Page 108 of I Just Want to be Yours

Shaking out my nerves, I stand in front of my floor-length mirror and force out a deep breath. I can do this. This is not a date. This is two friends getting out of the apartment so one friend doesn’t drive herself crazy at the prospect of seeing her ex who probably won’t show.

Totally normal.

There’s a knock on the door, and I jump. I need to relax. I can’t be this on edge all night. As I walk out of my room, myeyes dart to the time displayed on the stove. Jackson’s flight isn’t supposed to land for another twenty minutes. It’s not him—Iknowit’s not him. But that doesn’t stop me from checking through the peephole.

Braden stands there, looking more or less the same as he always does. He might have recently showered, but he didn’t dress any different. I let out a breath of relief and unlock the door. Before I open it, I take a steadying breath and follow it with my best smile. I can do this. I can pretend I’m okay for a few hours. I can act like this isn’t making me want to bolt.

“Hey,” I say with a grin as I open the door.

He smiles back at me, and I hope mine looked that effortless. “Hey. Ready?”

I nod. “Yeah.” Turning and locking my apartment door, I add, “What do you want to do?”

“I want to take you somewhere.”

The words give me pause. There’s nothing wrong with those words, but maybe it’s the way he said them? Maybe I’m just paranoid. Turning on my heels, I brace myself for what I’m about to say. “I just want to be clear that this is?—”

“Definitely not a date.”

I stare at him.

“Margot if this were a date, I wouldn’t have shown up empty handed, and I would have told you that you look gorgeous at least once.” With a smile, he adds, “Maybe twice if I felt nervous.” He shrugs. “So as far as I see it, if this were a date we’d already be O for two.”

I let out a light laugh, and some of the tension in my shoulders dissipates. “Okay, so where to?”

We end up at a small Italian restaurant, and the first thing I think of is the pizza shop in New York. I’m not sure why. Thisplace may serve pizza, but they offer a lot more. I think it’s just the overall Italian vibe that has me reminiscing about a time I felt truly untouchable. That was when I felt most independent. It was my first time flying alone, and it hadn’t even crossed my mind. Jackson always felt so big, I think he made everything else smaller—including my fears.

“Table for two, please.” Braden holds up two fingers to the hostess, and we follow her to a small booth near the back.

Once I slide into the booth, I look around. “I’ve never been here.”

“I didn’t think you had.”

My defenses prickle. Did he say that because he knows I never really went on dates with Jackson? But when I look at him, it makes me think the comment was completely innocent. He’s smiling at me, and heat flushes to my cheeks.

“What?” I ask, desperate to hide my blush.

“So, how was your day?” He grabs a menu and starts looking at the different options like he was never staring.

“Braden!” A woman with dark, long curls says as she walks up and playfully whacks him with her pad to take down orders. “It’s been too long. What brings you in tonight?”

“Just out with a friend,” Braden says with a light laugh. “Margot this is Dee. Dee, this is Margot.”

Dee turns to me and does a sort of curtsy dip. “Very nice to meet you, Margot.” Turning back to Braden, she holds up her notepad to block the side of her mouth. “And a very pretty friend.”

“I don’t disagree with you.” He said it so casually. It would have been easy to miss under the shuffle of him collecting our menus and handing them to the woman. “Two pesto pastas, please.”

She barks a laugh. “I see you haven’t changed.” She takes our drink orders and walks away. I’m left feeling like we’re in the calm after a storm.

My mouth opens as I go to point in the direction I last saw her, but when I look, she’s already gone. “How do you know her?”

“I used to work here when I was in high school. Dee and her husband own the place.” He gives me a genuine smile. “This is where I learned how to make pesto pasta, and I promise she can make it better than me.”

“Oh, sothat’swhy you brought me here.” I give him a teasing smile. “You just want me to have another place to get my fix.”

His face falls. “Did I say hers was better? Because it’s practically inedible.”

I let out a laugh.

---