by Jae
Her date with Jared started with a pleasant surprise: he actually looked like his profile picture.
Several female patrons of the coffee shop turned their heads to watch as he strode past. He stopped in front of the corner table she had picked and smiled at her with his toothpaste-commercial teeth. “Hi, I’m Jared. You must be Eliza.”
“I am. Nice to meet you.”
His gaze didn’t flicker to her breasts as she stood, and he didn’t try for a kiss on the cheek but greeted her with a short, not too tight hug. His cologne reminded her of Denny’s.
Oh, no, no, no. This date was meant to confirm her attraction to guys, not make her think about Denny.
Jared got them hot beverages—asking for her preference instead of deciding for her—and then they settled at the table to get to know each other.
Eliza had picked a coffee shop instead of a restaurant so she could make a quick escape should things not go well. But as she finished her third mug of hibiscus tea, she realized the sun was sinking toward the horizon outside.
They had chatted about metalwork and movies and had bonded over their less than stellar experiences as baristas, with no awkward pauses or one of them monopolizing the conversation.
This time, she wouldn’t be returning home with a funny story about her horrible date to tell Denny.
Gosh, there you go again, thinking about her. Here she was, sitting across the table from a funny, smart, and good-looking guy, and yet her thoughts kept returning to Denny.
When they finally left the coffee shop, Jared lightly rested his hand on the small of her back as he escorted her to the door. His touch felt nice, not patronizing. But the tingle she had expected was absent. No zero-gravity sensations set in and made her feel as if she were back on the Viking ship.
Oh God. He checked every item on her list of traits she wanted in a man, and yet…nothing. He didn’t set off any of the reactions Denny’s closeness caused. What did that mean?
He walked her to the corner, where they’d have to part ways since he had parked his car in a different direction from her apartment.
“Nice shoes.” He pointed at her yellow sneakers as they walked.
“Thanks,” she said. “I consider them my lucky first-date charm, but they haven’t worked very well so far.”
They reached the corner and turned to face each other.
“I hope they did today,” he said. “I, for one, had a great time. Especially when you told that story about the woman who brought her pet iguana to the coffee shop.” His stunningly blue eyes twinkled as he laughed.
“And I wasn’t even exaggerating,” Eliza said.
“That’s what made it so funny.” He searched her eyes. “So, do you want to go out again sometime? We could catch that movie you mentioned next weekend.”
His charming grin should have made the answer a no-brainer.
But for Eliza, her answer was about more than this one date. It was a decision that felt monumental, as if it would influence the rest of her life. Maybe it would.
This time, it was Heather who lay in wait like a stalker, waiting for Eliza to make it home from her date. When Eliza trudged up the stairs, Heather’s door opened, and she pulled her into the apartment. “Finally! I was starting to get worried. A coffee date doesn’t normally last five hours!”
“I took a long walk through the park afterward.” Eliza had thought it would help clear her head, but she still hadn’t fully processed what was happening. “Sorry I forgot to call.”
“You’re forgiven—if you tell me every little detail.” Heather closed the door behind her. “How was it? Did he really look like Henry Cavill? Was he nice? Did he ask for a second date?”
Eliza ducked her head as the questions rained down on her like hail. “Wine,” she said firmly. A glass of red might help her make it through this conversation.
Heather opened a bottle of malbec and poured them each a glass. She pressed one into Eliza’s hands and waved her down onto the couch. “So?”
Once they had taken a seat next to each other, Eliza started with the easiest answer. “He did look like Henry Cavill, dimpled chin and all.”
“He doesn’t, by any chance, have a sister, does he?” Heather let out a dreamy sigh. “Or maybe a female cousin?”
“I have no idea. We didn’t talk about our families.” While they had chatted easily, the conversation hadn’t touched on anything deep or emotional the way it had with Denny from day one.
“So he wasn’t a big talker? Lots of awkward silences?”
“No, not at all. We talked the entire time and laughed a lot.”
Heather narrowed her eyes at her. “But?”
Eliza swirled the wine and watched the little streams run back down the insides of the glass. “No but. He seemed like a great guy, and I had a good time for a change.”
“Phew.” Heather pressed her free hand to her chest. “Finally! I was starting to feel guilty for making you go out with all those douchebags. Good to know No More Frogs isn’t a total fail. So, where are you going for the second date? He did ask you out again, didn’t he?”
“Yeah, he asked.”
Heather waved her fingers in an out-with-it gesture. “Why do I have to drag every single word out of you? If I had just returned from a great date, you’d have to gag me to make me shut up about it. What’s going on?”
Eliza put her wineglass down. She couldn’t delay it any longer. “I’m not going to see him again.”
“What?” With a clank, Heather’s wineglass ended up on the coffee table next to Eliza’s. “Why not?”
“He was great, but there wasn’t any special connection.” Not the kind she’d had with Denny pretty much from the start. Denny always made her feel seen and understood, while at the same time sending her into a tailspin of emotions.
“Special connection?” Heather snatched up her glass and took a gulp of wine. “Eliza, I love you to death, but are you sure you should approach first dates with such unrealistic expectations? I mean, you go on dates to create that connection; you can’t expect it to be there from the start.”
