Page 30 of I Met Him At The Library

Walking into the bar, I spotted the three of them in our normal booth and was grateful to see the bar wasn’t packed. I might be able to tell them without anyone overhearing our conversation.

“So, how did Saturday night go?” Trey asked with a grin.

“I kissed her,” I answered, deciding to rip the band-aid off.

“Way to go, man.” Levi raised his glass but then lowered it when he spotted the unsure expression on my face, “It wasn’t a good kiss?”

“The kiss was incredible. She was totally into it, and so was I.”

“Then what’s the problem?” Preston asked.

“I invited her to brunch the next morning, and we went, but the Hills showed up and it suddenly got awkward. Rose asked if we were dating, and Emily blurted out we were just friends. After I walked her back to her apartment, that was it. She didn’t come into the library today, and I have no idea what to think.”

“First off, take a girl to dinner,” Levi started and Preston nodded his agreement.

“So brunch gave her the wrong idea?”

“No, brunch is fine and a very coupley thing to do, but it could also mean friendship. She needs to be wined and dined, so it’s clear,” Levi explained.

“At what fine establishment in Maple Creek am I supposed to wine and dine her?” I asked, pushing my fingers through my hair.

The guys silently stared at each other before Levi stated, “I guess you have a point.”

The table went silent while they considered where I could take Emily, and I glanced down at my hands. How was I supposed to woo in a small town? I was so far out of my element. It’d been years since I last dated someone, and I didn’t know how to do that in a small town.

Furthermore, Emily was different from the women I dated back in the city. A romantic dinner at an expensive restaurant and chocolates delivered to her work, weren’t going to prove anything to her. For one, we had no expensive restaurant, and secondly, she worked in the library or at home. Plus I didn’t want to do what I’d done in the past, because Emily deserved so much more than the bare minimum. She deserved creativity, thought, and care in the little details.

“Oh, invite her to your place and make her a meal there,” Trey offered.

“That’s great, but she already publicly stated to Rose we were only friends. I don’t want to push if she’s not interested.”

“Rose Hill is a nosey bitch. Emily was probably protecting you both and keeping Rose out of anything you two potentially have,” Trey said.

“Plus, you said she was into the kiss, right?” Preston asked.

“Yes, at least it seemed like she was.”

“I bet she’s trying to avoid being the main subject of the rumor mill. After what went down between her and that one dude, she’s probably hoping to keep this a little low key until you two have a chance to see if you both want to try being more than friends,” Trey explained.

“What happened between her and the one dude?” I asked.

“I don’t know for sure, but rumors were the two were headed for marriage. Then one day, he left. She never seemed broken up about it, but Emily’s a tough woman. Either she hid her real feelings, or the town made it more than what it was.”

By hiding her feelings, the town would let go of the rumors faster, or, at least, that would be her hope. But like Trey said, the town could have made their relationship more than it was. Neither of which offered any further insight into my predicament.

“Honestly, you should tell her how you feel. Let her know you want to be more than friends,” Preston suggested.

“I agree. If you want something, you have to go for it. Don’t let anything stop you,” Levi encouraged, and Trey nodded.

“Yeah, OK.”

The conversation moved on, but, Levi’s exuberance aside, he was right. If I didn’t make it clear to Emily I wanted to be more than friends, I wanted her to be my girlfriend, we’d never get there. The next time I saw Emily, I would make my intentions clear. Except, with the meeting tomorrow, I probably wouldn’t have a chance to see her at least until Wednesday. Was that too long?

I stood from the table, and Trey asked, “Where are you going?”

“To see Emily, I’ll catch up with you all tomorrow.”

The guys chuckled as I walked toward the door, but I didn’t care. I was going to get my woman, or at least try.

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