Chapter 6
DANNY
Rebecca is a total sweetheart.
As we wander around the museum together, I take in how she keeps a foot of distance from me, how she blushes every time she looks at me and every time I ask her a question. She’s apologized to me about a million times for the tiniest things, like accidentally bumping into me and talking too fast and not being sure if I’d be into this modern art exhibit.
“So, um, sorry I’m so quiet,” she says to the ground. “It’s just that I get really nervous around new people and I’m afraid I’ll say something stupid or…”
I scoop her hand in mine and stop walking. Her blue eyes bulge out of her head as she looks at me.
“Hey. Do me a favor, okay? Stop apologizing.”
She nods quickly, those baby blue orbs unblinking.
“I’m having a great time with you, Rebecca.” I catch myself half-smiling at her and think back to what Eden said earlier.
Most people look deranged when they half-smile. But you look sexy.
I’m still having a hard time processing her words. Because that would mean Eden thinks I’m sexy.
Does she, though? Or did she mean that in general, half-smiles are sexy and so, in theory, that means I look sexy in a general sense, not necessarily that she thinks I look?—
I stamp out the thought and refocus on this moment. This isn’t the time to overanalyze the possibly flirty conversation Eden and I had hours ago. Especially the moment when I asked her for a practice kiss.
I can feel my insides ignite with embarrassment. God, I can’t believe I did that. What an amateur I must have sounded like—not to mention creepy. Clearly, I was letting my nerves get the best of me. I’m glad I took it back though. I mean, not the smartest or most professional thing in the world to ask to kiss my boss who also happens to be the younger sister of my best friend.
But it would have been fun as hell.
Okay, enough thinking about Eden. I need to be focused on Rebecca—that’s what she’s paying me for and she’s a sweetheart and I want to help her.
Rebecca stares down at my fingers laced in hers. “Wow…I-I wasn’t expecting that.”
“But do you like it?”
She bites her lip and nods.
“Good. I like it when I’m on a date with a woman and we’re having a good time and she does something sexy and out of the blue like grabbing my hand in hers.”
“Really?”
“Really.”
She nods once, her gaze turning thoughtful. “That’s very helpful to know.”
“Want to practice?” I ask.
She hesitates before nodding. I release her hand and start walking down one of the corridors of the modern art display, stopping in front of a massive blank canvas that stands almost as tall as the ceiling with a tiny yellow dot in the center. “I don’t think I get modern art,” I murmur.
“Me either. What kind of art do you like?”
“I’m a big fan of impressionist work. When I was a kid, I had a paint set and tried to paint like Monet. My parents must have had dozens of canvas paintings in their house, all covered in splotchy pastel colors.”
She chuckles. “That’s kind of adorable.”
Just then, I feel Rebecca take my hand in hers.
“Well done.”
She smiles wide and I smile at how adorable she is. I take in how she visibly perks up when I tell her how well she’s doing: she grins wider, she relaxes her shoulders, and she stands up straighter.
“What else should we practice for your date?” I ask.
“Um, flirting? I guess I just don’t know what the right thing to say or do is.”
“Just whatever comes naturally to you.”
She winces. “I don’t know if that’s such a good idea.”
“Why not?”
She gently pulls her hand out of my hold and tugs at her blonde ponytail. “It’s just…sometimes I feel like I say the most awkward stuff.”
“That’s okay. Let’s practice. Say something flirty to me.”
Again her blue eyes turn to saucers.
“Come on,” I say in what I hope is an easy, coaxing tone. “You can say anything. I won’t be offended. Promise.”
“Okay…well…when I first saw you as you walked up to me, I thought you were hot. You’re like movie-star hot. It’s kind of unnerving.”
She scrunches her face like she’s scared of what my reaction will be. I smile at her. “Rebecca, that’s a really lovely thing to say. Thank you. Why are you nervous about saying that? I promise you, everyone loves hearing that their date thinks they look hot.”
“Sure. Of course. Um, that makes sense.”
“You look incredible in that dress.”
Her expression freezes as she blinks at me. “I do?”
I nod. She tugs at the hem of the flowy black floral dress she’s wearing.
“Oh. Well. Thank you.”
I can tell by the way she folds her hands in front of her she’s still nervous.
“Hey, can I confide in you about something?”
“Sure.”
“I’m nervous too. I was so nervous about wanting to do a good job on this date that I messaged my boss. She helped me pick out what to wear and helped ease my nerves. Everyone gets nervous, Rebecca. It’s totally normal.”
She lets out a breathy chuckle. “Wow. That’s honestly so comforting to hear. I guess I just thought a guy as hot as you wouldn’t get nervous about anything. I mean, you’re a professional dater. Clearly, you’re good at this romance and relationship stuff.”
I try to hold back a wince and not think about how my last relationship ended in flames.
“Believe me, I have a pretty flawed dating history. But I like helping people. And dating can be fun. This is a unique way to kill two birds with one stone.”
She nods like she’s processing what I’ve said.
“Can I ask you something, Rebecca?”
