Chapter Eleven
CHAPTER ELEVEN
VIVIAN
T he last twenty-four hours have been a whirlwind of wonderful and confusing moments. Kyle and Addi are officially engaged, and Katie’s brilliant plan went off without a hitch. Then I had dinner with Mac (and Katie and Dallin), and Mac and I didn’t argue. But confusion has settled in as Mac continues to stir up emotions I never thought I would feel around the man. As much as I hate to admit it, I’m attracted to him.
It could be my imagination, but it seemed like we shared a few intense moments at dinner and then in the car after we left the restaurant. It’s taking everything in me to rationalize every look, comment, and shared gaze. From the moment Katie and I dropped Mac off after dinner, I haven’t been able to think of anything else. I want to casually mention it to Katie, but she didn’t seem to pick up on any strange vibes. She also has her heart set on Cash and I growing old together.
She’ll be delighted to know that we’ve finally arranged a lunch date for tomorrow. I hope seeing him will make all the confusing thoughts of Mac vanish from my mind .
The sound of my phone ringing drags me out of my daydream. I’m surprised to see Jaclyn’s number because my sister rarely calls me unless she needs something.
“Hello.”
“Vivi, where have you been?”
“Um, at home. Why?”
“You were supposed to call me,” she says.
Did I tell her I’d call? Why do I not remember this? Has Mac consumed more of my attention than I’d realized?
“What did I need to call you about?” I ask.
She sighs dramatically. “Did you forget you promised to introduce me and my friends to Mac Evans?”
Oh, I did forget about that.
“I told you Mac and I aren’t exactly friends,” I trail off. “Plus, we’ve had a lot going on. Kyle got engaged, and his fiancée has recruited us to plan a birthday party for the twins.”
“So? What does that have to do with introducing us to Mac?”
I sigh. Obviously, my sister doesn’t care about anything that doesn’t concern her.
“I’ll see what I can do,” I say.
Admittedly this does give me a reason to see Mac…
“Thanks. You’re the best, Vivi.”
I roll my eyes. I’m always the best when she gets her way.
“No promises,” I remind her.
“I’m sure if you asked him for a favor, he’d be happy to do it.”
I don’t doubt Mac is always willing to meet his fans. Although I’m guessing my sister and her crew are more fans of meeting someone with any level of fame.
“We’ll see. Talk soon. ”
I’m in no hurry when it comes to setting this up. I’m sure Mac is a busy guy. But to even make this happen I’ll need Katie’s help. I don’t have any contact information for Mac because I never had a need for it.
As soon as I’m off the phone, I send Katie a text.
Jaclyn and the minions want to meet Mac. She’s being relentless. You know how my sister is when she wants something.
I often refer to my sister’s friends as the minions because she’s the ringleader of the gossip girl crew and the others usually follow suit.
Ugh, she’s annoying. Mac is a good sport—he’ll do it. Text him.
Me—text him? I don’t have Mac’s number. I was hoping Katie would offer to set it up for me. That’s what friends are for, right?
Although I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t looking for a reason to talk to Mac, even though it pains me to admit it. It never crossed my mind that I’d become attracted to him. I feel like I’ve caved under pressure.
My phone buzzes after a few minutes with a number I don’t recognize. When I click on the text, my stomach does a flip. It’s from Mac.
Hey. Katie says you need my help. How can I be of assistance?
I suck in a breath. While I was hoping Katie would step in, I wasn’t expecting a text from Mac so quickly. There’s a part of me that doesn’t want to give him any satisfaction. Of course there’s also a part of me that wants to talk to him. Ugh. I’m a mess.
I start to type a reply, but I stop myself. Do I really want to do this immediately after receiving his text? Or do I need to do this at all? I could say no to my sister—she doesn’t always need to get her way. Maybe I’ll wait until tomorrow to respond to him because it’s late and I’m tired. I need to be well rested and have a clear head before engaging with both Mac Evans and my sister.
Two calls and three texts from Katie within the last two hours. She must’ve forgotten I’ve actually been on dates before, and I’m not completely clueless in this department. I appreciate her wanting me to be happy, but it’s a bit unsettling how determined she is for things to work out between Cash and me.
I click on her number instead of responding to her texts.
“You know I love you, but you’re starting to make me nervous,” I say as soon as she answers.
“Nervous is good. That means you want things to go well. And it’s my role as your best friend to help you out.”
“I appreciate it, but I’m not completely inexperienced when it comes to men,” I remind her. “I might be a little out of practice, but I should be able to handle a lunch date.”
She giggles. “I know. And you have nothing to worry about—everything will be perfect.”
“Okay.” I pause. “But if things don’t end up working out with him, you promise not to be too upset.”
“Of course.”
“Are you sure?”
“Yes, I’m sure.”
“Good.”
