I couldn’t afford anything designer, but I liked to think I had an eye for fashion. I was always able to find pieces that looked expensive, even if I’d found them on the sale rack at Marshalls. I chose my favorite little black dress that boasted a deep V in the front and was short enough to barely be on the right side of decent. I paired it with my favorite black pumps. A quick spritz of perfume and I was ready to roll.
I met my gaze in the mirror and was briefly surprised at the resolution on my face. Not giddiness or excitement about my date, but a quiet determination to take this first step.
“Wow,” Gavin sputtered when I opened the door. “Scarlet didn’t do you justice when she said you were drop-dead gorgeous,” he complimented, his eyes traveling the length of me.
“Thanks,” I smiled. “You’re pretty handsome yourself.”
And he was. In another life, he might have been my type, that is, before a certain bad boy had entered the picture. Gavin was what many would call classically handsome with his brown hair and blue eyes. He was tall and obviously built. So many women would count themselves lucky to be going out with him. But I missed my tattooed, motorcycle boot-wearing man too much to be one of them.
Over dinner, we talked amicably about his practice, my job at the bar, and briefly touched on our childhoods. I was never one to share much in that department. Having drug addicts for parents, who I’d gotten away from as soon as I turned eighteen, wasn’t something I wanted to scream from the rooftops, especially to a freakingdoctorwho, though nice enough, had probably been raised with a silver spoon in his mouth.
The food was delicious and the restaurant was beautiful, if not a bit pretentious. I was more of a pub food kind of gal. I didn’t feel like I belonged in a place like this, but I’d never really cared about that kind of stuff. I was comfortable with who I was. Gavin, on the other hand,didbelong in a place like this, and I wondered what he saw in me aside from a pretty face. A doctor and a bartender didn’t scream compatibility. Surely he’d prefer to date someone who ran in his circles.
“So you and Scarlet are close?” he verified, taking a spoonful of the chocolate cake we were sharing.
I smiled, thinking “close” didn’t begin to cover it.
I’d been just finding my way when Scarlet started coming to the coffee shop I worked at. I recognized some of myself in her. She had the same wariness of people. And something inside of me wanted to help her overcome it and in doing so, heal myself a little, too.
We’d been best friends ever since. She was the only family I’d ever known.
“Yeah, we’re close,” I replied, simply not wanting to get into the details.
My phone rang in my bag as we were finishing up. I ignored it because I didn’t want to be rude, but when it rang again seconds later I looked at it briefly.
Speak of the devil.
“I’m sorry, it’s Scarlet. I want to make sure everything’s okay,” I apologized.
I was on high baby alert.
He gestured that he understood as I held the phone to my ear. “Hi, you okay?” I asked.
“Yeah, I’m fine,” she assured me.
I instantly breathed a small sigh of relief.
“Where are you?” she wanted to know.
“Out with Gavin,” I answered. “Why?”
“Oh, no reason,” she said breathlessly. “I don’t want to interrupt. We can talk later,” she said quickly.
“What’s going on?” I asked suspiciously. She sounded strange.
“Nothing, I’ll call you tomorrow,” she answered hastily.
“That was weird,” I muttered to myself as I ended the call.
“Everything okay?” he asked, seeming genuinely concerned. He was such a nice guy. Why couldn’t I muster some butterflies? Hell, I’d settle for just one flapping around.
“Fine,” I said with a smile.
“Are you up for getting a drink or do you need to head home?” he asked as he paid the bill.
I thought for a moment about how to respond. I didn’t want to be rude, he was clearly a nice guy. But leading him on wasn’t doing him any favors.
“I should probably head home, but thank you so much for a wonderful dinner.” I cringed inwardly at how expensive it had to have been.
