Table for One: An Inspirational Romance

by Leah Atwood

  Trevor cringed. “You could be right.” There. He’d admitted it. “I wouldn’t mind seeing her again and finding out if I imagined the connection.”

  “You’re about to get that opportunity, my friend.”

  Chapter Six

  “Where’s the fruit tray?” Lauren examined the tables set up for snacks and saw everything but the fruit she’d ordered.

  “In the office refrigerator. I stored it in there to keep it fresh longer.” Chrissy stepped toward the door. “I’ll run over and get it now.”

  “Thanks.” Breathing a sigh of relief, Lauren continued to verify all food and activities were in place.

  She and Chrissy had decided to have large group games but had made several, smaller tables available with board games for those who wished to participate in a more intimate setting. In one corner of the room, an easel stood with fifteen different poster boards resting on it. That would be used for a Family Feud style game. In the other corner, was a large dry erase board on wheels to be used for a game that combined charades with drawing.

  She estimated those games would take approximately thirty to forty-five minutes each. When she added time for the icebreaker and refreshments, the allotted two hours were full. Fortunately, they had the conference room until four, which allowed for leeway if the event was successful and ran over. Please let it be successful.

  Last week’s experiment had been a bust, at least in terms of meeting anyone. She’d gone to the rescue shelter and adopted an adorable dog. At first, she’d planned to borrow a dog from a friend, but she’d seen a post on social media about a dog who’d be euthanized if not adopted by the next day. She hadn’t been able to resist the sweet beagle/rat terrier mix. At twenty-two pounds, she was the perfect apartment size dog, and her advanced age kept her from being too hyper.

  Rosie Lou was a great companion at home, but on their three trips to the park, Lauren quickly learned that Rosie Lou was terrified of other dogs, and wouldn’t let Lauren close enough to another person with a dog to have an opportunity to meet someone. Despite the part of her experiment failing, she didn’t regret adopting Rosie Lou. She’d gotten material for a humorous blog post, but more importantly, she’d fallen completely in love with the dog.

  However, because she hadn’t netted a date from either project yet, she started to wonder if her ideas were bogus and a waste of energy. Or was she only discouraged because she’d never heard from Trevor? Although she hated to admit it, she strongly suspected that was the crux of the matter. I guess rejection gets the best of all of us at one time or another. For her own sake, and the blog’s, she had to keep putting one foot in front of the other.

  She glanced at her watch—thirty minutes to go. Just enough time to run to her apartment and let Rosie Lou out. She left the room and jogged along the sidewalk and up the single flight of steps. Rosie Lou greeted her with floppy, golden brown ears and a wet kiss to the arm.

  “Ready to go out, girl?” She grabbed the leash from the coat closet, and Rosie Lou spun in a circle, excited for a taste of fresh air.

  She walked Rosie Lou to the pet area, all while keeping an eye open for any cars coming in. They’d marketed the event to three nearby apartment communities, as well as their own, in addition to encouraging attendees to invite their friends.

  Two, then three cars that she didn’t recognize rolled into the parking lot. Were they here for the game social or to visit a tenant? It could even be someone who lived there, and she didn’t know their vehicle.

  Five minutes passed, and she took Rosie Lou inside. “Sorry for the short trip outside, but I’ll take you again in a few hours. Promise.”

  Rosie Lou seemed to understand and scurried off to her water dish.

  Lauren locked her apartment and walked, not jogged, to the conference room. She didn’t want to make a poor first impression on anyone by being out of breath when she met them.

  Only Chrissy was in the conference room. Lauren checked her watch—quarter to one—and started to get nervous. What if nobody showed up? She had thought at least a few people would have come early.

  Chrissy caught her gaze. “Don’t worry. People will be here.”

  “I hope so.”

  “The office has been receiving calls all week. There has been a lot of interest generated.”

  “We should have made a sign up online to get a general idea.” Lauren sighed. Too late now.

