Page 79 of Thanks for the Friendship
We chat for a few more minutes, and then Cal announces that he’s starving. When we say our good-byes, his father reminds him again with a laugh to check his gas levels.
“You’re welcome to come by anytime, even without Cal,” Mrs. Sims says, squeezing my shoulders. “I know your parents are gone a lot, but we’re always here.”
For some reason this brings me an overwhelming feeling of comfort, and I just might have to take her up on the invitation, especially after my house no longer belongs to me.
Chapter Twenty-Two
Admittedly I’ve been on some very impressive dates in my life, from top-rated restaurants to private jets down to the Caribbean. But those actually don’t compare to tonight. I can’t remember the last time I laughed so much, and it feels fantastic. After we leave his parents’ house, he tells me what he had planned. BBQ and miniature golf—which is actually exactly what we did on one of our first dates.
“How does that sound?” he asks.
“Perfect.”
“I originally planned to wine and dine you, but I figured you’re probably sick of that,” he teases. “And friends do fun things together, like miniature golf.”
I giggle. “It’s perfect. I don’t think I’ve played mini golf since the last time I went with you.”
“Me neither,” he says.
Our first stop is Babe’s BBQ, which has amazing food. I don’t know why my roommates and I don’t order from here on a regular basis. I mentally add it to our takeout list.
Cal and I don’t run out of things to talk about. We have a lot of years to catch up on, and by the end of dinner, it feels like we haven’t missed a beat. The only subject we haven’t discussed is Sara, and I’m fine with that. At the same time, I feel like it’s the elephant in the room that’s sitting there waiting to be addressed. He never asked me about dinner at Diane’s, so he doesn’t know about my less than pleasant run-in with Sara.
“Did you hear that Theo asked me to be his best man?”
I smile. “That sounds about right. Gabby asked Reagan and me to be bridesmaids.”
He wipes the corners of his mouth with a napkin. “So, I guess I’ll be seeing you at the wedding?”
I laugh. “I guess so.”
He pushes his tray to the side. “Maybe we could go together—as friends, of course.”
“Are you asking me to accompany you to the wedding? I don’t think they’ve set a date yet.”
He shrugs. “So?”
“I’m just saying that you might be swooped up by some hot nurse by then. News travels fast, and once it gets out that Dr. Sims is available, there’s no telling what kind of chaos will ensue. It could be like the bachelor—all those women fighting for one man.”
He shakes his head. “I don’t think so.”
“I’ve heard what goes on in the medical field.”
I’ve had plenty of friends who are nurses, and it sounds like it can get pretty wild.
“Maybe for some people, but that’s not my thing,” he says. “I’ve either been in school or in a committed relationship.”
Meanwhile I’ve been a serial dater, although I don’t say this out loud.
“So what do you think?” he asks, gazing at me with his piercing blue eyes. “Will you accompany me to Theo and Gabby’s wedding?”
In general I have a lot of willpower, but it’s slowly slipping away as the evening progresses. At this point I don’t want this night to end, so planning another opportunity to spend time with Cal sounds good to me. “Sure. I’d like that.”
After dinner we head to the same miniature golf place we used to go when we were younger which hasn’t changed at all. It has the same waterfalls, bridges, and dark tunnels.
“Okay, Barlow, you might have won all those years ago, but it’s time for a rematch,” Cal says, placing the little blue golf ball down on the artificial turf.
“I’m prepared to win again,” I say nonchalantly.
