Kate giggled. “I know.”
The waitress came and they ordered lunch. “Okay. I know you. You probably have this all figured out already. So, what’s your plan?” Lucy asked.
“It dawned on me that Chris and the guys just think of me as another one of the guys. So first, I’ve got to be… more girly,” Kate said.
“So that’s why you went on a pretend date last night. Gotcha. What else?”
“Then I’ve got to flirt with Chris, I guess,” Kate said. “And get him to see that I’m not just one of the boys. And maybe get him alone. Go on a date or something.”
Lucy nodded. “And then?”
Kate threw her hands up in the air. “I don’t know! See where it goes, I guess!”
“Okay,” Lucy said. “See where it goes.”
*
Kate sat staring down at the crappy cards in her hand. A six and a three, off-suited. The flop was two kings and an ace. Her pile of chips was pretty small and she knew that the game was probably going to come down to Jackson or Kevin, who had the big stacks at the table. Chris was in the same boat she was; he wouldn’t be in the game much longer himself.
Jackson checked. Chris checked. Max checked. Kevin bet. Kate folded her hand. She didn’t feel like bluffing. She watched the rest of the hand, quietly sipping her beer. Jackson called. Chris called. Max folded.
She liked playing, but poker was kind of boring when you were just sitting there watching everyone else.
The next card was a ten. Jackson bet. Chris called, putting him all in. Kevin called. They flipped their cards over. Jackson had three kings. Chris had two pair. Kevin had a full house, aces over kings. Chris was out of the game; Kevin gathered up all the chips and slid them towards his pile.
Chris left the table, went to the kitchen, and got a beer. He flopped down on the couch and put his feet up on the table. He found the TV remote and started flipping through the channels.
“Hey, first one out is supposed to deal, you know!” Jackson called.
Chris extended his middle finger in response and everyone at the table chuckled.
Kate turned her attention back to the game. She had lousy cards again. A four and a seven. The flop was a nine, ten, and a jack. Jackson folded right away. Max and Kevin both bet, and this time she called them, hoping that she’d have an excuse to go sit with Chris. She was all in, with little chance of winning, unless she pulled a straight.
The next two cards were a seven and a queen. She ended up with a pair. Kevin beat everyone again with three tens. Kate pushed her chips over to Kevin and joined Chris on the couch.
“You’re out already, too?” he asked.
“Tried for a straight. Kevin won with three of a kind.”
“He’s been on a roll tonight,” Chris said, sipping his beer. He stopped flipping through the channels for a few minutes to watch Saturday Night Live. “No date tonight?”
“Not tonight,” she said.
“Gonna see him again?”
She paused for a minute. “I don’t think so. Not my type,” she added.
“What is your type?” Chris asked.
“Hmmm.” Kate pretended to think about this. “Somebody with a good job. Nice looking. Fun to hang out with. Likes to goof around. Gets along with my friends. Know anybody like that?”
Chris chuckled. “Yeah.”
“Who?”
He took a sip of beer. “Me.”
“You?”
Chris looked at her. “Yeah. Me.”
Kate smirked. “You think I’d go out with you?” she asked, crossing her fingers that her plan didn’t backfire.
“You mean you wouldn’t?” Chris asked.
Kate took a shaky breath. “I don’t know.”
“What do you mean you don’t know?”
She took a sip of her beer and smiled at him. “I don’t know. You haven’t asked.”
Chris smiled back. “Would you?”
“Would I what?” she asked, twirling a strand of hair around her finger. This is fun! She wasn’t used to being so flirty. She didn’t have the chance very often.
“Would you go out with me?” Chris asked softly, so that the guys at the poker table wouldn’t overhear.
“Mmmaybe,” she said. Don’t want to seem too eager. But holy crap – this is working!
“Friday night. Dinner. And then maybe we can see if there’s music at the Sand Bar.”
Kate chewed on the inside of her cheek, pretending to mentally check her calendar. “I have a big rehearsal dinner that should be done around eight.”
