Page 28 of Falling for my First Crush

Tibby barks, but I can't tell what that means in dog language, so I decide to just go with it. There are no real rules on friend dates. It isn’t that I need to dress up or down in a certain way. It’s more that I need to get where I need to be on time.

After saying my goodbyes to Tibby, I head to downtown Cranberry Creek. Growing up here, our downtown used to be a lot more… well, traditional. Now it has an eclectic, cool vibe that I appreciate. There are art galleries, bars, restaurants, and more. I miss the little diner that used to be on the corner across from the post office, but I like the café.

I’m standing under a strand of fairy lights, waiting for Maia, and I can’t help but feel nervous. I feel like this is one of those moments in my life that could really change things. We have a shared history. That means a lot. Any relationship that is built on a solid foundation like we have, is bound to be a success.

I do worry that I’m living with a past version of Maia. She’s said some things recently that have surprised me, making me think that I don’t know her like I used to. Like I said, though, we have that shared history that I know we can fall back on.

“Joe, hi,” Maia says, coming around the corner.

I’m relieved to see her. She comes up to me, and we lean in to hug. It’s awkward. A weird side hug, but it’s good to see her, good to hug her without her being heartbroken for me to give her the hug. It’s just good to have her here.

“You look great,” I say, although my brain is barely registering what she’s wearing. I feel like my thoughts won’t slow down enough for me to say something to her. Like I literally can’t formulate a thought or pin it down.

“You, too,” she says, grinning at me. Is she flirting with me, or am I just imagining it? I don’t want to read too much into anything.

“Downtown sure has changed, hasn’t it?” I say.

Maia looks around, with an expression of mild surprise. “It has,” she agrees. It makes me wonder how much time she spends around here. “Remember when we were in high school, and there was that diner that was open late every night?”

“I loved that place,” I say. “We used to go there after everything.”

“And stay until one or two in the morning. Eating fries,” Maia says.

“And drinking coffee,” I add.

I’m glad that we finally have something to talk about. These are good memories. I’m glad that we share them. We start to walk down the street, and I really want to take her hand, but I don’t think we’re ready for that. We are walking along in companionable silence, when a familiar figure comes running toward us.

“Is that Jackie?” Maia asks.

“I think it is,” I say, even though I know it is. I feel something kick in that seems a lot like guilt, but I have no reason to feel guilty, so that can’t be it, can it?

“Hey, Jack,” Maia says as Jackie slows down and gets nearer.

“Hi, Maia. Hi, Joe,” she says emphatically, ice dripping from her voice. “What are the two of you doing here?”

“We’re going out to dinner, if you must know,” Maia says. She moves closer to me and slips her arm through mine. I’m surprised, but pleased. I can’t help but see the dark look that crosses Jackie’s face. I have to assume it’s because she’s still mad at me.

“What are you doing?” I ask, trying to diffuse the tension in the situation.

“Going for a run,” Jackie says, her tone flat.

“Obviously,” Maia says with a laugh. There is a long silence during which no one else laughs. Then Maia says, “Well, we should be going, right, Joe?”

“Uh, right,” I say. “See you soon, Jackie.”

She doesn’t even acknowledge me as she jogs off. I expect Maia to make some comment about her sister, but she doesn’t. She chatters about all the different things that seem to be going on in her life, and I try to listen, since this is what I’ve wanted forever. But my mind keeps going back to Jackie.

When we get to the restaurant, we’re seated right away. The waitress brings us water and menus. While we are perusing the menu, my phone buzzes. I ignore it. I’m not going to answer any calls while I’m out with Maia. I’m just about to ask Maia what she’s thinking about ordering, when my phone buzzes again.

I pull it out and look at it. It’s the fire chief. He wouldn’t be calling me, unless he truly needed me for something. “I have to take this,” I say to Maia apologetically.

She nods, as I hurry away from the table. “Hi, Boss,” I say.

“Joe, I’m sorry to bother you on your day off, but there’s a wildfire outside of town. This isn’t the kind of thing we see very often, and with all of your experience, we need you to come in. I need you to direct the relief effort.”

I can feel adrenaline shoot through my veins. This is my area of expertise. And it’s important that I go immediately. Time is of the essence. I’m sorry that my pseudo-date with Maia has to end like this.

I go back to the table. “Hey,” I say. “That was my boss. I have to go in to work. Can I get a rain check and do this another time?”

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