Page 15 of One Night

"Do you have a boyfriend?" he asks. "Sorry, I should've asked you that first."

"I don't have a boyfriend. It's just that you took me by surprise. I wasn't expecting you to ask me out."

"I'll tell you what." He pulls a business card from his suit jacket. "I'll give you my card and if you ever want to meet for coffee, just let me know. It's on me, and you can pick the place."

I take the card. "Thanks! I'll think about it." I put the card in my pocket. "Need anything else before your food comes out?"

"No. I think we're good." He glances outside. "Allen's coming back." We watch as the old man swings open the door so hard it hits the wall. "Looks like this is going to be a stressful lunch."

"Good luck," I whisper, then I sneak away before the old man gets back.

"So?" Holly asks when I return to the kitchen. "What happened?"

"What do you mean?"

"That guy. Nerdy, nice guy. Did he ask you out? I saw him give you his card."

"Yeah, he asked me out."

"I knew it! I had this feeling he'd ask you out. So what'd you say?"

"I told him I'd think about it."

"You don't like him?"

"He's not bad. I just wasn't feeling any sparks. But that doesn't mean I won't go out with him. He wants to have coffee."

"So you're going to meet him for coffee?"

I pause to consider it. "Actually, yeah, I think I will."

She shrugs. "You can, but if you're not feeling any sparks, there's really no point in going out with him."

"That's not true. Just because I don't feel anything right now doesn't mean I never will."

"If it's not there in the beginning, it'll never be there, so why waste your time with this guy?"

"I don't know. He seems nice and I feel like I should at least get to know him."

"Suit yourself," she says walking off. "But if I were you, I'd ditch nerdy nice guy and find Dylan." She turns back and winks at me. "See if the sparks are still there."

I know the sparks would be there. That's not even a question. But eventually those sparks would die out and then what? We'd break up, ruining the memory of that perfect night we had. I'm not willing to risk it. As much as I want to see him again, Dylan will remain a memory. A mystery. A fantasy.

Matt is real life. The type of guy I should be with. A nice guy with a decent job who seems mature and responsible and would make a good husband someday. Not that I'm looking for a husband right now, but eventually I'll want that and when I do, I'll seek out someone like Matt. Guys like Dylan do not make good boyfriends, or husbands. That initial flame of passion or attraction or whatever it is, burns bright in the beginning but then fizzles out, leaving you bitter and angry and wondering why you ever married that person. At least that's what happened with my parents, and I'm determined not to repeat the pattern.

But that doesn't mean I don't still believe in romance. Love at first sight. Soulmates. Instant connections. I believe all that exists. It just doesn't last. And I don't want to be disappointed when it's over. Or crushed from the loss of it.

So guys like Matt? They're perfect. Nice. Dependable. And don't mess with your emotions.

I take out his business card. I think I might call him. Not this week but maybe later. Maybe once I've convinced myself I'm over Dylan. Because I'm still not over him.

Chapter Five

Dylan

I've been working on this song for weeks and it's finally ready but I'm not sure I want to share it with Van and Austin. They'll give me shit for it because for one, I've never finished a song, and two, it's a ballad, which I've always told them I don't like.

"Hey," Austin says, appearing in the basement where we practice.

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