Chapter 24
CHAPTER 24
On Friday evening, Haleigh sat on the cement wall outside the Providence commuter rail station waiting for her date, Ethan, to pick her up.
As she waited, she read over her texts with Brian from the night before.
Haleigh Berkshire: I think it went well. Mostly at least.
Brian Lee: Of course it did.
Haleigh Berkshire: They asked almost everything we practiced, so thank you again.
Haleigh Berkshire: I just wished I hadn’t sounded so inexperienced when they asked about my previous work. I don’t know enough about production schedules and that kind of thing and it showed.
Brian Lee: That can all be taught.
Brian Lee: Your passion can’t be. They’ll remember you because of that.
A new text from him came through as she was reading.
Brian Lee: Any news yet?
Haleigh Berkshire: It’s been a day! I don’t think they’re even done with first-round interviews yet.
Haleigh smiled at his optimism as she zipped her coat up to her neck and shoved her phone back in her pocket.
Clearly, not getting too fancy for the night had been the right choice, because if she’d worn anything but jeans, she’d be a popsicle right now. Bless Stanton for snagging her these wide-calf shearling-lined boots too. She felt like a cute snow bunny.
She was starting to wonder how much longer she should wait before calling Jack and demanding he drive down here to pick her up, when a blue Prius pulled up to the curb.
A second later, her phone buzzed.
Ethan Windmore: Blue Prius
He was not a man of many words, this one. Hopefully he didn’t mind that Haleigh was chatty, or it was going to be a long night.
He pushed the car door open from the inside, and Haleigh was grateful for the blast of heat as she climbed in.
“Hey,” she said.
He nodded back in greeting. “Sorry for the wait. My students were doing their best to give me a migraine today.”
“Oh, are you a teacher? I thought you were in school.” The questionnaire Jack sent over had said only “all but dissertation.” Haleigh knew that meant he was doing a PhD in something, but she had no idea what.
“I’m getting my PhD in literary theory over at Claymore, but I adjunct at Rhode Island College to make some extra cash.”
“What do you teach?”
“First-Year Writing.”
“Oof.” Haleigh remembered those courses from her time at the University of Rhode Island. They had to be a challenge to teach since most students weren’t excited to take them.
“That about sums it up.”
She took him in as he navigated Providence’s maze of one-way streets, his dark brown eyes on the road. He was well dressed in a black wool peacoat unbuttoned over an eggplant-colored crewneck sweater and some dark jeans, and the way the sleeves of his coat bulged against his biceps suggested he spent a lot of time working out. His blond hair was long and tied neatly in a bun at the back of his head; his face—with its strong jaw, heavy brow, and straight nose—was clean-shaven. Teen Haleigh probably would have died to have a guy this hot as her professor.
“Have you been to Soil to Pine?” he asked.
Haleigh shook her head. “We used to drive up here sometimes from URI, but I haven’t been this way since I graduated.” She tugged at the sleeves of her jacket. Something about Ethan’s energy was making her antsy. “And we weren’t exactly seeking out fine dining back then. We mostly came to the mall for P. F. Chang’s and Auntie Anne’s pretzels.” She laughed, remembering how Jack would always buy too many and then try to freeze them in his tiny mini fridge. It never went well.
She might have shared that story with Ethan if he’d bothered to smile, but he was watching the road, nothing in his expression even remotely amused. Fine. Haleigh would keep Jack’s soggy pretzels to herself.
“Is it good?” she asked. “Soil to Pine?”
“It’s completely farm to table, everything ethically sourced.”
That did not answer her question.
“So… how do you know Jack?” She couldn’t imagine any way in which they’d have crossed paths.
“Book club.”
“What?” Haleigh had no idea Jack was in a book club.
“The library in Adams Center does a science fiction book club once a month. The librarian that runs it knows their stuff and picks actual science fiction—books that are thinking about hard science and real technological advances. Not fantasy shit on spaceships.” He grimaced through those last few words like they were painful to say. It was the first time he’d shown any kind of emotion. This guy was like a hot, muscly robot.
