Page 37 of Confined Space

"Stop it. Hello, it's nice to meet you both." She extends her hand, and they both shake.

"Well, we'll see you at the picnic next week," Lance says as they walk inside.

"I'm not your girlfriend," she immediately says once they’re out of earshot.

"Did you just have your tongue down my throat?" I remind her.

"Yeah, but that doesn't mean anything."

"Wanna make a bet? Come on, Mouse."

I lead her into the restaurant, and we are directed to our seats. When we are seated, I look around and see Lance and Holly across the way from us. He nods his head at me, and I chuckle because it wasn't that long ago that I told him I wasn't going to find a woman and didn't need one. I look over at Coral. Her head is cocked to the side, her eyebrows drawn in.

"What are you laughing at?" she asks.

"Irony."

"What's ironic?"

"That only two months ago I told Lance I didn't need a woman in my life. Now look at me. I can't think of a time without you in it."

"Why didn't you want to be in a relationship?"

I don't want to upset her on our date, but I want to be honest with her.

"Between my father and best friend dying, I just didn't want to do that to someone. I didn't want to leave people behind."

The waiter comes and we give him our order. I love that she orders real food and isn't afraid to eat in front of me.

"How did your best friend die?"

"She was murdered." I see the wave of jealousy cross her face at the realization my best friend was a woman. "Calysta was married to one of my closest friends, and she became like a little sister to me. She was pregnant when she died. It left Marco broken. He still hasn't gotten over her."

"I'm so sorry."

"She died three years ago."

"But that doesn't mean it's any easier."

"You're right, it doesn't, but what it did was make me think that I couldn't trust love or life. But then I looked through that splintered windshield and saw you. You stopped everything for me."

"Oh, stop being sappy. Do you have a game tomorrow?"

I chuckle. "Yeah, you want to come again?"

"I'd like that."

"Good. I have some errands I need to run in the morning, then I'll be at Mom’s to pick you up."

"Okay."

Our food is brought out, and I watch as she cuts into her steak to tell them it's perfect. I then cut into mine. We start eating, and I don't want the night to end. We don't have to talk to feel like we are communicating. She looks over at me and smiles every so often. She eats her steak and most of her baked potato.

"What was it like moving to LA after living in Alabama?"

"It was very different, but it was my dream to go to California. I'd wanted to attend UCLA since I could remember. I had to learn how to socialize in a whole new way. I'd never been to parties, keggers or toga parties. Not that I went to many of those. I went to one party and decided it wasn't my scene." I see the fear cross her face and want to make it better. Make her smile come back.

"How about we go watch a movie before we head back?"

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