Chapter 13
CHAPTER 13
LOUISE
I waited at the door, my fingers drumming against my forearm and my lips tugged into a pout. Spencer had given me the slip earlier at the date, and I wasn’t happy about it in the least.
I needed to know how his date went, though a small voice in my head whispered that I may be pushing too hard. But how else would he find love if I didn’t give him a little shove in the right direction?
The sun lowered in the sky, and I started to wonder if he was giving me the slip. Would he just drive around aimlessly after his date until he thought I’d be in bed?
Well, the joke was on Spencer Whitaker because I was staying up all night if I had to.
After a few more minutes, my crossed arms slipped down to my hips, and my toes started to tap against the tile floor of the foyer.
Finally, his engine roared up the driveway. His key slid into the lock and the door popped open.
His eyes went wide, and he froze mid-step as he stared at me. “Louise.”
“Yes,” I said, my voice sharp, “Louise. Your loving wife.”
“You don’t seem so loving at the moment,” he answered with a wrinkled nose as he slipped through the door and closed it behind him.
“Hmm, I can’t imagine why that would be.”
“I’m guessing because I gave you the slip earlier when you were spying on my date.”
I offered him a fleeting smile. “You really are a genius, aren’t you, Spence?”
He rubbed the back of his neck, his eyes avoiding mine.
“What happened on your date?”
“Stuff,” he said with a shrug.
I clicked my tongue, arching an eyebrow. “What stuff? Are things moving along?”
He screwed up his face. “I don’t know what that means.”
With a sigh, I grabbed his hand and led him into the living room. “Sit,” I ordered, poking a finger at the couch. “Now, what happened? Tell me everything.”
“Louise, I can’t. I…I’m tired, and I just want to go to bed.” He shot me a pleading glance, but something else danced in his eyes, too, some unreadable emotion.
My shoulders slumped, and I perched on the cushion next to him. “Spencer, at least give me the highlights.”
He let his head fall back against the cushion behind him. “We went to the beach and had the picnic we talked about. And then we spotted you, and that made it incredibly awkward.”
I waved a dismissive hand in the air. “Oh, phooey, that’s not true. What did you do after you left?”
“We…talked.”
I stared at him, my eyes wide and my jaw hanging open. “Where? Standing on the street?”
“We went to the arcade.”
My heart seized at the words. I needed Eve to fall in love with Spencer, and an arcade trip hadn’t been part of the overall romantic theme I’d had in mind for the evening. “You took her where?”
“The arcade,” he said with a shrug, his features shifting a little from uncertain to slight smile. “It was really fun.”
“Oh, I’ll bet it was. Did you show off all your gaming skills while she stood next to you? Or did she sit in the corner until you were ready to leave?”
His features pinched, hurt rising into his eyes. “No. We…played games together. We had fun.”
My eyebrows knitted. “You played games together?”
“Yeah. I let her pick. She kicked my butt at the racing game. That was…a little mortifying, but then we played Dance Dance Revolution.” The excitement in his voice was an obvious change to his behavior when he’d just walked into the house.
I wondered if Eve had the same feelings or if she’d tolerated the change of scenery with a hidden disappointment. “Did Eve say anything about it?”
“I think she enjoyed it. The way she revved her engine before we raced…well, I thought she was having fun. We even played Street Fighter together.” Spencer’s features twisted as he said the last words.
I made a mental note to ask Eve how she really felt about the arcade later. But I needed more information from Spencer. “Did you kiss her?”
His cheeks burned bright red, and for a second, I had hope. With a sharp inhale, I grabbed his arm. “Did you?”
“Let’s talk about something else, okay?”
“No, I want to know if you kissed, because if you didn’t, Spencer Whitaker, you’re missing out on opportunities, and I won’t let you squander it!”
“No, we didn’t, okay?” He stared gloomily through the window at the ocean outside.
“Why not?”
“Never mind that. We need to talk about your date on Tuesday.”
I arched an eyebrow at him. “What?”
“I set up a date for you on Tuesday. I’ve been on two. You’re behind.”
“Spencer,” I said, my features turning stony, “we are not talking about my dates. We are talking about your date. Any why you didn’t kiss Eve. Now, why?”
“We didn’t…it just…the opportunity didn’t present itself, okay?”
