Total pages in book: 138
Estimated words: 129460 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 647(@200wpm)___ 518(@250wpm)___ 432(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 129460 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 647(@200wpm)___ 518(@250wpm)___ 432(@300wpm)
CHAPTER 25
JESS
VALENTINE’S DAY
Octavia’s red-painted lips part when she pulls open her front door and spots the dress I picked for our double date. “Jess…” She admires me for a few more seconds before boosting my ego with a ton of praise. “You look amazing.” Her eyes shoot to Daniel, my date. We met through a mutual acquittance at church, and although he is super sweet and has charm a mile long, I only invited him because I didn’t want to bump into Caleb on the most romantic day of the year without a date. I looked like a loser on New Year’s. I won’t let that happen again. “Doesn’t she look amazing, Daniel?”
“She sure does.” Although his arm is curled around my waist, his ‘claim’ doesn’t go any further than the tip of his middle finger brushing my waist.
Daniel is a friend of Samuel’s—Heidi’s virgin-until-marriage husband.
Certain the only pop of excitement I’ll experience tonight will be the opening of the wine I purchased. I jingle the bottle in my hand before asking Octavia if she has a corkscrew.
“There should be one in the second drawer in the kitchen.” She offers to take the coat Daniel refused to leave at my apartment since it could give my father the wrong idea before guiding our walk to the kitchen like her apartment isn’t a replica of mine. “The food shouldn’t be too far away. Caleb ordered it from that cute little café around the corner.”
I stop walking so abruptly, Octavia rams me from behind. “Caleb is joining us tonight?”
My lungs recommence accepting air when she shakes her head. “No. I offered, but he said he has plans. He called in the order for me. Since he’s a regular, they give him discounts.”
I hone in on the first half of his reply. Of course, he has plans. Probably with another bimbo like Tash.
I worry I said my thoughts out loud when Octavia peers at me with scrunched brows. “Is everything okay? You look a little pale.”
As if it is unfounded, I scoff at her worry with a wave of my hand. “I’m fine.”
Mercifully, the doorbell saves the angst in my tone from being investigated.
With our track record veering toward the negative, Octavia should be excited her date arrived only twenty minutes late. However, she looks petrified.
“Do you want me to answer it?” I offer, certain she is on the verge of peeing her pants like Caleb was anytime we went out in public.
Octavia contemplates my offer for almost twenty seconds before once again briskly shaking her head. “No. It’s fine. Please sit.”
Not trusting my legs, I do as instructed. I plop onto one of the chairs around Octavia’s dining table before watching her slow walk to the door.
Octavia’s nerves rarely took a back seat all night, but our double date went reasonably well. Her date, Ronnie, was a little over the top, and his jokes were more crude than humorous, but the food was yummy, and it was nice to spend time with Octavia without constantly looking over my shoulder, waiting for her annoying cousin to nosedive the pleasant vibe.
Although, Caleb’s unwelcomed arrival may have weakened my frustration too.
I spent half my night wondering what he was doing on the most romantic day of the year.
Or should I say, who he was doing?
And that frustrates me more than the click of Daniel’s cell phone camera when he snaps a picture of my closed apartment door to prove to my father that he walked me to my door then left without the usually obliged thanks-for-the-date goodbye peck.
I guess I only have myself to blame. More times than not, our disappointments are a result of our expectations being too high.
After a heavy sigh, I kick off my heels, then make my way to my bedroom, shredding off my dress in the process. While getting dressed hours ago, I daydreamed about the possible removal of my clothing and what events the generous flare of its skirt could conceal.
The daydream was as hazardous as my fumbling movements now because Daniel didn’t feature before, during, or after the selection of my outfit.
That right belonged to one man.
Caleb.
While groaning about my stupidity, I step out of my dress, kick it to the side of the hamper, then stumble into my room. I probably drank too much. I was meant to share the wine I brought, but when Octavia asked Daniel what he did for a living, and he went into full-on geek mode, I hogged both my bottle and the one Ronnie arrived with.
I last thirty seconds on my bed before the cool breeze blowing through the crack in my window forces me to rethink my plans. I only went permanent a couple of weeks back, so I don’t have any sick pay to waste. If I don’t want to catch pneumonia, I must close the window.