“You decided after the first date that you and Denny wouldn’t work out as a couple. How’s that different?”
Heather swished her wine around in a circle. “Hmm. Maybe you’re right. It’s just that you’ve been on more first dates than I have, but you always come to the same no-spark conclusion. I don’t want you to end up alone because you’re looking for an ideal that might not exist.”
Eliza reached for her wineglass too, more for something to hold on to than because she wanted to take a sip. “It exists,” she whispered.
“Since when are you such a romantic?”
“Since…” Eliza bit her lip before the rest of the sentence could slip out. Since meeting Denny. “Um, for a while now. I know you think I have impossibly high standards, but I just… I want it all.” And I want it with Denny. The thought was so clear, so final that she sank against the back of the couch, needing the support. Holy mackerel.
Heather slid closer on the couch and wrapped one arm around her. “And you deserve it all. Please don’t think I want you to settle for less.”
“I know.”
They sat like that for a few minutes, leaning against each other and sipping wine.
“More wine?” Heather asked when they had emptied their glasses.
Eliza hesitated. Should she stay and, with the help of some liquid courage, spill her guts to Heather? On the one hand, she longed to tell her best friend and get some advice, but on the other hand, shouldn’t she talk to Denny first? They always talked about everything, and she hoped this wouldn’t be the exception, no matter if Denny felt the same or not.
A chirp from her phone, announcing a text from Denny, made the decision for her.
“No, thanks. I should, uh…”
“Go tell Denny about your date,” Heather finished for her.
“Um, yeah. Something like that.” Eliza stood and carried the wineglasses to t
he sink. Her legs felt unsteady, but she knew it wasn’t from the malbec. The thought of talking to Denny and confessing her confusing feelings made her struggle to breathe normally.
Heather followed her to the door. “You okay?”
Eliza didn’t want to lie, but neither was she ready to tell the truth. “Kinda.” She gave Heather a quick hug. “I promise to tell you later.”
“All right.” Heather leaned in the doorway, and Eliza felt her worried gaze following her all the way to her apartment.
She waved one last time before stepping inside. The door closed between them, and then Eliza was alone with her phone and her churning emotions.
Denny had read samples of at least ten different e-books, but none of them captured her attention beyond the first page, especially not the romance novels. All they did was make her imagine romantic scenarios involving Eliza and her date.
With a low growl, she closed her reading app and checked her messages.
Eliza still hadn’t answered the Did you make it home okay? message Denny had sent her a few minutes ago.
She dropped her phone onto the coffee table, stretched out more fully on the couch, and covered her face with her forearm.
The sound of a key in the front door made her lift her arm.
Salem swept into the house in her above-the-knee dress and practically floated through the room. When Denny sat up to make space, she dropped onto the couch next to her, bounced twice, then kicked off her high heels.
Great. Her sister, poster child of happy daters, was home from her date, while Eliza was still out and about. That probably meant her evening was going great, and she couldn’t tear herself away from the guy. Denny’s stomach felt as if she had swallowed all the pins in her sewing basket. Had Eliza invited him up or gone home with him?
She rejected the thought. Eliza wasn’t the type to have sex on the first date.
But why wasn’t she home yet? If Eliza didn’t text her within the next ten minutes, she would call to make sure she was okay.
“God.” Salem let out a dreamy sigh. “That man can kiss.”
Denny covered her ears with her hands. “TMI. I prefer to imagine that he drops you off with a polite handshake.” Most of all, she preferred to imagine the same for Eliza and her date. The thought of some guy kissing Eliza left her nauseated.
Salem laughed. “Yep. Matt gives the best handshakes ever.” She sobered and turned toward Denny more fully. “Thanks again for watching Bella. Did she give you any trouble?”
“No. Went to bed meek as a lamb.”
Salem gave her a knowing look. “You bribed her with ricotta cheesecake, didn’t you?”
“Yep. All is fair in war and babysitting.” She had also promised Bella she would ask Eliza to come over for a journal-making session next weekend if she went to bed without complaints. But would Eliza have time for them if she hit it off with tonight’s date?
“Don’t let her hear you call it babysitting. Actually, would you mind watching her next Friday, and this time all night? Matt invited me over for—”
Denny held up both hands. “I’ll watch her, but no details, please.”
“I was just going to say dinner. His parents are in town, and he wants me to meet them. But yeah, I’m not ruling out an adult sleepover afterward,” Salem said with a sultry grin.
Denny chose to ignore the last comment. “You’re meeting his parents already? Guess it’s serious, then.”
Salem picked invisible lint off her dress. “You’re not the only Jacobs woman who’s head over heels in love.”
Her words zapped through Denny with the force of an electric shock. “Whoa! I never said I’m in love!”
“You said it’s more than a crush, so what else would it be? Besides, you don’t have to say anything. I know you, Denny.”
Shit. Denny had avoided looking at her feelings too closely so far, but she couldn’t deny it. “I’m really happy for you.” At least one of them had the good sense to fall in love with someone who could love her back.
“What about—?” A cha-chung from Denny’s phone interrupted Salem, who laughed. “Speak of the devil.”