  “Next time we will.” Chrissy squeezed her shoulder and laughed. “You’re stressing too much. That’s my job.”

  Two ladies in their mid-twenties walked in, and the brunette stepped forward. “Is this where the game thing is?”

  “Yes.” A weight lifted off Lauren’s shoulders now that the first guests had arrived. “You’re the first ones here, but more will be showing up soon.”

  “Cool.” The blonde popped her gum. “I’ve never seen an activity like this, but it sounds fun in an understated way.”

  “Thanks.” I think? Lauren pointed them to the refreshments. “Once more people arrive, we’ll get started with an icebreaker, but help yourselves to a plate of food, or play one of the board games set around the perimeter.”

  Chrissy nudged her when another group walked in. “Told you.”

  Now that guests arrived at a steady stream, a new concern arose. “What if we don’t have enough food?”

  “We have enough to feed an army. Or one hundred people to be more exact.” Chrissy gave a pointed stare toward the tables. “And the company that catered is generous with their portions, so we can easily add twenty to that number. We’ll be fine.”

  Trusting Chrissy, who had more experience in event planning, Lauren left her friend’s side to mingle with the growing crowd. She chatted with a lady she recognized as the owner of her favorite boutique and learned they were practically neighbors. Within minutes, they’d exchanged numbers to have lunch one day. Feeling good about making a potential new friend, she moved around the room, determined to make the best of the day.

  At one on the dot, she worked her way to the front of the room, then stopped in her tracks. Blinked twice. Her eyes had to be deceiving her.

  What were the chances Prince Harry had another lookalike in Lafayette? She searched the room until she spotted Chrissy, then hurried to reach her and grabbed her arm.

  “What’s going on?” Chrissy whispered under her breath.

  “He’s here.”

  “Who’s here.”

  “Him. Trevor.” Emotions raced through her, competing with questions. Did she greet him? Ignore him? Wait until a natural time came to say hi? What if he ignored her, or didn’t want to see her? After all, he could have contacted her if there had been any interest on his part. Maybe it was best to avoid him to prevent an uncomfortable situation.

  Except she was in charge of the event. There was no way to hide from him.

  “Go talk to him.” Chrissy poked an elbow in her ribs.

  “I can’t.”

  Chrissy arched her brows. “Can’t or won’t? Make use of that outgoing personality you were blessed with.”

  “This is different,” she protested.

  “We need to start soon.” With one hand on Lauren’s shoulder, Chrissy pushed her forward. “Welcome him, keep it simple, then leave it to him to seek you out later.”

  “Good idea.” Her feet scooted forward, initially by force of Chrissy, until she found her own step.

  She practiced breathing exercises as she crossed the room. I can do this. I’ve approached men before. This is nothing new.

  Lost in concentration, she didn’t see the person in front of her until she bumped into them. “I’m so sorry. I wasn’t paying attention.”

  “No problem.”

  Her heart skipped a beat right before her face burned with embarrassment. She looked up at the same time he glanced down.

  She saw in his eyes the exact moment he realized who had run into him, and she was encouraged when he broke into a smile.

  “Lauren.”

/>   “Trevor.”

  A taller man, about Trevor’s age, laughed. “Now that names are established, I’m going to sneak away.” He patted Trevor’s back. “I’ll find you after a while.”

  After the man had left, Trevor offered her a shaky smile. “That’s Dan, one of my oldest friends. Just ignore him.”

  “What are you doing here?” She wanted to facepalm herself. “I mean, do you live around here?”

  He shook his head. “Dan lives in this complex and invited me.”

  “We’ll get started soon. Glad you could make it.” She turned to walk away, preemptively cutting off any awkwardness, but Trevor stopped her with a light touch to her elbow.

  “I wanted to contact you after that night, but…” He trailed off, leaving the explanation unsaid.

  “I understand. You were under no obligation to keep in touch.” Proud of herself for the expert, unemotional response, she managed a genuine smile.

