Page 36 of Perfect Blend

Dave grinned. “Maybe.” He was silent for a few moments as he looked contemplative.

Aside from how badly I wanted to tear off his clothes and show him how happy I was that he was Jack, I was equally happy to simply talk. I couldn’t begin to count the number of times I’d wished Jack and I were in the same room together and talking in the flesh during one of our long conversations. I finally got my wish.

“I’m sorry I didn’t handle it well when you told me. I’m embarrassed. I told you things I never would’ve mentioned to someone who knew me in person.”

I picked up his hand, threaded our fingers, and tugged our clasped palms to my lap. “You have nothing to apologize for. You spent a year divulging very personal things with the expectation they would stay in Discord. Then I appear in yourliteralpersonal space and yell, ‘psych!’ Frankly, you’re handling it pretty well.”

Dave blinked at me. He looked so different without the beard and mustache. His dimples were even more pronounced when he smiled.

“In fact, I think it bodes well for us that we’ve, you know,communicatedabout shit tonight. You told me you needed space. I honored it. You reached out. I came running. I’d say we’re off to a good start.”

I’d dropped a huge surprise on Dave’s lap, and his first instinct, when caught off guard, had been to be honest with me. Not lie to make me feel good only to hurt me later or completely shut down and push me away. At that moment, he’d shown me I could trust him, which was something I hadn’t thought I would be able to do with a man again. I knew my trust issues were bad, but it wasn’t until I’d been so struck by Dave’s honesty that I realized exactly how deep they ran.

“Off to a good start for what?”

“For whatever it is we choose to do with this sizzling chemistry between us.”

Dave relaxed against his couch as his smile turned cocky. “Sizzling chemistry?”

“Not my words. Honest to God, someone said that to me tonight. They hoped we would perform again next year because they ‘wanted more of our sizzling chemistry.’”

“We’ve got to give the people what they want.”

Hope threatened to burst from my chest like the Care Bear Stare.

“You know, I’d been thinking for a while about suggesting we swap real names.”

“Seriously?”

He nodded. “I worried more and more that I’d open Discord someday, and you’d be gone.”

His words sent a different kind of warmth through me than his fevered kissing. “Aww, you care about me.”

He sighed. “Despite my better judgment, yeah. I do.”

I swatted his leg with my free hand. It was only fair that I matched honesty for honesty. “Anytime I met a guy in person, I couldn’t imagine opening up to them like I had you.”

Dave’s eyes went wide. “I’m such a dick. I’ve been thinking so much about what I shared with you. I hadn’t thought about whatyou’veshared withme.” He grabbed my hands between his and stared me right in the eyes. “Your ex-husband is an asshole for stringing you along like that. Jesus Christ. I get changing your mind about wanting children, but he should’ve said something when he realized it instead of hoping for years that one of you would magically want something different.”

A lump formed in my throat. “Thanks.”

“You’ll make an amazing dad, Mikey.”

Was he trying to kill me?“I appreciate that.” I cleared my throat. “What happens now?”

Dave slid his hand up my leg. “After I touch your dick?”

I huffed a laugh. “After I go back to Seattle.”

“I’ll promote Izzy to assistant manager so I can take more time off and drive to Seattle regularly. Whatever it takes to find out if we can make this work.”

“And if I have to move to Chicago?”

Dave gave me a sad but determined smile. “Then we’ll figure it out. No sense in borrowing trouble right now. I think we both know how hard it is to find someone to click with the way we have. Let’s take it day by day as we figure it out. And in the meantime, if you ever want to visit, I’ll give you a permanent table in the coffee shop. Our own coworking space.”

He was right. There was no reason to stress about what might or might not happen when I had him literally in my hands right now.

“Quickies in your office during lunch breaks?”

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