“Are you and Jack close?” He’d never mentioned this person to Haleigh.
“We don’t braid each other’s hair and talk about our feelings, if that’s what you’re asking.”
Haleigh rolled her eyes. “Men can have actual friendships, you know.” She shifted in her seat so that her full gaze was pinned on him. “And for what it’s worth, he doesn’t braid my hair, either.”
Ethan pursed his lips. “Not every relationship has to involve emotional intimacy to be valuable. That’s as shortsighted as the misogyny you’re accusing me of.”
Haleigh would never forgive Jack for setting her up with this asshat. She could have been out with Brian right now, enjoying another puppy pile and some good conversation and maybe an even better make-out session. Instead she was sitting here with an automaton, debating the validity of friendships.
It was going to be a long night.
As much as Haleigh hated to give Ethan any credit, Soil to Pine had a great vibe and smelled delicious.
The aesthetic was a unique blend of masculine and cottagecore, with shiplap on the walls and distressed wood tabletops and leather high-back chairs, all draped in an explosion of colorful florals and gingham and twinkle lights. The menu was small but eclectic and Haleigh was excited to try the food, even if she didn’t share the same feeling about her company.
She set her menu aside and relaxed in her chair. He was her ride home, so she needed to figure out how to make the best of the next few hours. Besides, when they’d set up the date, he’d suggested they hit up a bookstore down the street from the restaurant that did live readings on Friday nights, and Haleigh never said no to visiting a bookstore.
Maybe that was a good place to start.
“I’m can’t wait to check out this bookstore. One of my goals is to visit every one in New England at some point.”
Ethan took a sip of his beer, his eyes skimming over her. “Jackson said you were a reader.”
She’d been beginning to think Jack was playing a joke on her with this date. But Ethan was getting a PhD in literature and had met Jack at a book club. Her best friend probably thought the two of them would bond over a love of books.
“I’ve reached my maximum number of books to borrow from the library in one trip, if that tells you anything.”
Ethan almost smiled. Almost. “What do you like to read?”
“Anything really, as long as it pulls me in. But thrillers and mysteries are my favorite. I love the way the good ones can take you on a total ride.” Haleigh was one of those people who never tried to guess what was happening. She liked to be swept away and surprised by all the twists.
“I’ve tried to read a few of those.” Ethan took another sip of his beer. Haleigh waited for him to go on, but he only stared back at her, as if he expected her to keep the conversation going.
She took a big gulp of water while she searched for her patience. “Any you liked?” she finally asked.
He shook his head. “I find most of them trite and easily predictable. And they lean so heavily on stereotypes to avoid character development.”
“Okay, well, then you’ve been reading crappy thrillers.” She didn’t try to hide the edge to her voice. The way he’d said it, it was like he was calling her trite and easily predictable.
Ethan shrugged. “I think I’m too smart for the genre.”
It was a good thing they hadn’t ordered the bread basket yet or Haleigh would have chucked a roll at his head. “Well, what do you like to read, besides your boring science fiction books?”
“Just because something is smart doesn’t make it boring.” He crossed his arms.
“It doesn’t make it good, either.”
“You’re contemptuous,” he said placidly, as if he’d just observed the color of her hair.
“You’re an ass,” she spat back.
At this, he laughed out loud, a smile lingering on his face.
Haleigh hated that it was a good smile. Bastard.
“This is more fun than I thought,” he said.
They had very different ideas about what fun meant.
The appearance of the waiter, and then their food, returned them to more neutral topics. Her smashed potatoes were good enough that she even deigned to share one with him as a peace offering.
This was definitely not going to be the start of something, but Haleigh at least wasn’t reaching for her phone for Jack to save her. Ethan would make a great story for better future dates—like the one she’d hopefully have with Brian tomorrow.
