Page 20 of Red Zone Realizations
How’s the date going? Is he hotter outside of yoga?
I’m assuming it’s going really well since you aren’t texting me back.
Okay, it’s been several hours, so you either made it home and are going to Pound Town, or you’ve already been murdered and dumped in the woods somewhere.
…Seriously, text me back.
I shoot her a quick text:
Am alive and home. All good.
My phone rings immediately in my hand and I answer it. “Hello?”
“Spill,” demands Nicole.
“There’s nothing to spill.”
“Then why didn’t you text me back last night?”
“We went to a bar after dinner for a few beers. I wasn’t checking my phone, and it was late when I got home.”
“But you had a good time?” she asks.
“Surprisingly, I did. I called to tell him I made it home safe and we ended up falling asleep on the phone.”
“That’s so cute,” she sings. “So you’re officially back out there. Audrey Dupree is back on the market, ladies and gentlemen!”
“I don’t know if I would say that.”
“You went out, with a man, to dinner and a bar—that’s getting back out there.”
I rip the covers off and roll out of bed. “I ripped the bandage off, sure, but that doesn’t mean the cut underneath is totally healed.”
“And that’s okay. There’s no rush here. Does Noah seem like the kind of guy to bounce in a week if you don’t start putting out?”
“No. He’s not.” I pause, thinking back to everything he said. “He’s incredibly kind. We talked all night, about nothing and everything. I couldn’t tell you one specific thing we covered.”
“See?” she says. “Don’t count him out right away just because your expectations are so low. Give Noah a chance to raise them. He might surprise you.” I dig through the top drawer of my dresser for a bra.
“Damnit, Nicole, why do you always have to go all Dr. Phil on me?”
“One of us has to!”
“It’s only like eight-thirty in the morning.”
“No time like the present,” she tuts.
“And how’syourdating life going?”
The words are barely out of my mouth before she’s saying, “Just got home to the doggos, gotta run!”
I laugh and call out the word “Chicken” as we both hang up and I stare at the ceiling, bra hanging from one hand, phone in the other. Do I really have to decide today if I’m ready to let Noah Fox break my heart? Tomorrow? Even if he does call me, couldn’t I have a couple more dinners to figure everything out? Even though last night felt so natural, we’re still getting to know each other.
I can hear Nicole cackling in the back of my mind that she was right. It was time for me to get back out there.
Chapter Ten
NOAH
