Page 12 of A Me and Him Thing
“Hey,” he says in his smooth voice.
I let my hand fall to my side.
“Let’s make this simple. I’m looking for a friend. That’s all. Could you use another friend? I sure could.”
“Yes, of course.” More than he knows.
“I have a feeling you’re not ready for more anyway.”
He’s right. I’m not ready. But if I was, I think I’d be all about Ren. “Full disclosure here. I promised myself I’d wait one year before dating again. I need to keep that promise. My emotional well-being demands it.”
“I think that’s wise.” He holds up his hands. “This is the friend zone. Don’t overthink it, Bree. It’s just pancakes.”
The problem is, the very sight of his handsome face makes me overthink. I felt an immediate and strong attraction to him from the moment he appeared at my tableside. I could talk myself into falling right into his strong arms easily. There’s this weird part of me that wants to throw caution to the wind, grab him by his lapels, and kiss his full lips. I’d like to climb into his dark car and enjoy a make-out session, fog his windows.
That’s my rebound emotions talking. I’m vulnerable and very susceptible to his charms.
Fact is, I’ve known him for two seconds, and it’s too early to feel anything…and…and… He’s right, I’m overthinking this.Shut up, Bree. Go with the flow.
This gorgeous man standing in front of me, who just spent an hour listening to me go on and on, wants to be friends. That’s all.
I’m not sure if I should be happy or insulted. I choose happy. “Can I trust you, Ren Chambers?”
“Nope. Not for a second. Except with your life.”
I smile. Good answer. A friend is exactly what I need. Nothing more. “Feed me pancakes. Lots of them.”
A smile slowly spreads across his face. “Deal.”
We walk to his car, which is in the general direction he pointed toward earlier. Something in the air causes him to sneeze. I promptly tell him, “Shut up.” I guess Icanroll in another direction. Maybe in many other directions. The thought is freeing.
“Fast learner.” He laughs aloud, and it echoes in the stillness of the night. The sound makes me feel happy.
He drives a BMW, an older version, but it’s been kept in pristine condition. He takes me to a mom-and-pop all-night diner where the smell of syrup and coffee hangs heavily in the air.
Ren shrugs. “Nothing fancy, but they have the best pancakes in town.” His phone dings, letting him know he has a text. “Excuse me.” A frown forms on his face as he reads it.
“Is everything okay?” And why is someone texting you at this hour?
“Yeah. No worries.”
“All right then, let’s load up on pancakes so we can regret it in an hour.” It feels like forever since my amazing dinner at Exodus. Now I’m ravenous.
He looks down at the menu and says under his breath, “I never regret pancakes.”
We’re both quiet as we study the menu and place our orders. I begin to wonder if this was a good idea. Maybe we have nothing to talk about, nothing in common.
We look across the table at each other. I can tell his mind is whirling as fast as mine is. Maybe he’s wondering what he’s doing here as much as I am.
He sits back in the booth, studying me. No, staring at me. I sort of want to squirm. But I don’t. I return his stare. I feel like we’re both absorbing each other, visually memorizing one another.
“Where’d you get the red hair?” he asks.
“My mother.”
“It’s beautiful. I love how long it is. Combined with blue eyes and porcelain skin, it’s stunning.”
“Thank you.” His dark hair and dark eyes are stunning too. But I don’t say it out loud.
