Page 92 of February

“Wait, so I’m your second try?” Jill asked.

“Yes.”

“I’ll ignore that since you seem to be desperate for my help. Just chill, Bridge.”

Bridgette stopped searching her closet and sat on her bed, holding her phone to her ear.

“I can’t just chill. I really like her.”

“So you’ve said. And, apparently, made out with.”

“Jill, she’s just… She’s so annoying, intoxicating, smart, pretentious, funny. Did I say annoying already?”

Jill laughed and said, “Yes, you did. Is it annoying in that good way?”

“Yes,” she replied. “In that‘it’s annoying that she’s so hot while she’s doing it’way.”

“She’s leaving, Bridge. She doesn’t live here.”

“I’m well aware of that, Jill,” she replied. “Stop trying to bring my mood down.”

“Your mood is nervous. How am I bringingthatdown?”

“I’ve got to go. I still need to find a shirt and a sweater, apparently.”

“Fine. Fine. Hey, good luck tonight.”

“Thanks.”

Bridgette dropped her phone onto the bed and stood back up. Since getting home a couple of hours earlier, she’d spent most of that time cleaning in case they decided to come to herplace after their date. She’d also showered and made sure to shave because she had no idea where the night might take them, and after drying her hair, she decided not to apply makeup. She hadn’t worn much most days, if any, since Monica had arrived at the office, so she would do her best to be herself tonight. Then, she found a plain pale-green shirt and a white cardigan before she tossed that back down on the bed because she wasn’t about to wear white to a barbeque dinner. Finding a navy-blue crew-neck sweater instead, she slid it on over the green shirt and made sure that the shirt couldn’t be seen through the sweater. Finally, deciding that she looked good enough, Bridgette slipped into a pair of her nicest tennis shoes because they’d probably walk a little tonight, grabbed her coat, and left the apartment.

She took the bus over to the hotel because she didn’t want to drive tonight, andshedidn’t have access to a town car. When she got to the hotel, she planned to head up the elevator to pick Monica up at her room, but the woman was already in the lobby, standing off to the side, wearing a pair of jeans, as instructed, and a black sweater over it. She was rubbing her hands together anxiously, which made Bridgette smile a little because Monica was nervous, too. She was nervous about their first date. That meant something, right? That meant it mattered enough to her to be nervous about it. It meant Monica cared about what they were doing tonight. And it also meant Bridgette fell a little more in love with her. Bridgette’s smile disappeared in an instant. Nope. She wasn’t in love. This was a first date. She was inlike. She was inlikewith that beautiful woman, who was nervous about going on a date with her. Yes, that was it.

“Hi,” she said, that smile returning the moment the greeting left her lips.

“Hi.” Monica gave Bridgette a shy smile when she saw her standing there.

Bridgette tucked her hands into her front pockets nervously and said, “I was going to go upstairs to get you.”

“I thought I’d just meet you down here,” Monica replied before she laughed a little. “And I was ready about thirty minutes ago. I got restless upstairs, so I just came down here, where there was more room for me to pace.”

“You’ve been pacing?” Bridgette asked as she took a step toward her.

“I have, yes. I haven’t been on a date in a long time, Bridge.”

“Neither have I,” she shared.

“Toya?”

“Yeah. Well, I’ve tried, but nothing really worked for me until now,” she added. “And I’m kind of glad about that. I was frustrated and hated it before, but I’m good with the fact that I… couldn’t find anyone until…”

“Me?” Monica asked with hope in her expression.

“Yeah, you,” she said as her eyes lowered to her shoes. “No pressure, huh?”

Monica’s hands reached for her own and held them between their bodies.

“We had a great day today. This is only a continuation of that, right?”

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