Page 44 of His Curvy Distraction

Daisy cornered me in the morning and asked how my date was. She assumed when I didn’t come home until late that it had gone very well.

She was shocked to hear just how wrong she was.

“I walked out.”

“You what?!?”

“I met him, and it wasn’t right. There was no way it would work out. So I left.”

“But you don’t even know him. And you’ve been talking forever and really liked him. You can’t possibly tell me in ten minutes you decided all the conversations you had were wrong. That he’s that different from the man you were talking to.”

“He’s…” I wasn’t sure if I wanted her to know who he was. I wasn’t sure if I wanted anyone to know. It felt safer with that piece hidden. “He was different. Maybe I rushed my judgement, but it’s not going to work. I was foolish to think dating was a good idea. It’s easier online. It’s easier to be able to stop and think about what I’m going to say.”

“Did he say something? Dating is not foolish. You want a family, and unfortunately, the only way to find a person to create that family with is in person.”

I shook my head. “He didn’t say anything. It… It’s not going to work with him.”

“So where did you go after your date?”

“To my parents’ house.”

Daisy’s face softened into a smile. “How are they?”

“They’re good. It was nice to visit for a little while.”

“And a good place to go to avoid me and my questions for the night?”

My cheeks burned with the truth as Daisy gave me a stink-eye. “Yeah, yeah.”

She chuckled. “I understand. And I’m sorry. I was hoping things would work out with this guy.”

I nodded, thinking back to when I walked into O’Kelley’s and saw him sitting at the bar. He waited. He didn’t run out when I wasn’t there exactly on time. He always made it seem like he would be okay with my… quirks. Then he turned around, and I saw who he was and I knew there was no way.

Mayor Knight was polished perfection. He was pulled-together and on display all the time. He didn’t have a single scandal and everyone in town loved him.

Perfect and awkward did not work. It never would. So I had to walk away and stop thinking about him. He wasn’t who I thought, and I wasn’t who he thought, and we weren’t ever going to be more than we were online.

“I need to work on fundraiser stuff,” I blurted, knowing the longer I talked to her, the more likely I would spill all the secrets.

“And you don’t want to tell me anymore about your date. I get it. Book club tonight?”

I scowled.

“It’ll be good to get out. See some friends and forget about your date.”

I nodded, even though I wasn’t thrilled with the idea. I liked all the women there, but secrets had a way of becoming public when we were all together.

But Daisy looked excited. She loved having more friends. And I wanted to go for her sake.

Yes, I was being selfish. I felt guilty not opening up to her about Mayor Knight, but I couldn’t bring myself to say the words. To admit how badly I screwed up. Maybe one day I could laugh about it, but not yet.

Daisy dragged me down the street toward Book Boyfriends Unlimited with glee on her face. She was so excited to be there. She was good for me, getting me out when I was perfectly content to sit in my room and never leave home.

Finley, the owner of Book Boyfriends Unlimited, unlocked the store and let us in, hugging us both and asking how we were.

“I worked all day, so I’m a little hyper right now,” Daisy said.

“You’re always a little hyper,” I grumbled.

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