Chapter 41
Scarlett
Well fuck. Jake asked me out on a date and I said yes.
It must have been all the talk from the girls that gave me the confidence to think it was a good idea.
Although, in reality, since it’s at his house it isn’t any different than eating with him while the power was out.
And that was easy. Fun, even. So why does this feel different?
He didn’t exactly say the word date. He didn’t say, do you want to go on a date with me?
He said, do you want to have dinner with me?
Maybe, he just simply wants some company.
Maybe, this is the beginning of us having a friendship, like Lydia suggested.
Somehow I’m able to remain calm and walk away from Jake’s place like a sane adult but once I reach the safety of the cottage I fumble for the phone in my pocket.
Me: SOS Jake asked me to have dinner with him and I said yes. Grimace emoji.
Kenzie: YAY!!!!
Me: Not yay, I’m freaking out.
Andee: I recommend showing off your eyes. And by eyes I mean tits. Winking face emoji.
Andee throws my own words back at me. When Dennis had asked her to come over and cook for her to get advice on the menu for his food truck I suggested she wear a dress that flattered her beautiful figure. And this is my payback.
Me: Anybody else want to chime in here and talk me off the ledge?
Lydia: He cooked for you when you stayed there right?
Me: Yeah
Lydia: Then pretend it’s no different than that.
Me: It feels different.
Mia: Sorry, just getting a break at work. I agree with Lydia. Think of it as a friendship dinner. You guys have already cooked together and had dinner together a few times so while I’m sure it might feel weird at first, you’ll get comfortable after just a few minutes.
Andee: All jokes aside, I’m going to ask a question and don’t think too much about the answer.
I wait for the question. Two minutes goes by, nothing. Five minutes.
Me:...
Another few minutes go by and the anticipation builds. Five more minutes pass and finally my phone dings.
Andee: Sorry! Got a customer. If something came up and someone needed you to cancel going to dinner with him, would you be disappointed?
I laugh as the tension eases from my chest. I try to picture getting dressed, putting makeup on, fixing my hair, having a beautifully baked dessert ready to go and then being pulled to something else. Would I be disappointed? Yes. I would. Because, it turns out, I want to go have dinner with Jake.
Me: Yeah, I think I would.
Andee: Well then show off those tits and get over there.
Kenzie: When is it?
Me: Tomorrow at seven.
Mia: Call us at six?
Me: Deal
Setting my phone down on the kitchen counter I sneak a peek at Jake next door.
He’s still in the pen with Henrietta. He’s in his usual uniform, a pair of dark jeans and a flannel.
This one is shades of black and maroon. I can’t help but giggle at the chunk missing from the side.
He steps outside Henrietta’s pen, leaning against the wooden frame and runs a hand through his salt and pepper hair.
I find that my hands flex watching him do that.
As if they wish to be the ones running through his hair.
“Let’s not get ahead of ourselves,” I whisper. My stomach growls and I quit my creepy stalking to make some lunch.
While I eat lunch I scroll Instagram on my phone. I find a lot of really great recipes there, in fact I have some saved. I move over into my saved folder and search for a fun new dessert to try.
Several reels later and I’m back in the kitchen experimenting with desserts.
I don’t have all the ingredients for two of the desserts so I keep those saved for another day.
I’m in between a pull apart apple cinnamon monkey bread, or a chocolate coconut mousse.
It can’t hurt to make both and decide which to take tomorrow.
I crank up my favorite playlist and sing along to my favorite songs while dancing around in my kitchen.
Isn’t it amazing how a mindset change can affect your mood?
I was all nerves, terrible nerves, fearing the worst right after Jake asked me to come to dinner.
After a short talk with my girls I’m still full of nerves but the good kind.
The kind that can’t wait to see what happens next.
The nervous energy sticks with me all the way to bedtime as I’m brushing my teeth and smiling like an idiot about how tomorrow I’ll walk over to my neighbors house and enjoy a dinner, alone, with a man for the first time in a long time.
It hits me then that that’s what is different this time.
During the power outage I had dinner with Jake twice, lunch a few times as well.
But Cami was right there with us. Having Cami there as an underage chaperone is what made those times different from this one.
There will be no one to come out of a room to stop us from leaning in for a kiss.
Now that our lips have touched once, there’s nothing to say it won’t happen again.
I bring my hand up to my lips and touch them softly with my index finger.
Dragging my finger slowly along the lower lip I close my eyes, bringing myself back to the moment that Jake leaned in on my porch steps.
The way his hands were on my hips, on the other side of all those layers.
How I wished they were on my skin. The burning deep in my belly is an obvious sign that I would be okay with this.
Consequences be damned. I’m going to walk myself over to Jake’s tomorrow night, dressed like I know I’m hot and whatever happens happens.