Page 20 of The Dallas Dilemma

“A little,” I say. “I mean, you’re kind of an outgoing person, and I imagined you at nightclubs and beach parties andstuff like that.”

Those devastating dimples make another appearance as his eyes light up. I blush as I realize I just admitted I’ve been thinking about him and what his life was like before now. Before I can backpedal, he clears his throat and shakes his head.

“I did a lot of stuff like that when I was younger, but not so much in the last few years.”

“How oldareyou?” pops out of my mouth before I can stop it.

“Twenty-seven,” he answers without hesitation. “How old are you?”

“Twenty-four.”

He nods and takes a drink of his soda. “So, what do you do for fun around here?”

Laughter bubbles up my throat. “I mostly stay home, too.”

“Except on girls’ nights,” he says with a soft smile, and I nod.

“Except on girls’ nights. But those are usually at my sister’s apartment, so it doesn’t really count as goingout.”

“Sure it does,” he says. “You leave your place, right? You’re going out.”

My smile hurts my cheeks as I pop the last of my first taco into my mouth and chew. Raven always says nights at Callie’s don’t count whenever she hounds me about getting out more. I argue that they do, in fact, count, and having Dallas unknowingly support me in the argument makes me feel…light. Happy.

We sit and chat for a long while after we finish eating, then Dallas tosses our trash before goingback to the counter to order two churros. I keep reminding myself that tonightisn’ta date as we stroll back to our apartment building, eating and talking and laughing. We’re just friends. This isn’t romantic, no matter how romantic it feels.

The ride up the elevator is quiet, and when we step off, Dallas walks beside me. He stops next to my door, watching as I pull my key from my pocket and twist it in the lock.

“Josette,” he says, and I turn to face him with raised eyebrows. “I had a really good time tonight.”

“I did, too,” I say softly.

“Good,” he breathes, then clears his throat. “Well, uh, goodnight, then.”

“Goodnight,” I reply, wasting no time as I twist the knob, push my door open, and slip inside.

I lean back against the wood to close it, then spin around to peek through the peephole. Dallas remains frozen, staring at my closed door for several long beats. Then his shoulders fall, his posture bending before he spins and walks to his own apartment. Unlocking the door and stepping inside, he turns to look at mine again for a long moment, then shakes his head before closing himself inside.

I turn and lean back against the door before sliding down onto my butt. That was…weird. Was he hoping for a kiss? My heart skips at the thought, and I mentally talk it down.

No. No way.

Dallas Westfield just wants to be friends.

CHAPTER EIGHT

Dallas

My eyes blink open,and I’m already thinking about Josette and our date last night. I had such a good time, and God, I really like her. A lot.

She seemed to have a good time, too, but by the end, she was acting a bit skittish. It didn’t matter how badly I wanted to kiss her. She was obviously feeling nervous, and I didn’t want to do anything that might threaten this thing between us.Whatever it is. I know what I want it to be, but until I figure out if Josette is on the same page, I’m going to have to move slow.

I got the sense that it’s in her nature to be wary of any new people or situations. I also got the sense that my patience and any extra work I’ll need to put in will be utterly worth it in the end.

God, I wish I’d gotten her number instead of giving her my card. Now, I’m at her mercy. All I can do is sit on my thumbs and wait for her to reach out. Unless…

No. I can’t keep popping over to her place to borrow dry goods. Can I?

My phone chimes, and I pluck it off the nightstand. My eyes widen when I see a number I don’t recognize, and my mouth cracks into a wide grin when I realize it’sher.Like I somehow willed her into texting me.

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