Page 23 of Love You Madly

Will raises an eyebrow, smirking. “On the fence? Dude, you’ve got nothing to lose. Worst case, she doesn’t respond. Best case? You have a good time.”

“Yeah, yeah,” I mutter, waving him off. “I know. It’s just… I don’t know. It’s been a while.”

“Exactly why you should do it,” he says, pointing at me with his burrito. “You can’t spend your nights romancing your vacuum cleaner forever.”

I laugh, feeling the tension ease a little. “Fine, I’ll give it a shot. But if it crashes and burns, I’m blaming you.”

“Deal,” he says, clinking his coffee cup against mine. “Now let’s finish this before it gets cold.”

We eat and swap stories, mostly about Will’s disastrous dating life, which doesn’t exactly ease my hesitation about jumping back into the scene. The conversation flows easily and comfortably. Eventually, he glances at his watch.

“I should get going,” he says, standing up. “Got a few errands to run before the day slips away.”

“Thanks for breakfast,” I say, walking him to the door.

“No problem. Take it easy, alright?” He gives me a quick, one-armed bro hug before heading out.

I sit back down on the sofa, eyes drifting to the napkin with Heather’s number. Luke won’t let me live it down if I don’t at least try. Screw it. I pick up my phone and type out a message.

Me:

Hey, Heather. It’s Owen. Just wanted to say thanks for putting up with us last night. Want to grab coffee sometime?

I hit send before I can overthink it, trying to brush off the nerves bubbling under the surface. It’s just a text, right? No big deal. I distract myself by tidying the living room, but my phone buzzes only a few minutes later. My heart jumps.

Heather:

Hi, Owen! It was great meeting you last night. I’d love to get together sometime but I actually don’t drink coffee. Maybe we could go see a movie sometime?

I stare at the message, thrown. Who doesn’t drink coffee? And a movie for a first date? Isn’t that a little… impersonal? How are we supposed to get to know each other sitting in the dark?

I sigh, rubbing the back of my neck. Maybe I’m overthinking this. Maybe it’s not a big deal. With a resigned breath, I pick up the phone again.

Me:

A movie sounds good too. Maybe we could grab a bite to eat before or after? Also, I have to say, I’m not sure I can trust someone who doesn’t drink coffee.

Trying to keep busy while I wait for her response, I flip through the channels, but nothing holds my attention. Eventually, I settle on organizing some old photos on my laptop to pass the time.

My phone buzzes again.

Heather:

Haha, fair enough! I guess you’ll have to get to know me and find out if I’m trustworthy. Dinner before the movie sounds perfect! How about Friday evening?

A smile tugs at my lips. At least she has a sense of humor.

Me:

Sounds like a plan. I can come pick you up after I drop my son off with his mom on Friday before dinner.

Heather:

Great! Your son is the little boy that was at the party last night, right? He’s adorable. Just like his Dad.

I chuckle, shaking my head. This might actually be fun. Although, I don’t think I’ve been called adorable in nearly three decades.

Me:

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