Page 39 of Betting on Lizzie

“It’s so weird she could just up and leave her own child.”

“She was young.”

“You were too,” Lizzie said. “And you didn’t bail.”

“One of us had to stay.” He shrugged.

“Still, that’s admirable.”

They returned to the Tahoe, and though the night was still young, he was out of ideas and mentally spent from second-guessing himself all evening. The mixed signals were killing him. She’d seemed uninterested, but then asked him to dance and kissed him. Unimpressed, but then said she admired him. Well, almost.

Without asking if she wanted to do anything else, he drove back to her place. He parked in the condo parking lot, and the nervous doubts started again. Was he supposed to walk her up? They’d gotten the first kiss out of the way, but did that mean they had to kiss goodbye now? Or was she expecting more?

Luckily, she must have sensed his uneasiness and took away the options. “Thanks. I had a good time,” she said, getting out of the car as soon as he stopped. “Later, Mansfield.”

He watched her walk to the elevator and get on, then let his head fall back onto the headrest. She was confusing. Dating was confusing. Was it even worth it? Maybe it was his lot to die alone. No, he’d just have to man up and figure it out.

He drove home, checked in with Maya via text, walked Jasper, and went to bed. The house was eerily quiet, and he got his first taste of how it would be when Maya left for school. She and his mom were right. He needed to get a life.

Would Lizzie be a part of it? Who knew? He was probably a blip on her radar. Still, he couldn’t help but wonder if she kissed every guy she went out with like she’d kissed him. Or if she’d felt the magic he felt. Not that he’d ever ask. It sounded corny even in his head. No way he’d say it out loud.

If nothing else, the date had been practice. Which after tonight, he realized he needed desperately. He’d have to hit up the guys at work and see what he’d missed while living the single dad life all these years.

Part of him said he should cut his losses and never speak to Lizzie again. However, another part wanted to explore the exciting new feelings of a possible connection. He’d give it a day or two and then text something casual. If Lizzie agreed to see him again, he would come clean with Maya.

He didn’t need to be sneaking around anyway. It wasn’t that he felt guilty for doing something he shouldn’t. He just didn’t want Maya to get her hopes up. A couple of evenings with a compulsive dater was a far cry from finding someone to live the rest of his life with.

CHAPTER THIRTEEN

Waiting for a guy to text was a foreign feeling, and Lizzie refused to admit that’s what she was doing. It had been a week since their date, and Ben had only texted once to say he’d had fun and they should do it again. Very generic, no date mentioned. Was that because of Maya? Or could he not stomach a repeat?

While she waited for her order at The Drip 2.0, she walked over to greet the Three Musketeers. “Hey, guys,” she said. “Whatcha bettin’ on this week?”

“Whether Kenny asks Bella out,” Gene said. “And whether she says yes. Them two been dancing around each other for weeks. Pot’s about to boil over.”

“Oh, a parlay?”

“Huh?” Archie said. “What’s a parlay?”

“I thought you were big gamblers,” Lizzie said. “Never mind. So, you think they like each other?”

“Hard to tell ’cause Kenny’s so polite to everyone,” Gene said. “But something’s different with how he looks at Bella.”

“Odds are pretty even,” Walter said. “But I’m saying yes to both.”

This was news to Lizzie, and she wondered if Lucy knew. Kenny had been hired at the original Drip about a year ago and moved over to The Drip 2.0 once it opened. He was close to Lucy and her husband, Jack, almost like family. When they first met Kenny, he’d been awkward and scrawny—kind of a geek. But under Jack’s tutelage—both in the gym and out—he’d filled out physically and grown into a sweet, affable young man. Bella hadn’t said a word about having a crush on Kenny. Lizzie hoped she wouldn’t break his heart.

“You guys ever get tired of hanging out here and BSing all morning?”

“Nah,” Archie said. “It’s kinda like a marriage. A lot of repeated conversations, some bickering, and, every once in a while, a full-on argument, but we’re comfortable here, and it beats bein’ alone.”

Lizzie nodded as they called her order. “All right. Well, I’ll leave you to it,” she said. “Have a good one.”

Charlie had waited in the car while she got her coffee. Lizzie let him out and walked to the bar, which was at the other end of the five-store complex. She was on the phone with a supplier when Charlie suddenly popped up from his bed, stressed eyes darting from Lizzie to the door and back. Damn, he needed to go out. Now.

“Hey, I’m gonna have to call you back,” Lizzie said, hanging up before getting an answer. “Let’s go, bud.”

They didn’t make it far before Charlie started heaving. He puked and puked until she wondered how there was anything left in his stomach. She stroked him from head to tail. “You poor baby,” she said. “What’d you eat?”

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