I heaved a sigh, shaking my head. “Spencer, you have to make the opportunity present itself. When she gets to her door, you don’t…let her walk in. You…kinda block it a little so you can cup her face in your hand and–”
“Okay, lesson learned. Now, on to your date.” He waved a dismissive hand in the air.
He was avoiding something. I knew Spencer well enough to know this behavior clearly indicated that he was hiding something from me. I also knew him well enough to know that he wouldn’t tell me until it had simmered for a little.
“All right, all right. I’ll let you off the hook. For now,” I said with a wag of my finger.
“Good, now let’s talk about your upcoming date. I set it up at The Lawn. His name is Henry Caldwell.”
Henry . I struggled not to roll my eyes at the name. “Picture?”
Spencer eagerly dug his cell phone from his pocket, tapping on it before he swiveled it toward me.
“Hmm, I suppose he’ll pass.”
“Don’t judge a book by its cover,” he warned me.
“I didn’t say I wasn’t going. See how well I’m taking all of this? Way better than you did when I told you about dating.”
“ I am a completely different story. You want to find love, Louise. And I want you to find it, too. You’ve been chained to me for long enough.”
“Oh, Spence. I hardly see it as chained.” I settled next to him, leaning back into the cushions. “You did me a honey of a favor. Which is why you’re making me date.”
“So, I did you a favor, and now you’re punishing me for it?”
I smacked him playfully. “I’m not punishing you. Eve is a nice girl.”
“So, you’re punishing her?”
I shot him a tongue-in-cheek glare. “Now, what is that supposed to mean?”
“You set me, a person who is happily alone with his computer, up with a nice girl who must endure my awkwardness.”
“Well, y’all made it onto two dates. And…if she had fun at the arcade, I’m guessing you’ll go for three.”
He shifted in his seat, refusing to look at me again. “Umm, yes, we’ll…we’ll probably see each other again. We haven’t made set plans with the upcoming travel.”
“Well, text her now and make a plan.” I waved a finger at his phone before I reached for it.
He snatched it away. “I will do that…tomorrow.”
“Spencer…”
“I will do it. I promise.”
“And where will you take her?”
His fingers tightened on his phone. “Umm, I don’t know. Maybe–”
“Oh, sunset cruise. That’s a sure-fire kiss magnet.”
“No water,” he said with a shake of a head. “That’s a definite way to make sure we don’t kiss.”
“What? Think of those beautiful views, the sea air–”
“Me puking over the side of the boat, and her totally disgusted.”
“Oh, right…your seasickness.”
He nodded at me as I wrinkled my nose. “I’ll think of something else.”
“You’d better think of something good. Make sure you run it past me, first.”
“You know…I think we’ll schedule a dinner with her while your date is going on. Then we can compare notes. How’s that?”
I grinned at him. “That’s perfect, Spence. Great idea.”
We spent another few minutes picking out the perfect restaurant for their third date, and I mentally cataloged what I’d need to buy for Eve to wear when we shopped for our trip home to Savannah.
Later that night, as I laid in bed, I chewed my lower lip, wondering what emotion had been flitting through Spencer’s eyes earlier this evening. He’s been uncomfortable about something. Had it been his growing feelings with Eve or something else?
My mind turned to my upcoming date. Poor Spencer. He had no idea that I already had a man in my life.
But that didn’t matter. I couldn’t admit that, or he’d quickly abandon his dating gambit.
It seemed his feelings for Eve were growing, but Spencer lacked enough confidence to act on them unless he was pushed. If I didn’t date, neither would he.
And I didn’t want that for either of them.
No, I’d need to keep dating. But I didn’t want to give anyone the wrong impression or make a connection I didn’t intend on fostering.
I grinned up at my ceiling. I had a good plan for that, though.
When Tuesday rolled around, I made sure I looked my best, donning one of my favorite dresses, heels, and my best red lipstick.
Spencer met me at the door, giving me a comical once-over.
“Well? Do I pass?”
“With flying colors. Henry is going to be very happy with this match.”
“Shouldn’t you be going to pick up Eve?”
“I have a few minutes,” he answered.
I checked my make-up one last time in the mirror, puckering my lips as I added a little more lipstick. “Where are you taking her?”
“Uhh, The White Horse,” he answered.