“Eight-thirty it is. I’ll pick you up.” Chris gave her a heavy pat on the knee and then stood up. “You want some pretzels?” he asked.
“I’m good,” she said. She leaned back against the couch, trying to hide the grin that was threatening to break out across her face. Holy crap. It worked. A date with Chris. I can’t believe it!
Chris got up and hovered at the table, eating pretzels out of the bag and watching the game, so Kate grabbed her purse and pulled out her phone. She sent Lucy a quick text. “Date with Chris on Friday!!!!! Be home soon!” She stuffed her phone back into her purse just as Max flopped down on the couch next to her.
“Fucking Kevin,” he groaned. “He has a horseshoe up his ass tonight or something.”
“You’re out?”
“Yeah. Are you heading home soon?” Max asked.
“Well, yeah. Eventually.”
“Want some company?”
“No.” Kate took a long sip, finishing her beer.
“Come on.”
“Not tonight,” she hissed. “Besides, Lucy’s home.” And besides that, if I’m going to be going out with Chris, you can’t keep coming over whenever you feel like it, she thought. Max pouted and Kate gave him a playful nudge. “You can walk me to my car, though.” She got up and stretched. “Well, boys, I think it’s time for me to go,” she announced. She went around the table and said goodbye. “I’ll bring beer next time,” she said.
“You better,” Kevin grinned. “I think it’s your turn, anyway.”
Kate ruffled his curly hair and gave him a kiss on his temple. “Good night, everybody!” she said. She squeezed Jackson’s shoulder and gave Chris a fist-bump. He winked at her.
Kate was out the door and almost to the first landing when Max came out behind her. “So, when are we going to hang out again?” he asked.
“We just hung out for three hours playing cards,” she said. “You miss me already or something?”
“Well, yeah,” he said, following her across the parking lot.
“You don’t mean that.”
“I kinda do,” Max said, stuffing his hands into his pockets.
Kate opened her car door and tossed her purse onto the passenger seat. She rested her arms across the top of the door. “Really?” she asked.
The word was barely out of her mouth before Max placed both hands on the sides of her face and pulled her close for a kiss. Their lips met for a few brief seconds, and Kate almost found herself giving in. Almost.
She backed away. “Down, boy,” she said. “Not tonight, okay?”
Max sighed. “Sorry.”
“No you’re not,” Kate giggled, getting in the car.
“You’re right. I’m not.”
“Good night, Max,” she said, closing the door and sticking her key in the ignition. He waved and headed towards his car.
As soon as she got home, Kate burst through the door, tossed her purse on the couch, and ran to Lucy’s bedroom. She knocked on the door. “Come on in!” Lucy called.
Kate opened the door and flopped down on her stomach across Lucy’s bed. Lucy sat up in bed, closed the book that she was reading, and placed it on her nightstand. “Chris asked me out!” Kate squealed.
“I got your text,” Lucy said. “So how did that happen?”
Kate recounted the conversation to Lucy, who sat there shaking her head. “I’m impressed,” she said.
“I can’t believe it!
” Kate sat up, grinning. “It was so easy. It was perfect. So who knows? Maybe this is it.” She threw her arms around Lucy in a hug.
“Uh… Maybe,” Lucy chuckled.
Kate hopped up and went into her room to get ready for bed. For the first time in awhile, she had a date! One that she was really excited about. One that could actually mean something.
Maybe.
*
Kate only had a few minutes to freshen up before dinner with Chris. She was standing at her bathroom sink, touching up her mascara, and hoping the butterflies in her stomach would go away. This is ridiculous! You hang out with him all the time. Why are you nervous? She took a deep breath and tried to steady her hand so she wouldn’t poke herself in the eye with the mascara wand.
Kate heard a car pull up in the driveway. She tossed the tube of mascara back in the drawer, shut it, and looked at herself in the mirror. She didn’t look too bad. She hoped she didn’t look as nervous as she felt. She grabbed her sweater off the end of her bed and pulled it on as she made her way to the door. She opened it and stood, staring up at Chris.
She couldn’t believe she was going out with him.
