Page 25 of We're One

“I might have to agree with you on that. But this mom kept calling the guy her sweet little bug and taking bites from his plate. I was wondering if he was on a date with me or his mother. I like a mama’s boy, but that was a little much for me.”

She laughs so hard she has to wipe tears from her eyes. “Okay, you win. That’s the worst date so far, worse than spiders and lizards by far. It would be so fun to purposely try to ruin dates. Maybe that’s what he was doing. Maybe he was writing a blog about how a woman would react to doing the craziest things ever on a first date.”

“Oh, that would be fun,” I tell her. “You could incorporate that into your food vlog. You could showcase the food and show everything to do wrong on a first date. I’d binge watch that for sure.”

“You’re making my wheels spin.” She reaches for her computer and opens up her Word document and makes some notes, which makes me laugh.

“Don’t you dare ask me to participate in this one.”

She gives me a long look. “Oh, you know in for a penny, in for a pound. You’ll certainly be recruited.”

I shake my head. “Nope, not doing it.” I’m afraid I will do it, though, if she really wants me to. The only negative of having a best friend is you end up doing things you don’t want to do far too often. I always have a good time though, so it never ends up being too bad. This though could have disaster written all over it.

“I did have another date with a guy who showed up forty minutes late. I was already two drinks and an appetizer down at that point. I figured he wouldn’t show so I was going to enjoy my meal. He looked put out that I’d dared to eat without him, and when he leaned down to kiss me on the cheek — gross — before he sat down, his cologne was so strong I started coughing. I told him it must be something I ate. He gave me a superior look like that’s what I got for being so rude as to eat without him being there. He never apologized for being late, as if he was such an important man that his time mattered more than mine. He was the only date where I excused myself to go to the bathroom, stepped to the hostess, paid my bill, then snuck out. He texted me later telling me what a fool I am, that he was a sought-after man. I blocked him. Luckily, I’ve never run into him again. There are some advantages to living in a huge city. That might be awkward.”

“I’ve had over-cologned men before. They make me sick to my stomach, and they seem so proud of their signature scent they think is all them, but five-hundred other men smell the same. I enjoy a good cologne in small doses. There really should be better instructions for men, saying one spritz is plenty. One man I went out with bathed in the stuff. I could taste it in my mouth while I was trying to enjoy my meal. Gross.”

We continue sharing stories, each one more ridiculous than the last. I hear about men performing magic tricks, mostly involving bad card shuffling and awkward hand movements. I tell her about the guy who spent the entire evening bragging about his high school football glory days and being the prom king. Neither of us have many good date stories. Maybe that’s why we haven’t been out in a while. We both avoid online dating. That leads to more disasters.

“What is wrong with men?” I finally ask. I’m stuffed and feeling happier than I was a few hours earlier. “They don’t even try to hide the crazy anymore. I miss the good old days when you didn’t discover how nuts a person was until you said I do. Now, it’s almost a competition to see who can stand out more in a sea filled with single fish.”

“Well, Zach doesn’t seem to be crazy,” Nikki points out. “If he’s even somewhat normal, you might need to take him for another ride.” She beams at me as she hands over a glass of wine. We’ve moved on from coffee and tea. Now, it’s time for the good stuff. I drink so little I’m a total lightweight.

We clink glasses and decide to watch a good chick flick. As much as we complain about dating, we’re both romantics at heart. We want the fantasy, we just aren’t sure how we become the heroines in our own Hallmark movie. That’s the dream.

As I get into my second glass of wine, the rest of my tension melts away. Being with Nikki is a balm to my soul, and watching a good rom-com is the cherry on top. I’m lucky to have the people I have in my life.

We watch one, then two, movies and go through two bottles of wine. I can barely keep my eyes open. I sleepily look at Nikki. “Maybe I’ll give it a shot with Zach, but not while I’m working for him. My career’s important to me. If he’s still pursuing me after we’re done remodeling, and I’m still all hot and bothered over him, I’ll seriously consider it. He really does make my body sing. I don’t mind that at all. I’m afraid no other man will be able to do it.”

Nikki nods, feeling a bit tipsy herself. “I think that’s smart. There’s a connection between you, and to be honest I enjoyed him at the club. He was funny, smart, and totally into you. I have to like anyone who thinks you’re as amazing as I do,” she tells me. “He might be worth the risk of heartbreak.”

I give her a smile, then a hug. “Maybe,” I say. I’m still not one-hundred-percent sure of it, but I have plenty of time to figure it out.

We go to bed, and as I lie there, I feel fine. I’ll focus on my job, and see what happens. Not every decision has to be made tonight. There’s plenty of time. If the man keeps pursuing me, then maybe, just maybe, he wants me, and he’s worth risking heartache over. I’ll figure it out. Like Nikki says, it doesn’t have to all be decided tonight. I finally fall asleep feeling at peace.

Chapter Twelve

Sia

As I pull up to the long driveway of Zach’s ranch, my stomach tightens in anticipation and fear. I’m not afraid of him in the slightest bit, but I’m scared of myself, and of how weak I am around this man. I’ve carefully laid out a plan to be professional. Hopefully I can stick with it.

I enjoy this long driveway with stunning views of rolling hills and the incredible landscape that stretches out before me. I bring my window down and inhale the fresh country air. It’s incredible that this place, only about thirty miles outside of Seattle, is like being in a whole different state. It’s crazy to go from the city to this gorgeous, forested area in such a short amount of time.

I’m prepared with a trunk full of paint samples, fabric swatches, and furniture catalogs eager and excited to transform this already beautiful home into a brighter and more inviting space. Right now it’s dark, typical for an eighties decorated home when dark walls and cabinets prevailed. Perhaps they simply didn’t know darkness shrinks spaces, and in my opinion, is depressing.

Arriving, I load my arms with multiple bags that are about to tip me over, trying to do this in one trip. I wobble to the front door but before I can knock, Zach opens it, a warm smile on his lips that makes my heart skip a beat. I stare dumbfounded at him for several long moments.

“Good morning, Sia,” he tells me. I open my mouth to return the greeting, but I’m mute.

“Let me help you,” he says, immediately taking the majority of my bags. I don’t protest. “Are you ready to work some magic on this old home?” he asks as he waves me inside. This carefree Zach is hard to resist.

“I think you’ll like the samples,” I say, a few seconds later than I should’ve replied to his question. I’m thrown off by his attitude. He appears so carefree and happy. I’m not sure what to do with it. I know how to handle the intense Zach, but happy Zach is truly throwing me off.

I follow him into his large kitchen that Nikki would orgasm over. I need to have her help me with something so she can come inside and see his home. Someday she’ll have something just like this or better. I want it far more for her than for me. I only need a large garage to store all of my design goodies and a big open office with a view. She needs a monster-size kitchen. Neither of us care about any other space. Sure, it’s nice to be able to stretch your legs out, but how many rooms in a mansion do people truly use? Probably not much of the space more than a few times a year.

“Would you like coffee?” Zach asks.

“Yes please. I was going to stop on my way here, but I was running late, then traffic was a nightmare.”

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