  “But I should have.” He nodded in the direction of his friend. “Dan invited me because he saw the event is sponsored by your blog. He thought there would be a good possibility of finding you here.”

  Whoa, that was a confession that held the potential for reading too much into. “And here I am. Mission accomplished.”

  Trevor chuckled. “I know you have to get this started, but could we talk afterward? Maybe go out for coffee?”

  Her heart rate went irregular. “I’d like that.”

  Chapter Seven

  Laughter echoed in the room when team four gave their final answer.

  Trevor held his breath to see if the answer was correct. If “gummy” was on the board for a type of bear, then his team won.

  Lauren moved her hands in a drumming motion and made a noise to accompany it. She looked at Chrissy, who was helping lead the game. “Is ‘gummy’ on the board?”

  After a glance at the cards in her hand, Chrissy removed the cover of spot number seven.

  He pumped his fist and cheered with his twenty teammates. Their correct answer had stolen the round, broken the tie, and won the game. The game was friendly, but his competitive side burst with excitement. Who knew he’d have so much fun playing simple games.

  The end of the game brought the event to a close. Lauren thanked everyone for coming and handed out certificates for a free frozen yogurt at a new make-it-yourself establishment in town.

  He watched her from a distance, impressed by the command she held over the crowd. Public speaking didn’t seem to faze her, and she came off comfortable in her own skin, despite her subtle nervousness when she ran into him earlier. He liked that in a woman, enjoyed witnessing her confidence and energy.

  Instinct told him a life with Lauren would never be boring. She was a woman who enjoyed life and fun while remaining dedicated to making better the lives of others. The game social, for starters. It was obvious how much work she’d put into the event, and it had paid off.

  The entire two hours had been filled with laughter and entertainment. Nearly everyone he saw had left with a smile on their face after having a great afternoon. Best of all, he had seen only one person on their phone during the span of the event. Most people were absorbed in face-to-face interaction—a rare but refreshing event in today’s society.

  Once the crowd thinned, he found Lauren. He’d already told Dan about the coffee plans, and his friend was happy to go home alone, even if he had issued an “I told you so” before leaving.

  “How can I help clean up?” he asked, skimming his eyes over the mess left behind.

  “Would you mind folding all the metal chairs and hanging them on the moving rack?” She pointed to a black steel contraption hiding in the rear corner. “The rental company will be here soon to pick them up.”

  “Not a problem. What about the other chairs?”

  She threw away empty plates and trash as she spoke. “All the cushioned ones stay. Once we clean up everything else, we’ll pull the tables back where they belong and put the chairs around them.”

  It took him fifteen minutes to load all the chairs. In that time, Chrissy and Lauren had discarded all the scraps of remaining food and trash. He didn’t see Lauren when he first looked for her but then spotted her coming out of a closet with a vacuum.

  Chrissy went to her side, and although he couldn’t hear what she told Lauren, Chrissy’s elbow jabs, stolen glances his way, and subsequent taking of the vacuum told him all he needed to know.

  Lauren walked toward him, the skirt of her maxi dress swishing around her legs. She tugged at the collar of her denim jacket, and he wondered if she experienced the same self-consciousness that pulsed through him. Again, he wished he’d worn clothes that weren’t so casual, or at least a shirt not so faded and worn that it was a string away from being considered threadbare.

  “Does that offer for coffee still stand?” Her tight-lipped smiled revealed nervousness.

  “Absolutely.”

  “Do you mind if I take my dog out first? I haven’t had her long and don’t know how she’ll do being alone more than a few hours.”

  “That’s fine. What kind of dog do you have?” As they talked, his unease subsided.

  “She’s a beagle/rat terrier mix, at least that’s what the shelter told me.” A gentle smile surfaced. “They placed her around eight years old, and she’s so sweet, I can’t imagine why anyone would have gotten rid of her.”

  “That’s a shame, but at least she has a good home now.” He opened the door for Lauren. “I had a dog, but he passed away two years ago.”

  “You didn’t want another?”