“Hi,” she said.
“Hi,” Chris replied. He smiled and cracked his knuckles. “Ready to go?”
“Just let me grab my purse,” she said. She hurried into the kitchen and grabbed her bag off the counter. “Let’s go!”
She was surprised when Chris went around to the passenger side first and opened the door for her. She couldn’t help giggling as she slid into the seat and he shut the door behind her. When he got in the car, he looked at her curiously. “What?”
“I just didn’t expect you to be all chivalrous,” she smiled.
“I’m not a total caveman. Sheesh.” He started the car and backed out of the driveway.
“I know!” Kate cried. “I just didn’t expect that, that’s all.”
“If you keep it up, I’m not going to open any more doors for you,” he warned.
“Okay!” she laughed. “So where are we going?”
“Have you been to Lombardi’s?” he asked. She shook her head. “It’s nice. I thought we could go somewhere nice,” he said.
“That’s nice,” Kate said. She held her breath. They’d just used the word ‘nice’ three times in one conversational exchange. They were both… nervous. She chuckled.
Chris grinned at her. “Are you okay?” he asked.
She nodded. “You?”
“Truthfully, I’m kind of… Nervous. I don’t know why.”
Kate let out a deep breath of relief. “Me, too.”
“Really?”
“Yeah.”
Chris let a deep breath slip out, too. “It’s kind of weird, right?”
“What?”
“The two of us out on a date.”
Kate paused. Uh-oh. “Umm… I don’t know. It doesn’t have to be.”
“You’re right. It doesn’t. Let’s have fun,” he said. He held out his fist.
They fist-bumped.
*
They had agreed to have fun, but Kate wasn’t sure how much fun she was having. It turned out that Chris apparently knew not only the hostess at the restaurant, but their waitress, as well.
“This is awkward,” Chris said. “I forgot Liz worked here. And Melanie.”
Kate took a bite of her eggplant parmesan. The hostess, Liz, had looked like she was going to have a joy-induced heart attack when she first saw Chris. Then she turned her gaze to Kate, and all of a sudden, she turned into a royal bitch. Kate wondered what Chris must have done to her to piss her off.
Then they were seated and the waitress, Melanie, came to the table. It was the same thing all over again. At first, Melanie seemed all excited to see Chris, and then when she laid eyes on Kate, her whole demeanor changed. Kate had never had such an uncomfortable time on a date. Aside from asking what they wanted to order, Melanie never spoke to them. She just slammed their plates down and walked away.
Kate imagined that Chris must have been dating Liz and then cheated on her with Melanie, or vice-versa. Something like that. When Chris said, “I can explain…” she held up her hand and replied with, “I don’t even want to know.”
So, their first date was punctuated by evil glares from Liz, uncomfortable silence from Melanie, and somewhat uncomfortable breaks in the conversation. In short, so far, their first date kind of sucked.
When Chris paid the bill, Kate got quickly to her feet. She hurried out of the restaurant, not wanting to catch Liz or Melanie’s attention as they made their exit. They drove in awkward silence to the Sand Bar. When they got there, they were lucky to grab one of the last small tables outside. Kate tossed her purse and sweater on her chair. “I’ll be right back!” she said, hurrying to the bathroom. She took care of business, washed her hands, and twisted the hair up off her neck into a floppy knot. Glancing at her reflection in the mirror, she said a silent prayer that the date would get better.
When she joined Chris at the table, he was pouring her a glass of beer from a pitcher that he had ordered. “You all right?” he asked.
“Yeah,” she said, taking a long sip of beer. She licked the foam off of her lip. “I just had to use the restroom. I didn’t want to go at the restaurant because I was afraid that Liz or Melanie would corner me in the hallway and beat my ass if I got up to go by myself.” She was only partially kidding.
Chris burst out laughing. “I’m sorry about that. I had no idea.”
“The eggplant parmesan was really good, but, man, the service was terrible.”
“Yeah, the service sucked,” Chris agreed.
“No former girlfriends work here, right?” Kate pretended to look around nervously.
