Page 142 of Love Undiscovered
Chapter 38
Chance
I wake after only having slept for a couple of restless hours. Hudson lounges lazily at the foot of the bed. I wait a few minutes to see if I can go back to sleep.
Nope.
I get up, hit the bathroom, then back in my room to dress for a pre-dawn run. I peek out the window, knowing it’s early, even for me, when the sun hasn’t even thought about approaching the horizon yet.
Huds perks up the minute I grab my running shoes. His cue that something exciting, at least in his world, is about to happen. We head outside, the chill in the early morning air waking us both. I clip his leash to my waist belt and take off toward our normal five-mile round-trip route.
As we run, I think about what Matthews said last night. About women, and apologies, and waiting until they are ready to hear it. I know enough about women, having grown up with my mom and my sisters, to know that what he says is true.
Total rookie mistake.
One that I won’t make again.
You’ve got this, I remind myself.
You’re the man.
No one is better prepared, with a mom, two older sisters, one younger sister, and a bat-shit crazy ex-fiancée. I’ve experienced all facets of the female psyche. Or at least most of them. I just need to apply what I know to what’s happening with Remi.
Huds and I hit the end of mile three and turn back toward home. Past our normal turn around point, but worth it for what I’ve been able to sort out in my brain. If my sisters were upset over a guy, what would they want?
A gesture.
A grand gesture. To show her that she’s important to me.
That’s it.
I’ll go to the conference, maybe even in time for her presentation. Show her I support her work, that I think it’s important. I make a note to text Kat to see where it is, once it’s a more reasonable hour, then pick up the pace so I can get back home faster.
* * *
Not only does Kat tell me where the conference is, but she offers to go with me. Before I know it, I’ve rented a car, picked up both Kat and Lexie, and we are on our way to San Francisco to see Remi.
I feel nervous but excited. Now that I'm actually on my way to see Remi, the adrenaline of having made such a spontaneous decision has started to wear off.
Am I doing the right thing?
I gut check, but all I feel is nerves.
Traffic is heavy but not as bad as I'd anticipated given the wildfires in the next county over, where my parents live and where I grew up. Luckily my parents are on the opposite side as the fires, so they aren't in any danger. We’ll drive past their freeway exit on our way to Remi's conference.
As much as I try to remain positive, I break about three minutes into our trip.
“Ok ladies, I need your help. I don’t know how much you know about what went down with Remi and me, but I’m going to admit that I was wrong.”
“Thank God,” Kat says.
“Hey!” I say.
“Chance,” Lexie says. “You bet you could have sex with Remi. For money. That’s going to make any girl mad.”
“I also bet that I could date her. The whole point was to get her to loosen… you know, she had a bet with you guys too,” I say.
“Maybe,” Kat says. “But—”
