Elijah spilled his guts. He needed advice, and they seemed like they wanted to be helpful. If Raymond and Jared gave him shitty advice, he’d toss it out and reach out to Romeo and Ocean later. “The mom friend I mentioned? It’s her, but she says it’s because I think she’s convenient. As if proximity is all that makes me interested. But it’s not that.”
“Then prove her wrong,” Raymond said easily.
“How?”
“Go on some other dates,” He said.
Elijah chuckled and rubbed his brow. “I don’t understand how me going on other dates is going to prove that I want to date her.”
“If you haven’t been on a date in a while, then how do you know that it isn’t just proximity? I mean, I can see her point.”
Elijah wanted to argue Raymond’s point, but he didn’t have a good counter. He knew how he felt about Layla, but he hadn’t looked at another woman with interest in so long. Hell, he didn’t know where to start.
“You act as if finding dates is easy,” Elijah said.
“It is.” Jared pulled up his phone and swiped his screen. “Check out this app. I’ve been swiping left and right on here for the past month. I’ve met a ton of women. Now, most of them have been duds, but it’s been a way to get back out there and test the waters.”
“A dating app?” Elijah didn’t bother to hide his skepticism.
Jared grinned as he continued to stare at the profiles on his phone screen. “Yep, consider it practice. I know the apps can be horrible, but if you want to test the waters it’s a way to jump back in. Go on a few dates. See what you like and don’t like. Maybe your friend is the one. Maybe she ain’t.”
Raymond jumped in. “Is she really the only woman you’ve been in contact with since your wife left?”
Elijah shrugged. “I went out on a few dates after my wife split, but because Sabrina needed me I stopped looking and focused on her. I was attracted to Layla, that’s her name, the moment I saw her, but I wasn’t in a good head space for something serious because of my ex. Then when I was ready, she started dating this other man. We’ve always been off.”
“Look, I know the dating apps aren’t perfect,” Raymond said. “But Jared is on to something. Just go on a few dates. See what you’re feeling. Then go from there.” He motioned to Elijah’s phone on the picnic table. “Go on, get your phone and download one.”
Jared put his phone away and grinned. “Yes, let’s get you set up. If she thinks you’re just interested in her because there’s no one else, then get out there and see what’s available. Maybe she’s right, or maybe, she is the perfect person for you.”
Hesitantly, Elijah picked up his phone and navigated to the app store. There was a certain logic to what they weresaying. As a rule, he did like to shop around before making a big purchase. Why should he jump into a relationship without the same amount of conscious thought? Now, the real question, would Layla understand?
Chapter 8
Layla didn’t like to think of herself as wishy-washy, but the almost kiss in Elijah’s kitchen really had her rethinking her stance on them dating. Yes, the potential was still there that she’d be a rebound relationship, but after so many years of them knowing each other was she really a rebound? She’d been honest with him about her concerns and he hadn’t gotten defensive nor had he lashed out. Which was also a good sign that he was open to listening. Maybe they really were good for each other? Wasn’t the person you ended up with supposed to be your friend, too?
Which was why she had to stop herself from stomping her foot in protest when Elijah came back with the brilliant plan he’d developed after one visit to the Single-Dad Society meetup.
“Can you say that again?” she said trying to not sound as salty as the Pacific Ocean.
They were sitting on her front porch. The weather was sunny enough that she’d put on one of her “around the house” maxi-dresses which was bright pink. She’d be lying if she said she hadn’t put on the clingy, thin dress with the thought that she may see Elijah today. From the way his gaze had dipped to her cleavage and then hips before sticking to her face told her the choice was a good one.
He’d come over with Sabrina who wanted to play with Jasmine and give her a breakdown of their time at the park. She’d been happy for him when he’d first mentioned going to the meet-up. He was taking a good step to getting out there and adding more things to his life. She just hadn’t expected him to return with such a game plan for getting back in the dating pool.Weren’t they just supposed to be talking about dad stuff like how to cut the grass and the right wrench needed to change a tire?
“I thought about what you said and talked it over with these two guys I met. You’re right. You are the only woman I’ve had any significant contact with since my wife left. I can understand your concerns that I may only be interested in you because of that. I also don’t want to just jump into this because I suddenly decided that’s what should happen. So, I’ve decided to go on a few other dates first.”
The man was the embodiment of a double edge sword. On one side, he was listening to her concerns and taking them into consideration. On the other side, he was doing it in a way that made sense logically, but also wanted her to snatch him to her and claim him as hers.
She picked at a spot on her dress where she must have splattered coffee earlier that morning. “Who are these guys that you met?”
“Jared and Rodney. They’re single dads, too.”
“I figured that much if they were at the meet-up.”
“At first I didn’t know if their advice was good.” His voice was reflective, and Layla had to stop herself from snorting. “But lately everyone is reminding me that I haven’t really made any type of connections with other people. I need a social circle and not just by connecting with other dad’s in similar situations. After my wife left, I was so upset about her leaving me and Beenie, I didn’t even realize how much her leaving left a social hole in my life. Our friends were her friends. Sure I did my fraternity stuff, but outside of that she planned the outings, the trips, the get togethers. After college, I did what I thought I was supposed to do. I got a job, got married and then had kids. That was the rule my parents told me to follow. Once I had a family,my dad always said married men shouldn’t hang out with single men. That nothing but trouble came from that. So, I stopped calling my boys from college. When she complained because I came back late from a fraternity meet up, I stopped going to them. I stopped everything and made my work, wife, and child my entire personality. I put too much pressure on my wife to do the same. I put pressure on her to give up her outside life and focus on our family. I finally understand what she meant when she said she couldn’t be my perfect partner anymore.”
That was the most he’d ever confided in her about his marriage or why he did some of the things he did. It made so much sense, and she could relate to the pressure he’d felt. She’d spent most of her life pushing back against that pressure.
“Things were the opposite in my family,” Layla said. “My mom gave up everything to take care of me and my brothers. My dad always had bowling night with his boys, or went to the lodge for meetings. He expected mom to just fill in the gaps, and she did. I never wanted that life.”
