“OMG.What the hell, Jen?I didn’t know you were dating anyone, and I never expected to see you with someone like him.He’s scrumptious in a dark, scary kind of way.I always thought you’d go for the safe, nerdy type.”
Jen rolled her eyes and took a seat at her desk.She used to think the same thing.Sometimes, she still did.
“Okay, woman.Tell me all.Where the hell did you meet him?How long have you been seeing him?Etcetera, etcetera.“
Jennifer snorted.“I met him last Friday at the gathering at the country club I went to with Tessa and Devon.”
Kari’s eyes widened in disbelief.“Wow.You both look so good together, like you’ve been dating for a while.”
“No, not at all.”Jennifer sat at her desk and looked at some papers.She was a private person, and it was hard for her to open herself up to anybody besides Tessa.After a minute of silence, Jennifer looked up at Kari.“Is there anything else?”
A breath blew from Kari’s mouth, and a look of disappointment when she knew she wasn’t going to say more.“Not unless you have more to tell me.”
Jennifer laughed.“No, I don’t.How are the discharges going?”she asked.
Kari took the hint.“Good.There are three more going home today.”
“That’s great, Kari.Any animals dropped off in the last hour?”
“Nope.”Kari shook her head, smiled, then turned to go.
Jennifer sat back in her desk chair and raised her eyes to the ceiling.This thing with Grant scared her.Kari was right, he wasn’t someone she ever thought she’d end up with.She always pictured herself with a dull blue-collar man, or like Kari said, the safe, nerdy type.
Her brows drew together in confusion.Why did it feel like they’d known each other for years instead of just days?Jennifer didn’t know a lot, but she was pretty sure this wasn’t the norm for relationships.Jennifer got up, closed her office door, and called the one person she trusted in the world.
“Tessa, it’s Jen.Do you have a minute to talk?”
Ten minutes later, after she disconnected, she went over her conversation.At first, Tessa was shocked and then a little hurt that Jen hadn’t told her about Grant right away.Jen explained she never thought he would want to see her again.
Jennifer was glad when Tessa didn’t share her negative opinions about Grant.She was willing to listen to everything Jen had to say and even seemed willing to give their relationship a chance.Tessa surprised her further, asking for a double date with them on Friday.Although Jen knew it was a chance for Tessa to see them together, she decided to ask Grant tonight at dinner and get back to her.
Jennifer bounced a pencil on her desk, tapping it between her finger and thumb.Her thoughts and questions circled in her mind.She guessed Grant probably didn’t ever see himself with a woman like her.So why her, and why now?
Why would an extremely successful, gorgeous, intelligent man be interested in someone like her?A plain, kind of antisocial, poor woman?She loved being with him, but when they were apart, her doubts and insecurities hit her, and she started to eat away at her resolve to see where this relationship was going.They were stratospheres apart in just about every category.
Maybe if she had more experience with men?She didn’t want to stop seeing him, but what if this was just a game to him, or worse, some kind of joke?Something in her would die if that happened, and it would be a long time before she’d be able to trust again.She had to decide whether to take a chance.
Was she strong enough to see this through?Jennifer shrugged.She guessed time would tell.