  He bit his lip. Did he tell her the truth or give her a generic answer? Always the truth. He phrased it in the nicest way possible, so he didn’t appear to criticize his ex. “Mariah didn’t care for dogs.”

  In reality, Mariah had told him in no uncertain terms, that she wouldn’t tolerate an animal in her home. Read between the lines—if they were to marry, he wouldn’t be allowed to bring any animals into the marriage.

  “Not everybody does.” Lauren shrugged graciously.

  “I’ve been thinking about getting another one. Or maybe a pet rat. Seems they’d be less maintenance.”

  She shuddered. “Please tell me you're kidding.”

  “One hundred percent.” He laughed. “A buddy of mine had a pet rat, though, and loved the thing to pieces. Even had surgery on it when it had a brain tumor.”

  “You’re joking,” she asked with wide eyes.

  “I wish, but no.” His lips curled into a half-smile. “Even rodents need love, I guess.”

  “True. To each their own.” She turned left off the sidewalk. “This is my building.”

  He didn’t want to intimidate her by walking up to her apartment with her. “I’ll wait down here.”

  “Thanks. I’ll be right down.”

  A few minutes later, the unit door opened and a mostly white dog with a brown head ran out on a leash. The dog jumped on him, placing her paws on his thighs.

  He petted the dog’s head and scratched her ears. “Hi, there.”

  “Rosie Lou, down.” Lauren’s voice was firm, but her tug on the leash gentle.

  “I don’t mind.”

  Rosie Lou backed down but didn’t stay still.

  “We’re working on training. She loves most people, but is scared of other dogs.”

  “She’s precious. Who knows what she went through in the shelter or her life with her previous owners?” Memories of his Roscoe surfaced. “My dog was a rescue, and for the first six months I had him, he was very skittish, then warmed up to be a giant teddy bear.”

  “What was he?”

  “A rottie mix.” He followed in the direction she walked.

  “A big dog. I take it you don’t have an apartment?”

  He shook his head. “I bought a house in my early twenties, knowing I had no plans to leave the area. It has a nice sized, fenced-in back yard that Roscoe loved.”

  “I’ve thought of buying a house, but an apartment suits
me for now. I enjoy not having to worry about the yard or any maintenance.” She paused her steps for Rosie Lou. “I’ve learned a few basics over the years, but I’m not very handy, and neither is anyone in my family.”

  “Completely understandable. My friend, Dan, who you met at the event, rents because he travels a lot and doesn’t want to worry about the upkeep of a home.”

  “Can’t say I blame him.” A couple with two dogs neared, and the hair on Rosie Lou’s back spiked. Lauren shortened the leash. “Time to skedaddle.”

  Once Rosie Lou was in the apartment, Lauren and Trevor stood in front of the entrance.

  His keys clinked when he pulled them from his pocket. “Do you want to ride together or separate?”

  She hesitated for a split second. “Do you text and drive?”

  “No.” He pursed his lips. “Although, to be completely honest, I have shot a message off at a red light before, but not while in motion.”

  “Fair enough. I’ve done my own share of that.” She adjusted the strap of the messenger style purse over her shoulder. “Any alcohol in your system?”

  “I don’t drink.”

  Mischief sparkled in her eyes. “Ever been abducted by aliens and implanted with a device that could make you black out unexpectedly while driving?”

  He heaved an exaggerated sigh. “You’ve got me on that one, but please don’t tell anyone my secret.”

  “I suppose I’ll have to ride along with you so someone can take control if you do black out.”

  “Much appreciated.” He pointed to the far end of the parking lot where the office was located. “I’m on the other side.”

  When they reached his car, he opened the passenger door for her.

  “Thank you,” she said then sat.

  Good, she’s not one of those women who equates chivalry to chauvinism.

  “There’s a new coffee shop that opened behind the mall, in that quiet shopping center. Have you been there yet?”

  “No, but I wanted to try them. I heard they have a great passionfruit lemonade.”