The entire walk to the bookstore, Ethan kept a steady stride ahead of her, forcing Haleigh to scurry to stay in step. The cold air puffing from her lungs painted clouds in front of her, and she was shivering by the time they pushed through the doors, her cheeks stinging like she’d been slapped.
The readings had already started, so Haleigh didn’t get the satisfaction of searching for a thriller to buy that Ethan would find particularly trite and banal (which probably meant she’d love it even more).
He headed for a table in the café where a couple was already sitting. The woman was short, plus-size, and cute with long wavy brown hair and blue eyes, and wearing an adorable floral long-sleeved dress with knit tights and booties. Her partner was incredibly tall and thin as a rail, his blond hair slicked back with more gel than even Jack used, and wearing maroon glasses.
Ethan stopped in front of them and said something Haleigh couldn’t hear as she rushed again to keep up, but the couple responded with amused expressions. Then he was gone, on the way to the barista without a word to her.
Lifting her shoulders to her ears, she smiled awkwardly at the couple. “I’m… uh… Haleigh.” She pointed uselessly after Ethan, like that explained everything.
Surprisingly, it seemed to, because the girl smiled and patted the chair beside her. “Allison. This is Colin.”
Colin waved, flashing a friendly grin. Then he leaned forward across the table conspiratorially. “I’m sorry, I have to ask. Did you lose a bet?”
“What?”
“Colin.” Allison whacked him in the bicep.
He held his hands up innocently.
“What he’s trying—so rudely—to ask,” Allison went on, “is… are you really on a date with Ethan?”
Colin huffed. “Oh, because that was so much better.”
Haleigh laughed. “It was a setup.”
“Who hates you?” Colin quipped.
“My best friend, apparently.” Haleigh really was going to have to come up with some serious vengeance toward Jack. This night could not be ignored. “I have to know, though, is it normal to feel like he’s always insulting you?”
Allison rubbed at her temples. “Even when he’s being nice. It’s the Windbag way.”
“Oh my god. Windbag. Yes. ” Haleigh had to swallow her laugh as Ethan made his way back to them with a tray full of drinks.
He took three of the four out and set them in front of Haleigh before occupying the chair to her left. “I didn’t know if you’d want coffee, tea, or hot chocolate.”
It was weirdly considerate. “I’ll take the hot chocolate, please.” She reached for the middle cup that had cocoa written across the side.
“Figures,” Ethan mumbled.
“What does that mean?” Haleigh whisper-squawked.
But Ethan held a finger to his lips and nodded toward the stage like she was being disruptive.
She gaped at Allison with wide eyes, and the girl responded with a soft laugh.
Over the next half hour, two women performed poems and a nonbinary person read a story that had Allison and Haleigh dabbing at their eyes. Ethan kept muttering about purple prose and stagnant storytelling until Haleigh wanted to kick him in the shins.
Before the next performer took the stage, she excused herself to find a restroom. Really, though, she needed a break from this insufferable man. She wandered the aisles, composing a text in her head to send to Jack.
Right now, her best draft was Hey shithead. Come get me now. Very diplomatic.
She couldn’t fathom why Jack had set her up with this guy, especially given the bragging he’d been doing about how his dates would be perfect for her. All it took was sharing air with Ethan for two minutes to know he was not fit for human interaction. If Jack truly believed that they were a good match, he didn’t know her the way Haleigh thought he did.
And she worried who he’d set her up with next. A literal clown? A serial killer?
The bell over the door of the bookstore rang and Haleigh glanced up, only to find herself staring into the face of the very person she was fuming over.
Without thinking, she rushed forward and grasped the lapel of his jacket with one hand, banging a fist against his chest with the other. “What were you thinking?” she demanded in her most vicious whisper.
His eyes twinkled. “I’ve come to save you.”
“I didn’t ask you to.”
“I figured you’d need a ride.”
“Because this was never a serious date.” Haleigh pounded his chest again. “I’m going to tell them I’m leaving and then you’re going to explain why you felt the need to bequeath me this endless night of misery.”
She was sure to grab her hot chocolate before she made her exit.