He’s beaming. I look between him and my roommate in absolute disbelief. Someone thought it was a good idea to give this man a scalpel?
“They’re definitely unique,” I say. I’m dying to point out that if he practiced them, the compliments couldn’t be that sincere. But he seems so pleased with himself, I don’t have the heart to burst his bubble, not yet. I just give Char a wide-eye look, asking,Is this guy for real?
In reply, she says, “Bye now, have fun, you two!” She waves us out the door.
***
Colin drives a Cybertruck, and if hehad designed and built the vehicle himself, he couldn’t be more proud.
“Guess how much it costs?”
Too much, I think to myself. “I don’t know. I’m not really a car person.”
“C’mon, just guess.”
I don’t like this request for a couple reasons. First, I don’t know much about car prices. I bought my used VW Bug a decade ago in high school. In my mind, there could never be a better car, so I never bother to look at cars. Also, I’m not sure if he’s asking me to show off what a great deal he got or to impress me with how much he spent. I feel like I could offend him either way. I decide to guess on the expensive side.
“$75,000?”
“You don’t know much about cars, do you?”
“That’s what I told you.”
“This model, the Cyberbeast, normally sells for $100,000 and I got it for $96,000.”
I nod. Yep, definitely paid too much.
“Isn’t this the most comfortable seat you’ve ever sat in?” he asks, stroking the upholstery. It’s not an uncomfortable seat. But as soon as I consider if it’s the most comfortable seat I’ve been in, I notice the angle isn’t quite right, and the leather feels stiff. Unbidden I think of the buttery leather of the passenger seat in Darcy’s vintage Jag.
“Have you ever been in a car with such smooth steering?” Colin is actually a bit of a jerky driver, and the way he’s handling this winding road is making me carsick. Or maybe it’s just the thought of seeing Liam again.
Twenty minutes into the date and Colin has finally stopped talking about his work, his future income, and his car. He turns to me. “So what do you do?”
“I teach at the college, and I... ” It’s time to bite the bullet. Recently, I’ve come to the conclusion that I need to own my profession. Sure, I teach writing, but I do that to support my true passion. I hold my breath as Colin takes a corner too fast, only to slam on the brakes. “I also write novels.” There, I said it. I’m proud of myself for being so brave.
“Oh! I don’t read novels. I only read time management books. Have you heard of Tim Ferriss?”
“LikeThe 4-Hour Work Week?”
“Yeah, brilliant, right? You should write stuff like that. That’s where the money’s at. Do you even make money?”
“I’m doing okay.” This is a slight understatement. My sales have been steadily rising. And I’m publishing my third book next week. If all goes well, I might not need any part-time work at all.
“Yeah, but are you making enough to buy a Tesla?” Suddenly, Liam’s comments about my writing seem incredibly supportive. I try not to think of that date with Liam. It was more fun than I expected and then it crashed and burned. And I fear some of it, or a lot of it, was my fault, which means I should apologize to Liam, and I really don’t want to.
“This is lit,” Colin says as we pull into the Darcy driveway. “Whoever lives here must be loaded.”
After doing a 20-point turn, he parks his Cyberbeast. Last time I was here, it was December, and the world was white with expensive fake snow. Now everything is green and gold, with a sprawling velvet lawn, towering sycamores, and plenty of sunlight. My eyes fall to the rose arch that was covered with Christmas lights in December; now it’s grown over with thick green foliage and fluffy pink roses.
Darcy stands in a linen suit on the stone steps leading to his home with Caroline beside him. Judging from the amused looks on their faces, they watched Colin’s heroic efforts to park the car. I begin to open my car door, and my date shouts, “Wait! I always open the door for my women.” I wait in my seat and gaze out the tinted window as Darcy and Caroline watch with intense curiosity to see who else will emerge from the Cybertruck.
Colin takes his time walking over to my side. He stops to take a selfie with the stone house behind him and then, I think, a photo of his truck with the house. He takes a moment to study Charlie’s BMW and then snaps another picture. Normally, I’d find it annoying to wait in a warm car and would simply open my own door. But my fear of seeing Darcy has me staying put. When Colin finally opens my door, I slowly step out.
“I like your dress; it shows off your clavicles,” Colin says. “You have great clavicles. Seriously, the best I’ve ever seen, and I’ve taken gross anatomy.”
I can’t hold it back anymore; I snort laugh. “My clavicles are better than those on a dead person?” He looks at me confused and then begins to laugh with me. Right then, my eyes catch Liam Darcy standing on the front steps, frowning.
Darcy had never been so bewitched by any woman as he was by her.
