The phone rang twice before Alex picked up, each ring reverberating through me and causing me to shake. I was so scared he’d lash out at me, blame me. He’d be right too: this was my fault. I should have kept my mouth shut or offered another trip to the museum for just the two of us. Why had I thought the clinic was a good idea?
“Hello?” There was a frog in his voice. The way it caught told me he’d been crying. He was trying to hide it and be a tough guy, but I didn’t mind the emotion. In fact, I preferred it. If he’d closed off, then I would have felt lonely and isolated from him.
My protective side flared to life and my free hand fisted, ready to do battle. I didn’t want to get into deep things, and if he was working to keep his emotions under wraps, then I’d play along. Someday I’d tell him real men cry, but not now—not when he’d been humiliated once. It might come across wrong, and so I worked for a happy tone.
“Hey, handsome, you dashed off before I could say thanks for helping out. You did great.” I put my hand to my forehead.Handsome. Had I really called him that out loud? Because I’d thought it a lot of times, but actually saying it sounded like a pet name couples used.
Alex took a deep breath.“Yeah, sorry about that. I had something come up and had to leave in a hurry.”
“No worries. But really, thank you for coming today.” I wanted to add that he’d saved me from an uncomfortable four hours trying to keep Dr. Rasmussen entertained between patients and fending off his advances. But I kept that part to myself, because I felt like I’d failed to protect him in the same way. It didn’t sound like he blamed me, though, so I forged ahead. “There was something I wanted to ask you, though.”
“What was that?”
“Are you free next Friday night?” My stomach flip-flopped and I held my breath, not able to believe that the words had come out of my mouth. I was doing this. I was putting myself out there. I felt like I was hanging off a cliff, and I prayed Alex would catch me.
“I think so,” he answered. “Is there something you need help with?”
“There is.” I hesitated. All my warning bells and whistles went off at the same time. Once I said the words, there was no going back. On the other side of them was either good times or dashed hopes. Turning my back on the blaring horns telling me to stop, I said, “I need a date to the Cubs game next Friday, and I was wondering if you would mind joining me?” My lungs squeezed painfully. Oh, it hurt so bad to be vulnerable.
Alex took in a soft breath before he replied, “I would love to be your date, Emma. What time does the game start?”
My lungs relaxed, and I clutched my chest at the sudden release. I pumped my free hand in the air and swung my hips. Oh yeah! I had a date. “It starts at seven, though in all reality the game starts at about 7:10.”
Alex chuckled at my precision. “We’d better not be late. Can I pick you up at six?”
A big smile spread across my face, and it was all I could do to hold in the squeal that threatened to break loose. I liked that he wanted to pick me up, even though I was the one who had asked him out. “Sounds perfect. I’ll text you my address. See you then.”
We said our goodbyes and hung up the phone. I collapsed onto the couch and buried my face into the red throw pillows, grinning like a fool. I’d done it. I’d sailed my boat into uncharted territory. I had officially taken our relationship to the next step.
My insecurities prodded at my thoughts, trying to take away my smile. But my heart was too happy to let that happen. Finally, I was opening myself up to love again.
Hopefully, that wasn’t a mistake.
Chapter Eighteen
Alex
Friday night couldn’t come fast enough.
I saw Emma several times during the week, and we’d stop to chat or she’d brush my arm in passing if she was in a hurry. I got brave and touched the small of her back as we walked through a doorway. The connection between us was like nothing I’d experienced before. I was drawn to her, and it appeared she felt the same pull toward me. Though it probably looked like we were familiar with one another, everything between us was new and brought with it a thrill that went throughout my whole circulatory system.
After distracting myself for most of the day, I finally decided to get ready for the date. It was only when I faced my closet that I realized I had no idea what to wear to a ball game. If only I’d used the tickets I’d bought; then I’d at least be able to fit in.
Usually when I went out, I wore slacks and a button-up, but that didn’t feel right. I knew this was important to Emma, and I didn’t want to disappoint her by dressing over the top. I felt dumb but quickly googledwhat to wear to a baseball game. What came up was mostly pictures of women at baseball games. Apparently, guys didn’t usually ask this question. I guessed most guys didn’t care. But I did … because of Emma. Either way, it appeared casual dress was the way to go. That helped.
I grabbed a nice tee shirt from my closet, selecting one that showed off my arm and chest muscles the best.Emma looked at my body. Not in a weird way, but in a way that said she paid attention to my physique. Every time I caught her, she blushed a deep pink. It was quickly becoming my favorite color.
I coupled that with my newest pair of jeans and some leather casual shoes and felt like I was good to go. On my way out, I grabbed some cash from my office drawer, in case Emma got hungry. Picking her up at six implied eating together.
I felt this bubbling emotion inside me that I couldn’t suppress, and for the first time in a long time, I was excited. Even more than that, I let myself be excited. Which was a huge step for me. Excitement implied hope. Hope that the evening would be fun and that Emma and I would get along. A date meant we were stepping from friends into the area of possibilities. I didn’t dare look too far into the future, but I’d spent a few minutes contemplating a doorstep kiss. If things went right, I was going to make my move.
I drove to Emma’s apartment complex and took the stairs to the third floor. I found her door and took a deep breath before I knocked. I was nervous, but not about seeing her. More nervous that I’d mess things up.
I didn’t have to wait long before it opened. “Wow,” I whispered as I took her in.
Emma was dressed casually, but the way her messy curls whimsically fell around her face was mesmerizing. I could spend hours following the path of each one and never tire. The brightness in her green eyes was like a ray of sun suddenly bursting into my dark life. I didn’t say anything for a moment … I couldn’t find the words.
She looked me over too. I must have stared longer than she did, because she grinned and giggled. “It is good to see you too, Dr. Mitchell.”
