement. “Trust me, I’m a food-ordering expert.”
“Okay, fine.” I concede.
“Good, because I already put in an order with those three, some potstickers, crab rangoons, sweet and sour sauce, and sugar buns.” He’s beaming.
“What? How?” My jaw drops.
His Cheshire cat grin comes with a nonchalant shrug. “Theyhave online ordering, it’s not exactly a secret where you live, and because we’re eating together, it kinda makes this like a date.”
He wants to date me?I try to hold back my excitement.
He backpedals a second. “Friend date, if we have to call it that.”
“Sure.” My heart falls, but I don’t dare let my smile fade.
I know I’m swimming in dangerous waters. The pool of emotions is deep and turbulent. If I allow myself to be pulled away from the safe shores of friendship, nothing will save me from the reality of drowning when the time comes to marry someone else.
But Royal smiles. “Want to pick out a movie to watch while we eat?”
I’m distracted from the perilous situation again. “Absolutely.”
