Decan
He had tossed and turned all night. Even now, sitting under the hot shower, he couldn’t relax. It was so easy for his thoughts to spiral in the dark direction that made him question himself over and over again. He tried to think back to dates he’d had before the accident and realised: he’d always been a nervous person. Only this time, his self esteem had taken a few hits along the way.
He stepped out of the shower and got dressed in black jeans and t-shirt, tying his wet hair into a bun. He was forcing down breakfast when he saw a message pop up on his phone. The sight of Hope’s name had a smile lifting his cheeks.
We’re still good for 10, right?
I’ll be there!
Maybe she was just as nervous. After all, everyone had insecurities, right?
He sighed and tried to focus on work before having to leave, but he just stared at the screen with no headspace to create a simple ad for one of his clients. When it was finally time to leave, his heart thumped and his palms were sweaty to the point of needing his gloves to use his chair. Driving through Houston traffic was made even more miserable by the rainfall pattering against the windshield. He parked in front of the café and noticing he still had fifteen minutes, he waited and hoped the rain would subside.
He nearly jumped out of his skin when someone knocked on his window. Hope smiled at him, an enormous umbrella shielding her from the heavy downpour. Her eyes were bright, putting the dark clouds above them to shame. She held the umbrella high enough for him to open his door.
“Hi,” she greeted. “I thought I’d come over and offer a dry path inside. Or we can wait and hope it stops soon.”
Fuck, that was sweet. “You could hop in and we can go order at the drive through.”
Hope nodded and waited for him to close the door before walking around his hood with a pep in her step. When she opened the passenger’s door she paused, her eyes on the dripping wet umbrella.
“Throw it in the back; a little water won’t hurt.”
She jumped inside and laid the umbrella on the floor behind his seat, careful not to sling water across the car. “I should have checked the weather. This might not be as fun as I thought.”
“We’re not made out of sugar.”
“We’re not?” she asked with a cheeky grin that illuminated her entire face.
“Does that disappoint you?”
“A little. I might have to add some to my coffee after all.”
laughed, backing out of the parking spot. “How did you know this was my car? ”
“I saw you getting into it yesterday.”
“Ah, so you’re not some crazy stalker.”
Hope crooked a brow and gave him a wink and a smile. “Wouldn’t you like to know?”
He pulled up to the window and ordered them a coffee each, making a mental note that Hope liked extra milk in hers.
“So where to?” he asked, unable to hide his grin as he watched her. She sipped at her coffee, happily wiggling in her seat. He’d only heard of the happy dance some did when eating but had never seen it, let alone for nothing more than a coffee.
“I usually get lucky in the store on Long Point.” He looked at her quizzically, waiting for further instruction. “The crossing of Long Point and Bingle,” she added.
“Gotcha.”
“Unless you want something closer to here?”
“I don’t mind the drive. Maybe the rain will let us be by the time we get there.”
“Good point.”
“I’ve never seen you around here before.”
“One of my friends just moved here and we helped her get settled. We were spoiling ourselves after a hard day’s work. Do you come here often?”
Hope was so bubbly, that hoped she would just keep talking. “I usually treat myself after a trip to the bookstore.”
“But you still ended up reading a book you already owned.”
“Yeah. I bought the last book in the series, but don’t want to read it before I reread the others.”
“You start series that aren’t finished? Very brave.”
“It often happens against my will.”
“I have a whole list of series I’m waiting to read until they’re finished. I learned from my fanfiction mistakes. I hated WIPs,” she laughed, rolling her coffee cup between her palms. “Are you from here?”
“I live in the Galleria Area. And you?”
“Spring Branch.”
“Have you always lived in Houston?”
“I grew up in the Woodlands. You?”
“Born and raised.”
That conjured a grin to her lips. “So proud.”
With it being Saturday morning, it didn’t take them long to arrive at Hope’s chosen thrift store. She stepped out, grabbing their empty coffee cups before rounding to the driver’s side. As they’d hoped, the rain had stopped, but the clouds still bathed them in an ominous grey cast. too got out and for the first time in a long while, he felt as if getting to the trunk and into his wheelchair wasn’t the accomplishment he’d always thought.
Hope didn’t pay him much attention, though. Her eyes stayed on her phone as she opened the trunk for him. “We might be lucky and not get wet. The rain should be gone until the afternoon.” When she looked back up her eyes dropped to the sliver of skin exposed by his raised shirt. “You have a lot of tattoos, don’t you?”
“A few.”
“I always wanted one, but I’m too indecisive.” Hope reached for the trunk, but it was already closing. She frowned. “It would have opened without me, right?”
“Yeah,” he chuckled.
“And here I thought I was helping.”
“I thought it was really sweet.”
Hope bit her lower lip, a blush creeping up her neck and colouring her cheeks.
Inside the store, Hope already knew exactly where to find the books and knelt down in front of the shelves. She was totally in her element, reading the back covers and setting the ones aside she seemed interested in. sifted through the ones she’d deemed worthy, noting that they were all romances. It was a popular genre right now. Most of the authors he worked for were writing it in various subgenres. He placed the ones she seemed to want on his lap and picked up a few to check out for himself.
“So , what do you do for a living?”
“I’m an editor.”
“Like, for books?”
“Mmhmm.”
Hope nudged his shoulder, pulling his attention from the book in his hand. “And you didn’t even deem it worthy to mention while we talked about all kinds of bookish things? How rude.”
