Total pages in book: 84
Estimated words: 81176 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 406(@200wpm)___ 325(@250wpm)___ 271(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 81176 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 406(@200wpm)___ 325(@250wpm)___ 271(@300wpm)
“Did you have a good time?”
“Did I have a good time?” She turned and faced me. “Wes, it was the best night of my life. He is so nice and showed me all these pictures of his kids and his wife. They are going to Australia for Christmas! I asked him a million-and-one questions about what it had been like playing professional football and he was so patient. He even asked me what it was like working for the Red Sox.”
I grabbed two beers out of the fridge and made my way over to the sofa. Handing her a beer, I sat down and took a drink.
“The way everyone was looking at me when we were leaving! I bet I end up in the gossip magazines. I can see it now, who was the brunette on Brady Thompson’s arm?”
“The gorgeous brunette,” I added.
Clare took a drink of the beer and sat down in the chair opposite the sofa. When her eyes met mine, my heart fucking jumped in my chest.
Holy shit. What is happening?
“Thank you, Wes. You must really want Mandy back to go through all of that.”
I forced a smile. Mandy had nothing to do with it, if I was being honest. I had wanted to do it for Clare. Sure, a part of me knew if I hadn’t been able to make it happen, Clare would most likely still help me out. She was that type of friend. I had done it for her and her alone. And that realization had me second guessing everything now.
“When do we go on our first official date?” she asked before taking another drink of the beer.
Suddenly, I didn’t want to do this plan anymore. But, if we did it, then I could spend more time with Clare. It wasn’t like I was falling in love with her. We were growing our friendship and I honestly liked being with her. Nothing wrong with that.
“How about the cooking class. They’re doing some Thanksgiving thing.”
She nodded. “That sounds like fun. Are we cooking a whole meal?”
I shrugged. “I’m not sure.”
“Well, I like surprises, so that’s a plus.”
Smiling, I leaned forward and rested my arms on my knees. I wanted to tell her she looked beautiful tonight, that her blue eyes seemed so bright they nearly blinded me. But all I did was say, “It’s a date then. The class is tomorrow afternoon. I’ll pick you up at eleven, and maybe we can grab something to eat beforehand, just in case we botch what we’re supposed to be cooking.”
She returned my smile with one of her own. “That sounds like a plan. I’m going to head on home,” she said as she pulled her phone out of her purse. “Hopefully I won’t have to wait long for an Uber. Brady gave me a ride here.”
Grinning like a schoolgirl at her phone, she was typing away.
“I’ll take you home.”
Her head lifted. “Are you sure?”
“Positive. I’ve only had the one beer so I’m good.”
Clare stood. “Thanks! I’m going to go pee real quick, be right back.”
She practically bounced her way to the bathroom. When the door shut, I stood. Something was changing between us. Was it just a friendship we were building? I’d never really had a girl hang-out friend. That’s what the strange feeling was. It was simply something new.
I nodded, grabbed her beer bottle and tossed them both in the recycle bin. Clare practically floated out of the bathroom, still on her Brady Thompson high.
“Ready?”
She nodded and grabbed her purse. “Ready!”
• • •
“Oh my gosh, this is the best hotdog I’ve ever had in my entire life!” I said with a mouth full of hotdog.”
Clare pointed her hotdog at me. “I told you! Best hotdogs ever! And all the different ways you can get it. I mean, come on.”
I nodded. “Fully agree with you. I can’t believe I didn’t know about this food stand.”
She shrugged as she chewed. Once she swallowed, she said, “You’ve had to have walked by this place before.”
Wiping my mouth with the napkin, I shook my head. “I don’t ever walk this way. And if I’m going to the office, I drive so I wouldn’t have seen it.”
Slowly shaking her head, Clare sighed. “You’ve missed out for so long. You’re welcome. I’m glad I introduced you to it.”
“Me too,” I replied, shoving the last bite into my mouth. “It’s fucking freezing. I feel like we’re going to have a bad winter.”
Clare glanced up at the sky as we stood, then started toward our cooking class. “I hope we have a white Christmas.”
“What do you usually do for Christmas?” I asked.
“We used to go to my parents. By we, I mean me and my brother. The last couple of years they plan a family Christmas dinner a week before Christmas, then for Christmas they travel somewhere. It was always hit or miss if my brother got leave. Last year they went to London. This year it is San Francisco. They always invite me, but I don’t want to be the third wheel.”