Page 54 of Chasing Forever

She nodded and wondered if he was as nervous as she was.

“See you in a little while,” he said.

Once she was inside her place, she let out a huge sigh and then clamped her hand over her mouth. She hadn’t heard much through the walls, but just in case.

She waited until she was in her bedroom with the door closed to start talking out loud. “Stop freaking out. You can do this. You just jumped off a cliff, for Pete’s sake!”

She started undressing and became frustrated. “Why is it so hard to get out of a wet bathing suit?” Finally, she peeled it off and went into the bathroom to hang it up to dry. When she turned around, she caught sight of her naked self in the mirror and paused.

She pinched her abdomen, thinking she might have gained a pound or two since coming there, but it wasn’t a significant change, especially since she’d lost ten pounds after her break-up with Adam and Irene’s death. She’d regained her appetite, and she should be happy about that.

But she also hadn’t expected to get naked with someone anytime soon, so she was being extra critical. She raised her eyebrows in surprise. “You’re really thinking about it, aren’t you?” She answered her own question with a nod. “Ohmigod. Now I’m freaking out again.”

But she was running out of time for it. She had a lot to do to prepare for Chase’s arrival. First things first, she needed a shower. She turned on the water and let it warm up while she padded out to the bedroom closet. She’d been saving one dress for a special occasion. When she’d packed it, she couldn’t have known what that occasion would be, but now she pulled it out of the closet.

She’d bought it when she and Quinn had gone shopping before her trip. Quinn was the one who’d found it and insisted she try it on. She’d loved it immediately, and now she was glad she’d packed it.

The dress was a sleeveless V-neck in a bright floral print that was flashier than what she usually wore. It nipped in at the waist and flared over her hips, stopping at mid-thigh. She recalled the saleswoman stating that it was made with short women in mind, and Callie had scowled at her. “I meant petite. Sorry,” the woman had said before she’d slunk off. After she’d walked away, Callie and Quinn had shared a good laugh over it.

She laid the dress on the bed and pulled out the strappy sandals she’d bought to go with it. At the time, she’d asked Quinn why she even needed a dressy outfit since she’d be traveling alone. Quinn had replied, “Trust me. You never know when you might meet the man of your dreams.”

The man of her dreams. She’d begun to think that there was no such thing except in fiction. That was one of the things she loved about writing and reading romance novels—their optimism. She’d been lacking that in her life lately, but she was starting to feel a flicker of it again. Was that because of Chase?

She went through her getting-ready routine like usual, and when she’d finished dressing, she surveyed herself again. She loved the dress, and on a whim, she took a selfie and sent it to Quinn with the caption: You have great taste!

She didn’t expect a reply, because, with the time difference, Quinn would be at work, but a minute later, her phone rang, and it was Quinn.

“Ohmigod. Does this mean what I think it means?” she said excitedly.

“Meaning?”

“Are you going out with your sexy neighbor again?”

“Actually, he’s coming over for dinner. I’m cooking.”

“You’re wearing the dress inside? That can only mean one thing…”

“Quinn.”

“Tonight’s the night, isn’t it? You’re going to seduce him.”

Callie laughed because the thought of her seducing Chase sounded backwards. It had a nice ring to it, though. “I just felt like dressing up, Quinn. What’s wrong with that?”

“Nothing. You look fab! But you could at least admit that you’re considering it.”

Callie sighed because she couldn’t keep anything from her best friend. “Okay, fine. I’m considering it, but I have to go. He’ll be here soon.”

“I’m so excited for you! Have fun tonight!”

“I will. Love you.”

“Love you too. Bye.”

Quinn meant well, but talking to her had escalated Callie’s nervousness. Giving voice to what might happen tonight made it more real. She considered changing into something more casual and less “I want to have sex with you,” but then she glanced at her watch and realized she didn’t have time to change. She hurried into the kitchen and started taking out ingredients from the fridge.

She would be making a chicken and vegetable stir-fry that wasn’t too labor intensive. She also had a bag of rolls and a small chocolate cake for dessert. She’d planned on making the meal that night anyway, but now she’d have company—company in the form of her very handsome neighbor who’d jumped off a cliff with her and seemed prepared to do it again (figuratively speaking).

At least, that was what it felt like. She hadn’t put herself out there since Adam, and that seemed like eons ago. She recalled Chase describing her as someone “who didn’t do casual flings,” and he’d been right. She was considering it now with him, though.