His chest vibrated in a laugh, but she seemed genuinely upset. “Sorry. In my mind I separate my leisure reading from my job. Most books I edit aren’t the genre I would prefer reading so…”
“Still,” she pouted.
“I’m sorry.” Trying to shake the disappointment, he asked, “What do you do for work, Hope? ”
“Medical coding.”
“For a hospital?”
“Yes. So, rather boring.”
“It can’t be that bad. You chose it, after all.”
“Yeah, to pay for my book addiction without selling my kidney,” she joked.
“And yet, you’re still shopping for books at a thrift store. Maybe it’s time for a new job.”
Hope grinned and picked up another book. “Well, this is just an old habit. I didn’t grow up with a lot of money. Then when I started making it on my own, I still liked going for the hunt—just for the thrill of finding something that isn’t in print anymore.”
“That can only come from a book lover, the thrill of an old cover.”
“Well, what do you do for fun?” she asked, raising her brow at him.
“Reading and going to the gym.”
Usually, people started questioning him when he talked about going to the gym regularly. Hope didn’t even seem surprised. “Someone suggested I get into audio books so I don’t feel like I’m missing out on reading time when working out.”
“Why don’t you?”
“I don’t have a good enough poker face to hide what’s being whispered in my ears.”
laughed again, and Hope ducked to hide her face. What he would have given to know exactly what she was reading. He was no stranger to smut, but there were varying levels of it out there. “I would give anything to see that. ”
Hope looked over her shoulder, worrying her bottom lip and giving him a onceover. “Maybe if you ask nicely, I’ll consider it.”
He reached for her hand and spun her to face him. “Hope, would you do me the honour of joining me at the gym some day?”
“Only if you’re not one of those diet fanatics.”
“I promise, I’m not.”
A gentle smile graced Hope’s face. “I’ll consider it.”
Once she’d gone through her first selection and narrowed it down to the books she wanted to buy, followed her to the cashier. He was already reaching for his wallet when she shook her head and smiled down at him.
“You paid for the coffee,” she protested.
He crooked a brow, but Hope had already paid.
“And it was my idea to come here anyway.”
“So, if I invite you somewhere and make the plans you’ll let me pay?” he asked, tucking that information away for future use.
“Sure.” She took the bag and stayed by his side as they left the store. “Well, unless it’s like something extortionate and fancy. Or if we made the plans together. I have a rule: I don’t invite anyone to places if I can’t afford it myself.” Then she laughed when she saw his buffooned look. “You wouldn’t go on a date knowing you couldn’t afford it, so why would I expect that?”
“Well, when you put it that way…”
“Does it make you uncomfortable?”
Not as much as getting into the car while you’re watching…
shook his head .
He’d had a few dates over the past few years, but he never let them see him drive. He preferred to meet them somewhere. Just like before, Hope paid him no mind, setting her books in the back seat and waiting for him in the car.
As he backed out of the spot, she tilted her head slightly and looked at him. “Do you want me to offer you help? Or do you prefer doing your own thing?”
sighed with relief. “I prefer doing it on my own. I’ll ask if I need help.”
relaxed further when Hope pointed to her right as he approached the exit of the lot. “The next one isn’t far, down on Kempwood and Gessner.”
He nodded, speechless. Her question had been so simple, yet so thoughtful. She hadn’t been awkward about it either, just straight forward and he fucking loved it. People often assumed he needed help when in reality, he simply needed extra time to get things done. He hated when people interfered with things—it only slowed him down and made him feel like an invalid. Hope asking what his preference was had been the sweetest thing someone had ever done during a first date. Mind-blowingly sweet to be accurate.
“So how often do you work out?” Hope asked, pulling him from his thoughts.
“At least three or four times a week, depending on workload.”
“What a dedication. I go through phases of either thinking I need to work on myself or just giving up and saying I need to love myself the way I am.” Hope shrugged her shoulders. “I always admire people who can make a habit of it. ”
He loved her curves, had never understood why women struggled with their self image. As he’d grown older, he’d seen more clearly that society was the devil’s tongue for them so to speak. Wanting her to feel better about herself, he said, “That could also be your regular.”
She laughed and shook her head. “Don’t say stuff like that. I’ll just use it as an excuse not to go.”
“So if I tell you that you look gorgeous no matter what, would you use that as an excuse not to go too?”
That adorable flush washed over her cheeks again, and made it his personal mission to make sure he saw it as much as possible. “I might.”
“Ah, what a shame—I like giving compliments to a beautiful woman.”
Hope’s gaze burned into him, bottom lip fixed between her teeth. He’d have given anything to know what was going on in that mind of hers.
The next store was just like the first, but Hope didn’t seem to like any of the books she saw. She commented that she already owned two of them, and none of the others intrigued her. They visited two more stores on the way back to the coffee shop, where she only bought one more book.
“You seem disappointed,” he pointed out when they left the parking lot of the last store.
Hope offered him a soft smile, her kind eyes finding his. “With the book hunt, not the company.”
“Does that mean I can join you more often?”
Her eyes sparkled as her smile widened. “I would enjoy that very much.”
When they arrived back at the Starbucks where he’d picked her up, she pointed at her silver sedan.
“That one’s mine.”
He stopped behind it, not seeing a free spot nearby. “I really enjoyed today.”
“Me too.”
“Text me when you’re home safe, okay?”
“You too.”
“I will, I promise.”
She gave him one of her beaming smiles, waved, and hopped out of the car. watched, waiting for her to be settled in her own vehicle before he reluctantly drove off.