CHAPTER TWELVE
The next night, Ben stood outside Lizzie’s door, wiping his palms on his thighs. He kept telling himself it was just a date. Sure, it had been a while, but he was a grown man, and men did this stuff all the time. So what if Lizzie was mysterious and intriguing? Who cared that she was a pro-level serial dater? She was still just a human being.
He rolled his neck, took a deep breath, and knocked on her door. She answered with Charlie by her side, dressed in leg-hugging jeans, black boots that came up to her knees, and a black sweater and coat. So much black. He wondered if that meant something.
“Hey,” he said lamely. “You ready?”
“Yeah. I was just explaining to Charlie that he has to stay here.”
Ben pet the dog on the head. “Maybe next time, pal.”
She locked up, and they walked to his Tahoe.
“You said to dress warm,” she said. “Where are we going?”
“Thought we’d go to Union Point Park and try ice skating. You know how?”
“Technically, yes, but I’m no good at it.”
“Me either,” he said, and she laughed.
They made small talk on the way to the rink. He asked if the insurance company had sent payment yet. They hadn’t, but it got her talking about her idea to build and lease generic office space rather than rebuild The Drop.
“My gut says the old clientele will just move to The Tipsy Twist. The parking’s convenient, there are pool tables, a patio, a bigger menu, more TVs, all that.”
“Usually best to follow those gut feelings,” he said.
She agreed. “Especially now that The Drop’s out of commission. Everyone will forget about it.”
They parked, got their skates, and were on the ice for less than two minutes before he fell.
“And here I thought you were gonna try to impress me with some hidden talent,” she said, grabbing his hand and helping him to his feet.
“I have a few hidden talents,” he said. “But ice skating is not one of them.”
They held hands and did their best but took turns falling every few minutes.
“That last fall’s gonna leave a mark,” she said. “I’m about done getting beat up by a sheet of ice. You ready to go?”
“I thought you’d never ask,” he said. “Let’s get out of here.”
They returned the skates and walked to the parking lot.
“Sorry,” he said. “That was a terrible idea. Should’ve stuck with dinner and a movie.”
“No. It was fun. I haven’t been ice skating in ages.”
She was humoring him, but he’d allow it. “You wanna walk up the street and get a bite somewhere?” he asked.
In response, she zipped up her coat and started walking. He jogged to catch up and fell into step beside her. She was hard to read, but it was kind of fun trying.
“You worried about Maya going to UNC instead of UT?” she asked.
“Nah. As long as she’s happy. I don’t care where she ends up.” He fiddled with the zipper on his coat as they walked. “UNC is closer, so that would actually be a bonus.”
“You staying in New Bern then? Even if she goes to Tennessee.”
“Yes. At least until I retire, which is a few years away.”
She nodded, seemingly okay with the gaps of silence.
“You all set for Christmas?” he asked, unwilling to let the conversation die completely.
“Pretty much,” she said. “The family’s grown so much that we started drawing names instead of buying for everyone. I picked Dirk, Emma’s husband, and got him a fancy pen. He’s an author. I’ll get my parents something, and probably Lucy. I’m not big on shopping. You have to drag me to a mall. Especially this time of year.”
The declaration shocked Ben, but he didn’t know how to say so without sounding like he had all women stereotyped as mall-loving shopaholics, so he kept his mouth shut. Up ahead, he saw an Irish pub. It looked halfway classy.
“Shall we stop in here and grab a drink?” he asked. He knew he could use one right about now.
“Okay,” she said.
The barstools were full, so they ordered drinks at the bar to be delivered to a booth. She asked for a Guinness, and he ordered Jameson. When in Rome…
“Do you go to bars other than your own very often?” he asked after they settled across from each other in the cushy green vinyl.
She looked thoughtful for a second. “No, actually. I can’t remember the last time I wasn’t at a bar to work.”
“Might be nice to get served for once. See what it’s like on the other side.”
The waitress dropped their drinks and a couple of napkins, saying she’d be back in a jiffy in case they wanted to order food.
“You’re right,” Lizzie said, sipping her beer. “It’s delightful.”
Was that sarcasm? Was she making fun of him? Doubts piled up. Lizzie was out of his league. In the game of dating, she was an all-star, and he was just warming up after being on the bench for several seasons. He’d been a fool to think he could handle her.
“Um, do you want something to eat?” he asked, nodding to the menus sticking out of the ketchup rack.
“Not unless you do,” she said. “This beer will fill me up.”
Oh, man. He would pay good money to read her mind right now. She was so succinct and stoic that he couldn’t tell if she was having fun or not. Did she not want dinner because she wasn’t hungry? Or because that would add another forty minutes to their time together? Could the evening possibly be as disastrous as he was imagining?
Just as he was about to throw in the towel and suggest they call it a night, a slow country ballad came on the jukebox, and she perked up. “I love this song. You wanna dance?”
Ben tried to hide his surprise at the unexpected invitation. Surprise quickly morphed into panic. It had been ages since he’d danced. He shot the last of his drink for some liquid courage, stood, and held out a hand. She slid out of the booth and into his arms. Her head came to his shoulders, and though she was much shorter than him, she seemed to fit perfectly.