I clicked my tongue. “Oh, Spencer, you should have gone somewhere with better views. This is your third date.”
“I didn’t know the third date had a scenery requirement,” he answered.
“This is the date your kiss should happen on. It’s been long enough. A stunning view of the ocean at sunset wouldn’t hurt.”
“Oh, well, I’m sure it’ll be okay. I’ll just…block her door like a creep.”
I shot him a wry glance as I shook my head at him. “Have a lovely time, darlin’.”
I kissed his cheek and headed out the door to my car.
When I stepped out of my car, marveling at the sunset reflecting off the ocean, painting the sky with a vibrant tapestry of purples and oranges, I sucked in a deep breath. Time for my performance to begin.
The hostess led me to a table with a lovely view of the water. Henry rose as I approached, a single rose in his hand. “Hi, I’m Henry, you must be Lou.”
“Well, I am, darlin’. Though are you sure you’re Henry? You don’t quite look like your picture.”
“I’m positive,” he said with a smile as we sat down at the table. “I hope the differences are to my credit.”
I smiled without answering.
He cleared his throat, glancing down at the menu.
Message received.
“So, what looks good to you?”
I flicked the menu closed with a coy smile. “My mama always taught me to order the most expensive thing on the menu so my date knows I’m worth it.”
He chuckled, but when I didn’t, his laughter slowly died off, and with a wince, he flicked his gaze down to the menu.
After we placed our orders, I leaned forward, sliding my hand across the table to find his. “Now, tell me, darlin’, have you ever thought about what you want your wedding to be like?”
He swallowed hard, staring down at my hand like it was a tentacle about to drag him into the deep sea. “Uh, not really. I always figured I’d wait until I found the right woman to think about that.”
“I see. Well, I have it all worked out already. We’ll get married in Savannah, springtime, warm but not hot. I’ll wear a princess dress with a long train and a lace veil. Now, I just know I want white roses for my bouquet, and an ice sculpture.”
“Wow, it sounds like you’ve put a lot of thought into this.”
“Oh, I have,” I assured him. “I really have. Now, I just need to find a man to stand at the altar.”
I made certain I sounded like I didn’t care what man it was as long as I found one.
“Well, that’s the point of all this, isn’t it?” He grinned as he waved a hand around at the restaurant.
“Well, yes, of course,” I said. “And I am just so thrilled to have found a boyfriend so quickly.”
At the b-word, his grin faltered a little. “B-boyfriend? Don’t you think we should give it a few dates?”
“Why, no, sugar. I know what I want. A husband. And I’m not about to be picky. I can mold any man into what I want after he’s got that ring on his finger. My mama has taught me well.”
“Mold them? Don’t you want to just fall in love with someone as they are? That’s really the best way, don’t you think?”
I threw my head back in obnoxious laughter, banging on the table with my free hand. “Oh, you are cute. Now, what in the world would I want to wait around to find that one person I may like just the way they are? No, darlin’, I’ll just marry the man and make what I want out of him.”
His features pinched. “But…he’ll resent you for that. Your marriage will be awful.”
“But I’ll have one.” I offered him a coy grin. “And once the babies come, well…you won’t leave your children, will you?”
Our meals were delivered, and he yanked his hand away from mine.
My plan was working. All I needed to do was be a little more over-the-top, and I should send him scrambling away from this date before dessert.
I proceeded to ask him about names for children and more clingy, uncomfortable topics. By the time the waiter stopped by to ask about coffee and dessert, he shook his head, asking immediately for the check.
“Aw, what a gentleman you are. Now, I assume you’re skipping dessert so we can get right down to business?”
“I’m skipping dessert because you are certifiable,” he answered as he grabbed the credit card back from the waiter. “Don’t call or text me again.”
He stormed from the restaurant, leaving the stunned waiter behind next to me.
“Wow, sorry about that,” the waiter said as he stacked our plates. “You seem like a real catch to me.”
“Thanks, sugar. But that date was bad on all sides. I’m glad he’s gone.”
I grabbed the wine bottle before the waiter removed it and poured myself another glass, leaning back in my seat as I sipped it. “One down,” I murmured to myself. “Let’s see your next try, Spencer.”
It didn’t matter how many times I had to do this, as long as Spencer fell in love with Eve. I wondered how his date was going. I hoped it was going better than mine.