Chapter 4
DANNY
God,my palms are sweaty. How is it possible for human hands to excrete this much moisture?
I dart into my bathroom and wash my hands again. This must be, what? The fifth time I’ve done this since I woke up this morning? Ridiculous, I know. But it’s like my nerves are manifesting in my sweat glands. As I straighten up to dry my hands, I catch my reflection in the mirror. Damn. I look like a deer in headlights. Do my eyes always bulge out of my head when I’m nervous?
Why am I this nervous to go on my first Dream Date? I’ve been on countless dates in my life and done some pretty wild things. I’ve gone skinny dipping, I’ve had one-night stands, I’ve hooked up in public places, and not once have I ever been this nervous.
This isn’t a real date though. That’s why I felt comfortable doing those things before—because I was attracted to the women I was with. And when I’m attracted to someone, I’m up for doing just about anything with them.
But this date is a job. A job that I need to nail if I want to get myself out of the financial hole, I’m currently in. And that’s making me a whole new kind of nervous.
I walk out of the bathroom into the living room, taking in the tiny space that’s been my home for the past few months. A heavy sigh rockets from me as I think back on the condo I shared with Sienna—the one she lives in now with the guy I caught her in bed with. I expect a flash of anger to rocket through me. But it doesn’t. Instead, all I feel is…empty. And longing—for how spacious that condo was. Christ, that’s pretty telling, isn’t it? Our five-year relationship down the drain and the thing I miss most about our time together is our condo.
I let out the weirdest feeling laugh. I guess I should be grateful that we didn’t legally bind ourselves to each other when we clearly weren’t meant to be. Yeah, it sucked to split up with my ex-fiancée, but I’m guessing it would have been a million times worse to get divorced. And now, here I am living in my parents’ ADU above their garage. As grateful as I am to my mom and dad for letting me live here for free, this isn’t where I want to be.
All the more reason to kick ass on this first Dream Date.
But I don’t even know what to wear, let alone what I’m going to say when I see the woman who hired me. Instead of spending more time quietly freaking out, I swipe my phone from the kitchen counter and pull up Eden in my contacts. I tap her name and hold my breath until she answers.
“Hey. It’s me. I need your help.”
* * *
“Sorry about this,”I say when I let Eden into my apartment.
She flashes that wide, dazzling smile and waves a hand. “Don’t even worry. This is exactly what I want—for you to be open and honest with me, always. We’re in business together now, and for Dream Guy to be a success, you need to feel comfortable. You’re the flagship Dream Guy after all.”
Something about the way she speaks—totally comfortable and full of energy—sets me at ease.
“Thanks, Eden. Really. I just…” I tug a hand through my hair. “I want this to go as well as possible, and well, I realized that I haven’t been on a date in ages—not in over five years. And yeah, this isn’t a date-date, it’s a fake date, but I want to do a good job. For you and your business.”
When she smiles this time, it’s contained to her lips. The bridge of her nose wrinkles the slightest bit. Something about it is alluring and adorable all at once, and…
God, man. What are you doing? Stop with these thoughts about how cute your friend’s little sister is. She’s technically your boss now. Start acting like a professional, will you?
Thank god Eden can’t hear my inner monologue.
“That means a lot, Danny. Really. Try not to stress out too much about this, okay? Dream Guy is meant to be a fun and easy way to make money. I know that’s easier said than done, so that’s why I’m here. To do whatever it takes to make you feel more comfortable. So, first things first. Let’s find you the perfect outfit for your museum date.”
I lead her to the tiny closet in my bedroom. She pulls out her phone and pulls up the details for tonight’s date.
“Let’s see, we’ve got Rebecca, who’s thirty. Describes herself as painfully shy, excruciatingly awkward, and profoundly inexperienced when it comes to dating. She’s got a date coming up with a guy she’s been crushing on for years and finally got the nerve to ask him out. She hired you as her Dream Date so she could practice for her real one. Aww. That’s really sweet.”
I smile at the sincere look on Eden’s face. “It is.”
“She wants to practice holding hands, flirting, and going in for a first kiss.”
She tosses her phone on my bed and claps her hands. “Okay! So, museum date. Here we go.” She swipes a pair of gray trousers and a blue long-sleeve button-up shirt. “These, with some leather shoes and a light jacket, would be perfect.”
“Whoa. That was quick.”
She shrugs a shoulder and smiles. “I’m just picking out what I’d like to see you in on a date.”
I silently tell myself not to read too far into what she’s said.
“So, what else would make you more comfortable to go on this date?”
I bite the inside of my cheek as I work up the nerve to say what I’m about to say. “You really wanna know?
She chuckles. “Of course. Danny, your comfort is a priority when it comes to this job. You’re the focus. If you’re not comfortable, I’m not comfortable.”
I nod once. “Then I want to practice it all—flirting, holding hands, and kissing. With you.”