They swayed to the seductive beat of “Tennessee Whiskey,” her body flush against his. Because of the height difference, conversation was impossible, so he just enjoyed the moment, relishing the feel of her.
As the song ended, she leaned back to look up at him. The dim lighting, the slow beat, the slight buzz, and the warm woman in his arms made for a very romantic moment, and the look in her eyes told him to kiss her. He hesitated a second too long, and she took matters into her own hands, pulling him down so lips could meet.
Maybe it was because he hadn’t kissed a woman in so long, maybe this woman was particularly skilled at it, or maybe he was just caught up in the moment, but the kiss about knocked him off his feet. She pulled away but kept eye contact.
“Dude. Be cool,” he mumbled to himself, which made her laugh. Making her smile boosted his morale and gave him a shot of confidence.
“Been a long time, sailor?” she said, leaving her arms around his neck even though an upbeat song had replaced the slow one.
“Probably too long,” he said. “I’m a little out of practice.”
“I’d be happy to help.”
This time, he kissed her, and they made out for a good minute. Right there in the middle of the dance floor. Normally, PDA was not his thing, but the chances of seeing anyone they knew were slim, and she felt so good.
He didn’t think it was possible to top that moment, so once they returned to the table, he threw down forty bucks, and they left.
On the walk back to the car, Lizzie slipped her tiny hand in his. He hadn’t expected her to be so flirty or forward. Not that he was complaining, but he did have to wonder if it was him specifically? Or did she kiss everyone like that?
He’d been out of the game for so long, it was highly possible dating trends and expectations had changed without him knowing. It was like batting while wearing a blindfold, just swinging away, oblivious to where the ball might be.
“I forgot that going to a bar isn’t just about the booze,” Lizzie said, breaking the silence. “It’s the experience, the company, the atmosphere. That’s what makes the memories. Thanks for the reminder.”
“Sure.” He smiled, grateful he’d done something right. He’d been worried that she dated so much, nothing would seem interesting—that she’d been there, done that with all the basic date ideas.
“So, you think Maya is easing you into not having her around by spending the weekend with my folks?”
“Possibly.” He huffed out a laugh. “Although, she could’ve just jumped at the chance to get away from the old man for a few days.”
“That’s common at her age. I wouldn’t take it personally,” she said before switching topics. “You really haven’t seen Maya’s mom for seventeen years?”
“Nope.”
“What would you do if she called and wanted to see her?”
“No idea.” He thought for a minute. “Maya’s almost an adult. I guess I’d let her decide whether or not to talk to her.”
“Have you kept tabs on Jenna at all? Like on social media or something? Is she married? More kids?”
“Not really. My parents ran into hers several years ago. They told them Jenna had gotten married but then divorced. They didn’t say where she lived.”
“Did her parents want anything to do with Maya?”
“At first, when Maya was a baby, they expressed interest in a relationship. But they didn’t make much effort once I moved to New Bern. I do feel bad about taking her away, but at the time, I had no choice but to follow my parents out here.”
“It’s so weird she could just up and leave her own child.”
“She was young.”
“You were too,” Lizzie said. “And you didn’t bail.”
“One of us had to stay.” He shrugged.
“Still, that’s admirable.”
They returned to the Tahoe, and though the night was still young, he was out of ideas and mentally spent from second-guessing himself all evening. The mixed signals were killing him. She’d seemed uninterested, but then asked him to dance and kissed him. Unimpressed, but then said she admired him. Well, almost.
Without asking if she wanted to do anything else, he drove back to her place. He parked in the condo parking lot, and the nervous doubts started again. Was he supposed to walk her up? They’d gotten the first kiss out of the way, but did that mean they had to kiss goodbye now? Or was she expecting more?
Luckily, she must have sensed his uneasiness and took away the options. “Thanks. I had a good time,” she said, getting out of the car as soon as he stopped. “Later, Mansfield.”
He watched her walk to the elevator and get on, then let his head fall back onto the headrest. She was confusing. Dating was confusing. Was it even worth it? Maybe it was his lot to die alone. No, he’d just have to man up and figure it out.
He drove home, checked in with Maya via text, walked Jasper, and went to bed. The house was eerily quiet, and he got his first taste of how it would be when Maya left for school. She and his mom were right. He needed to get a life.
Would Lizzie be a part of it? Who knew? He was probably a blip on her radar. Still, he couldn’t help but wonder if she kissed every guy she went out with like she’d kissed him. Or if she’d felt the magic he felt. Not that he’d ever ask. It sounded corny even in his head. No way he’d say it out loud.
If nothing else, the date had been practice. Which after tonight, he realized he needed desperately. He’d have to hit up the guys at work and see what he’d missed while living the single dad life all these years.
Part of him said he should cut his losses and never speak to Lizzie again. However, another part wanted to explore the exciting new feelings of a possible connection. He’d give it a day or two and then text something casual. If Lizzie agreed to see him again, he would come clean with Maya.
He didn’t need to be sneaking around anyway. It wasn’t that he felt guilty for doing something he shouldn’t. He just didn’t want Maya to get her hopes up. A couple of evenings with a compulsive dater was a far cry from finding someone to live the rest of his life with.