“Sure.”
“Why did you hire me? You’re doing great on our date right now. Honestly, there’s nothing about you that makes me think you need guidance on how to date.”
She opens her mouth like she’s stunned. She closes it after a second, as if she’s not quite sure what to say.
“I guess I’ve always felt really unsure of myself when it comes to…romantic things,” she finally says.
“Okay. Thanks for telling me that.”
I gesture to a nearby bench and lead us there. When we sit down next to each other, I make sure not to turn and look at her. I noticed that she tends to be more open when we’re talking side-by-side and not looking directly at each other. It must feel like less pressure for her, being able to talk without someone staring right at her.
“For what it’s worth, I think you’re doing an amazing job.”
Out of the corner of my eye, I see her smile. “Thank you. I was kind of a late bloomer growing up. I’ve always been so shy. Even just saying hi or introducing myself to someone I don’t know makes me so nervous…which of course made it nearly impossible to date. I never went out on a single date in high school. And I didn’t have my first kiss till my last year of college.”
“Hey.” This time I turn to her when I speak. “There’s no such thing as a late bloomer when it comes to romantic stuff, Rebecca. Just because lots of other people do something doesn’t mean you should be doing it too. You should only do something if it feels right—and if you actually want to do it.”
Her expression turns thoughtful. “I never thought of it that way.” Her gaze falls to the floor, and she shuffles her feet. “When I’ve confided in people just how inexperienced I am, I always get weird looks, like they’re judging me.”
“Screw them. What do they know?”
She chuckles. “I guess you’re right. I just…I just really like this guy I’m going out with. I don’t want him to think I’m some amateur.”
“It’s okay to take things slowly, to go at your own pace. Moving fast when you’re dating or in a relationship can be an awful idea. It can lead to pretty big disasters sometimes. I once moved in with a girlfriend after a few weeks of dating.”
Rebecca’s eyes go wide. “You did? That seems way too soon.”
I chuckle.
“Sorry, that sounded so judgmental,” she says quickly.
I wave my hand. “It’s okay. You’re right, it was absolutely too soon. We were young. Barely twenty-one. And we didn’t know each other well. It only took a couple months of living together for us to realize what a disaster it was. We were opposite in so many ways—she was a night owl, while I preferred to get up early; I was messy, she was much cleaner. A recipe for disaster when you’re sharing a five-hundred-square-foot one-bedroom apartment. We broke up halfway through our lease.”
Rebecca says sorry, but I shake my head. “It was for the best. Lesson learned.”
We spend a few quiet moments glancing around at the nearby artwork.
“Thanks for telling me about your experience,” she says after a while. “I don’t feel like such a loser anymore.”
“You couldn’t be a loser if you tried, Rebecca. You’re sweet and thoughtful and kind and smart and beautiful. Your date is a lucky guy to get to go out with you.”
Her full cheeks go fire-engine red as she smiles.
Rebecca’s expression eases even more. She breathes, and I notice her shoulders fall to a lower, more relaxed position. She stands up and reaches her hand down to me. I place my hand in hers and she leads me to stand up in front of her.
“I think I’m ready to practice kissing you on the cheek,” she says, her tone determined.
“Go for it.”
She takes a step forward, tip-toes up, and gives me a quick kiss on the cheek.
I can’t help but beam. Whatever guy she’s prepping to go out with after this is one lucky man.
I wink at her. “That was perfect.”
A wide smile stretches across her face. She scoops my hand in hers again and we meander through the museum, chatting about the artwork and trying out flirty lines.
We end the date at the museum entrance.
“Danny, thank you. I feel so much better about this date I’ve got coming up.”
“You’re a natural, Rebecca. He’s one lucky guy. You’ve got this.”
The tightness is gone from her smile this time. I see her gaze fall to my lips. She purses her lips slightly, like she’s thinking about kissing me.
I lean closer to her. “Go ahead.”
She presses a quick kiss to my lips before falling back on her ankle boots and covering her mouth with her hand. “Okay?”
“More than okay. That was so good, Rebecca. You’re gonna smash this date.”
I walk her to her car, wish her good luck, hug her, and head to my car. I pull my phone out of my jacket pocket and spot a text message from Eden.
Eden: So Dream Guy, how did it go?
Me: Really well.
My phone buzzes again with a notification from the Dream Guy app.
Rebecca R. just left you a review!
Danny D. is a true professional. I was so nervous and he put me completely at ease. An absolute dream guy in every sense. Polite, kind, sweet, and genuine. Highly recommend!
I count five stars in her review. I screenshot it and text it to Eden.
Me: Look who just got a five-star review.
Eden: YAY!! Okay, how do you feel about meeting up later and going over how things went? Like, maybe if we can figure out what works vs. what doesn’t on dates based on what clients like, I think that would be really valuable for the app as a whole.
I smile. Eden’s entrepreneur brain is impressive. And after texting her that I’m on my way for some Dream Guy date recon, I try to pretend that’s the reason for my excitement and not just that I get to spend more time with her.