“Oh, I’m very much looking forward to it,” I said with a quick wink. “It’s gonna be the best part of my day.”
4
~
Rhea
After heading home from the mall, the whole incident played over in my mind repeatedly. The way the three guys all seemed to play their own role, the way they stayed so calm, the heroic moment that Ash dove into the back of the car…
As soon as I walked through the front door, I knew it was time to take a cold shower. The heat I had built up in my fantasies had simply become too much for me.
While drying off from that, I wondered how I could actually choose between the three of them when it came down to it. It seemed like an impossible choice. Calder’s self-control, Beck’s laid-back ease, Ash’s impulsive strength; they all had something irresistible on their side.
Tonight was all about Calder, though, and the butterflies in my stomach were running rampant. Part of me wanted to call and cancel, claim that I didn’t feel well; but I knew that was just me being nervous. What if he didn’t like me? What if we didn’t get along? What if I did something so horribly embarrassing that I could never show my face in public again?
Calm down,I told myself as I started working on drying my hair.You’re going to be fine. Oh, damn, he’s so fine.
I shook my head at myself. I needed to get a hold of these emotions. I couldn’t spend all night drooling over Calder’sincredible body. For most of it, I’d need to not be a complete puddle. I had to focus.
I managed to get ready within an hour, though I still wasn’t sure if I’d done enough. The dress was perfect; flowing and flowery, but not overdone. It would work for a formal place just as much as it would for something a bit more casual. My hair was pulled up into a clip, but I could pull it loose easily if I needed to.
What would I be doing that for?I thought, and found myself giggling for a moment before I cleared my throat and checked myself in the mirror one last time. There were about five minutes left before Calder had said he’d be over.
I hurried downstairs, then reminded myself not to look too eager. I had to play it cool. Pretend that I was the most confident woman in the world. I looked good, and I knew that; I just had to show it.
When I reached the front door, I heard the bell, and my heart skipped a beat. I took a deep breath before I answered. As soon as I saw him, my knees felt ready to buckle.
He looked surprisingly put together for someone who’d just run next door from work. He wore dark jeans with a checkered shirt that showed off his powerful arms, and had his short hair perfectly combed. It seemed like he was getting ready to star in a magazine photoshoot.
“Wow,” he said with a smile, holding out his arm for me to take.
“Wow yourself,” I answered as I stepped outside with him and closed the door behind me. “I was sort of expecting you to show up in your uniform.”
“Mm, I’ll keep that in mind for next time.” The wink he gave me made my stomach flutter. “But no, I have a set of nice clothes in my locker when I’m on call. In case of emergencies, you know?”
“So, this date’s an emergency?” I teased as he led me down the porch stairs and out onto the lawn. “That’s good to know.”
“It could be, when you make my heart stop.” It was cheesy, but the mere fact that Calder was the one who said it made me blush.
He led me across the lawn to the blue SUV parked in the road. I must’ve looked surprised, because he chuckled as he opened the door for me. “Did you think I’d drive you in the firetruck?”
“I mean, I definitely wouldn’t have complained,” I joked, getting into the passenger seat. “But this is nice, too.”
While Calder walked around to the other side, I quickly checked my make-up in the mirror, and adjusted my dress to make sure that it still sat perfectly while I was in the car. Maybe I was overthinking things, but in my opinion, that was better than underthinking them.
Calder was a confident driver, and I found myself trusting him from the second we pulled out into the road. He talked to me comfortably, but I could tell that he was focused on what he was doing. It seemed as if everything he did was measured and purposeful, almost as if he was controlling himself at every level at all times. It made me wonder what kinds of walls he had built around his mind and his heart, and whether I would ever be allowed to see beyond them.
Not really the kind of thing I should’ve been thinking on a first date, of course. There was no telling how far this would go. There was still a lot of time left for this to go wrong and for us to go our separate ways.
Just enjoy it,I reminded myself, picturing Jackie as I did. It wasn’t that hard to do, either. Calder was already an incredible, charming gentleman, and I had the feeling it was all sincere, too.
When Calder parked in front of a fancy-looking steakhouse, I almost couldn’t believe my luck. One day in my new house, andI was already being properly wined and dined by one of the most handsome men I had seen outside of TV shows and movies. It made me wonder what I had done in a past life to deserve this.
Calder got out of the car and opened the door for me again. “Didn’t know firefighting paid this well.”
I motioned toward the front of the steakhouse, where a host was already waiting for us.
“It doesn’t,” Calder said slyly. “Actually, I had to withdraw my life savings just for the booking.”