At least it meant Eliza had made it home safe and sound. Denny snatched up her phone and checked her messages.
It was indeed a text from Eliza, saying, Are you alone?
Gosh, that sounded like an attempt to start sexting. She gave herself a mental slap to the head. Get your mind out of the gutter, Jacobs. “Uh, do you mind if I…?” She gestured at the phone, then toward her room.
“No, go ahead,” Salem answered. “I’m off to bed anyway.”
Denny gave her a quick hug, then hurried to her bedroom and texted back, I am.
Her phone immediately rang, and Eliza’s name flashed across the screen.
“Hi,” Denny said. “I was starting to get worried. Everything okay?”
“Yes, I’m fine,” Eliza answered. In a whisper, she added, “More or less.”
Denny’s stomach folded itself into a pretzel. She had to draw in a breath before her lungs had enough air for her to speak. “What happened? He didn’t, um, get handsy with you or anything, did he?” Because God help him if he did. Denny had never been a violent person, but images of hitting him, preferably with a baseball bat, flashed through her mind.
“No,” Eliza said quickly. “Nothing like that. He was actually nice.”
Denny’s knees felt as if she’d just done a hundred squats, so she dropped onto the bed. “Yeah? You don’t sound very sure.”
“No, he really was. I liked him.”
Good thing she was sitting. Despite her earlier fears, Denny had fully expected Eliza to recount another horrible date they would laugh about together. “Oh,” was all she got out. “You did?”
“Yeah.”
Denny closed her eyes. She should have known it would eventually happen. Eliza was too wonderful to not attract a good guy sooner rather than later. But where did that leave Denny? Could she make it through phone calls of Eliza reporting back from romantic dates, gushing about this guy? Could she listen to Eliza describing her growing feelings for him? Could she smile when Eliza told her they had gotten engaged?
“Denny?” Eliza asked. “You still there?”
“Yes,” Denny managed to say. “I’m happy you finally had a good date.” It was only partly a lie, she told herself. She did want to see Eliza happy, and she had known from the start it wouldn’t be with her.
“Um, thanks, but I didn’t call to talk about Henry…uh, Jared.”
“No? What did you want to talk about?”
Eliza drew in an audible breath, then let it back out. It sounded like a storm rushing through the phone. “I… I’ve got something to tell you. But I’d rather explain in person, if that’s okay. Do you have time to meet up with me tomorrow?”
What the hell was going on? Denny wanted to know—now! But she was determined to respect Eliza’s wishes and give her what she needed. “Of course,” she said as calmly as possible. “When and where?”
“Maybe we could, I don’t know, take a walk by the river or something,” Eliza said.
“Sounds good to me. The dragon boat races are still going on tomorrow. Maybe you’d like to watch one since you missed them today.”
“Um, sure, why not.”
“Do you want me to ask Bella if she’d like to come?” Why the heck had she said that? Was she suddenly afraid to be alone with Eliza—or of hearing what she had to say?
“Normally, I’d love that, but do you mind if it’s just us this time?” Eliza’s voice was quiet, and Denny thought she heard it quiver.
Denny’s pulse pounded in her throat. Not knowing why Eliza wanted them to be alone was torture. “No, that’s okay. When?” She was tempted to suggest sunrise, knowing she wouldn’t sleep a wink anyway.
“Is ten too early?” Eliza asked. “Or would you rather meet in the afternoon?”
No way could she wait until the afternoon to find out what Eliza had to say. “No, ten is
fine.”
They agreed to meet at the Salmon Street Springs, then, after a hastily whispered “sweet dreams,” Eliza was gone.
Denny flopped down so she was lying across the bed and let the phone slide from her grasp. Her heart beat much too loudly, making her feel as if the entire bed was vibrating beneath her. What did Eliza have to tell her? Nothing good, of that she was sure. She had sounded way too serious for that.
Dozens of different scenarios bounced around her head. Was Eliza sick? Or sick of her company? Did she suspect Denny’s more-than-friendly feelings for her? Oh God. What if she had made Eliza uncomfortable with that last tight hug they had shared?
She jumped up and started to pace. Calm down. That couldn’t be it…could it? The hug was burned into her memory, and she had replayed it a thousand times. Eliza had held her just as tightly, had even put her head on Denny’s shoulder, and hadn’t seemed in a hurry to let go.
It had to be something else. But what?
She glanced at her watch and groaned. Eleven long hours and thirty-seven endless minutes to find out.
Chapter 17
Good thing the Salmon Street Springs were less than a mile from Eliza’s apartment, so she could walk. If she’d had to drive, she would have crashed Heather’s car at the first intersection. God, she hoped Denny would take the MAX.
But, of course, Denny had no idea what she was about to tell her…if she didn’t chicken out. Was she really going to do this? Confess her attraction to another woman—to Denny?
The thought was still surreal. What if Denny didn’t return her feelings? What if she did? Eliza swallowed. Both scenarios made her equally nervous.
Her heart pounded loudly, drowning out her footsteps on the sidewalk.
She wished she had talked it through with Heather. But her friend tended to sleep in on Sundays, and she had reached the fountain, so calling her now was out.