“I don’t think so. At least, not that I know of.” Chris winked at her.
“Good. Then I can relax.” She leaned back in her chair and listened as the band started to play. It was a beautiful night with a nice breeze. This was more like it.
They chatted more easily after they had a few beers and Kate finally felt more relaxed. The pressure of being “on a date” with Chris had worn off and she was just enjoying his company. It still felt like a date, but at the same time, it didn’t. Chris was her buddy, her friend…
Kate was so at ease that it took her a second to realize that Chris was standing over her, holding out his hand. “Want to dance?” he asked.
Kate got to her feet and joined him on the crowded dance floor. She was pretty sure she hadn’t slow-danced with anybody since… her cousin’s wedding two years ago? And then she’d probably only danced with her uncle or her dad. That didn’t count. The last time she had slow danced with anybody not related to her had been… her senior prom? In high school? Nooooo. Really? Yep.
She shook her head at the thought of it and rested her cheek on Chris’s shoulder. She couldn’t even remember who her date for the senior prom had been. She’d have to ask Lucy; Lucy always remembered that kind of stuff. Whoever it was, there was no way he was as cute as Chris. She smiled. The best-looking guy at the Sand Bar was holding her in his arms. They’d survived their first date, and hopefully more would follow.
On the way back to her house, Kate and Chris sang along to the radio, laughing at each other as they messed up the words and made up their own lyrics. When Chris turned down her street, Kate felt the butterflies return. He pulled into the driveway and turned the car off. “I’ll walk you to the door,” he said.
“Aww, like a real date,” she said, as Chris got out of the car and walked around to open her door. They walked up to the doorstep and Kate got out her keys.
“If this is a real date, I guess I should kiss you goodnight,” Chris said.
“You guess?”
“Do you want me to?”
“Just shut up and kiss me!” she said, sounding much braver than she felt.
Smiling, he slid his hands around her waist and pulled her close. She had to stand on her toes to reach him. When their lips brushed, she thought
her knees would buckle. The last time she’d had a first kiss like this was… Stop it, stop it! Just enjoy it!
She thought it was just going to be a quick good-night kiss, but it kept going… and going. Wow! And ow… Eventually, her calves started to burn and she lowered herself back down onto flat feet. Their lips finally parted and Chris looked down at her with wide eyes. “See you tomorrow?”
Kate blinked. “I can’t tomorrow,” she said. “I have a wedding.”
“Duh. I know that. I’m photographing the wedding.”
Kate laughed and bopped herself on the forehead. “Oh. Yeah. So, yes, I’ll see you tomorrow. And I’ll kick your ass at poker afterwards.”
“Good night,” Chris said, giving her a hug. “I hope you had fun.”
“I did,” she smiled. “Thank you.” They fist-bumped and Kate let herself in the front door.
*
Kate sat frowning on Kevin’s couch. She’d been the first one eliminated from the game. She hadn’t been concentrating. She kept wondering what Chris was thinking. They hadn’t had a chance to talk at the wedding, and they started playing cards as soon as they’d arrived. She kept glancing at him to her left, and feeling his leg bump against hers underneath the table. Every time he reached his arm out in front of her to scoop up his chips, she’d jump as the hairs on his arm brushed against her bare skin.
For some reason, Chris, Jackson, Max, and Kevin were taking tonight’s game very seriously. It was hard to tell who was winning because it seemed like every time someone won a big hand, they’d lose their chips to someone else in the next hand. There wasn’t a lot of talking or joking around. Kate was glad she’d gotten beat early because she didn’t have much fun when the guys played like that. But she was getting bored.
“I think I’m going to go,” she said.
“I’ll walk you to the car!” Chris and Max both said at the same time. Chris, having just folded his hand, got to his feet first.
Kate waved goodnight to the boys. “May the best man win!” she called.
Kate and Chris walked down the stairs to the parking lot. When they got to the car, she was about to thank him, when he grabbed her around the waist, pushed her up against the car, and kissed her. She wasn’t expecting that at all.
One of the Guys Page 3
