Page 14 of Pining for You

I know! Our widdle Bwadley’s got wangxiety!

sends a meme of a drooping dragon

Brad

Cyn, could you at least be helpful? I like this woman.

The moment I hit send, I knew I’d made a mistake and wished I could unsend it. Now my sisters would open up a private chat to discuss how to find out more information about who I was on a date with and how to get all the goods on Chloe, all without involving me.

Shit.

I was so involved in waiting for a response, I failed to notice Chloe returning. She gestured toward my phone as she slid back into the booth. “Checking me out on social media?”

I closed the app and stuck my phone in my pocket. “I’m not into that shit. No Facebook, no Twitter or whatever it’s called these days. I can’t be bothered.” I reconsidered, in the event she liked social media and I’d just called it shit, and admitted, “Though I am addicted to watching videos. You know those short ones people put up?”

“Let me guess, tree stuff?”

I nodded. I must be the most boring date ever. “And funny animal videos. Like that one of the dog chasing the chicken? Have you seen that one?” I stopped myself from pulling out my phone to show her. The way my luck was going it would open on the chat app and she’d read my sister’s comments. About her.

Instead, she muttered, “That explains a bunch.”

“What d’you mean?” Was it a bad thing I liked funny animal videos and didn’t know much about social media?

She bit back a sigh. “It means I checked you out online but came up empty.”

Of course she would have. What woman wouldn’t these days?

I leaned back on the bench and rolled my shoulders. “Here’s the quick and dirty. I’m thirty-four, never married.” Though I had been in a couple serious relationships that never made it to the altar for various reasons, but decided that wasn’t conversation for a first date. “I started out working for John as a groundsman straight out of high school. I realized I love to climb trees for a living, so I went for my arborist degree six years ago. I rent an apartment over a friend’s garage because who the hell can afford to buy a house these days unless your grandparents leave their house to you. I’ve never been arrested though I will admit to having a couple speeding tickets. For the record, I got them both the first year I got my license when I was young and stupid. My insurance rates have finally come back down to normal so I guess they consider me a safe driver now. Anything else you want to know about me?”

Her lips twisted to the side, considering. “Are you as tired of those stupid ‘how’s the weather up there’ comments as I am?”

I couldn’t stop my laugh, which is as big as I am tall, and had heads turning even out in the bowling alley section.

“Yup. As well as being exhausted with the questions about playing basketball, not needing a pole for high jump or running the hurdles being easy.”

The smile that warmed as I’d recited my tall guy pet peeves slowly cooled again. “I’m guessing you expect me to give you my CV now?”

“Your what?” Was that some new social media platform?

“Curriculum vitae.” She waved a hand to dismiss her explanation, whatever it meant. “Never mind. But heads-up—this date? Isn’t going to end up with us walking off into the sunset like a couple in some romance novel. There’s not going to be some white-hot whirlwind romance where we end up at the altar. I’m not in the market for a serious relationship. You clear?”

I didn’t think of myself as a romantic, nor as someone who considered marriage during a first date, though I never turned down an opportunity to tumble into bed when the offer presented itself. But her blunt warning made me wonder what I’d gotten myself into. Obviously, this woman had a history. Had been hurt. Still, I nodded. “Crystal clear.”

She flattened her hands on the table and stared at them, the nail polish sparkling in the light of the overhead LED, then curled her fingers into fists and shoved her hands beneath the table. “I’m divorced, have been for three years now. I’ve always thought of myself a smart person but I trusted my ex when I should have seen all the red flags he was tossing around. The last few months with him were…rough.” She held up a hand to stop me when I bristled. “Not physically—he never hit me. Not even verbally. In fact, he was one of the most attentive men I’d ever met. He could charm the rattles off a rattlesnake, he was so smooth. Which is probably why I’m cautious around people—not just men, but anyone. So if you think I’m too much work and want to walk away now, go ahead. No harm, no foul.”

Prickly. Wounded.

And vulnerable.

Whatever her ex had done to her made me want to string him up a tree, coat him with honey and leave him for the black bears and wasps to find.

“I don’t mind hard work. And I’m not going to pressure you about anything, Chloe. I’m just enjoying your company. I appreciate you being willing to share those things with me.”

After a long, uncomfortable silence while she seemed to be examining me for…something—trustworthiness?— she asked, “Have you done much travelling or are you home boy?”

While I wanted to reassure her more, if I could, maybe it was my best move to let her direct the conversation. The more we talked, the more she might feel comfortable sharing.

“I’ve been to Halifax when my eldest sister got married. I drove down again a couple years ago when they had their second kid. I love Nova Scotia, but from what Shelly tells me about their winters? Count me out.”

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