“By the way, Mac messaged me and said he never heard back from you,” she says. “I thought you wanted to set up an intro for Jaclyn?”
Hearing this causes my heart to beat a bit faster. The image of Mac repeatedly checking his phone for my reply swirls through my mind .
“Yeah, I haven’t had a chance to text him. I obviously have more pressing matters to attend to. My sisters request is not high priority right now.”
“Yes, you do,” she exclaims. “Having lunch with your soul mate takes precedence over everything else.”
Wow. She’s really set on this soul mate thing. It’s difficult to not get excited about the possibilities when your best friend is so positive about it. I guess you never know what the future holds.
“Anyway, I’ll call you after I leave,” I say, purposely ignoring the soul mate comment.
“I’ll be waiting. Tell Cash I said hi.”
Katie’s really invested in this. I know her heart is in the right place, but it’s a lot of pressure.
After ending the call, I finish getting ready and try to clear my mind of all other things and people. I want to be present and enjoy my time getting to know Cash better.
I arrive at Butter & Thyme about ten minutes early, so I have a few minutes to touch up my lip-gloss and check my messages. I’m about to go inside when my phone buzzes. It’s another text from Mac.
Are you on your date?
How did he know? Never mind, Katie probably told him. I’m sure she told him this was the reason I hadn’t responded to him.
I wait a few seconds and then type a quick response.
About to walk in now. I’ll get back to you soon.
I chew on my lip while waiting to see if he’ll reply.
Good luck. Are you excited?
I stare at his message. Truthfully, I don’t know if excited is a good description for how I’m feeling. Cash seems like a great person, but I haven’t had enough time with him to say he’s the one for me. I wait a few seconds before responding .
Yes. Why do you ask?
Maybe he’s just making conversation. He could be really trying to get along with me. My phone buzzes.
Just curious…
My heart picks up speed. Why am I having these intense reactions? Admittedly I’m concerned I’m falling under the Mac Evans spell—a place I never thought I’d be. Suddenly I realize it’s time to meet Cash. I drop my phone into my bag without replying to Mac’s text. I won’t let him get in my head. I’m all in to enjoy my lunch date.
I’m having a better time on my date than I hoped. Our lunch is delicious, and we’ve had an enjoyable conversation. We have a lot in common, so our conversation flows with ease. So what’s my problem? Well—that would be the text Mac sent me right before I walked into this restaurant. I’m frustrated with myself for letting him get in my head. Why is he curious about my date? It shouldn’t matter to him. None of my dates have ever mattered to him in all the years we’ve known each other. I don’t know what’s happening, but ever since he came back to town, I feel unsettled and confused. This isn’t me. I’m usually steady and focused. And the fact that Mac is making me feel this way is infuriating me.
“Vivian?”
I freeze. Crap. Has Cash been talking to me this whole time? Meanwhile my brain is thinking about a hockey player.
“Oh, sorry,” I say with a nervous laugh. “I must’ve zoned out for a second.”
“Ah, I’m boring you,” he says with a chuckle.
“No, not at all,” I exclaim .
“I’m only teasing.”
“I’m sorry,” I exclaim.
He places his hand on mine. “Don’t apologize. It happens to all of us.”
I grin. I can understand why Katie is so dead set on this working. From what I can tell, Cash has all the qualities I want in a future relationship.
“So, tell me what you do for fun, you know, when you aren’t working?” I ask. I feel like he’s been carrying the conversation thus far so I need to flip the script.
He sighs. “I wish I could tell you. I feel like I’m always working.”
“Sounds familiar.”
“I used to play tennis,” he says. “And I like action movies, trying new restaurants, and poker.”
“Really? You play poker?”
“Not well,” he says with a laugh. “Believe it or not my grandfather taught me and my cousins to play when we were teenagers.”
“Really?”
“Yes. My mother was horrified.”
I giggle.
“What do you like to do in your free time?”
I give a thoughtful look. “Well, I too love my work. But I also like Pilates, going out with friends, and watching the Real Housewives shows of any city.”
“I’ve never seen a Housewives show.”
“Smart. Don’t watch unless you want to be hooked.”
He nods. “I’ll take your advice.”
I make every effort to stay engaged, and the rest of our lunch goes well. Cash is easy to talk to and makes me laugh—plus he’s easy on the eyes.
When he excuses himself to use the restroom, I make the mistake of checking my phone. As expected, I find a text from Katie waiting for me.
How’s it going? Call me as soon as you leave.
I ignore it and click on Mac’s last message. I quickly type a reply.
Why so curious?
It’s short and to the point. I’m not sure what’s come over me, but I want to know why he’s suddenly curious about what I do in my personal time.
Cash returns, and we make our way outside.
“Thank you for lunch,” I tell him as he walks me to my car.
“Thank you for joining me. I feel like I’ve been hearing about you for months.”
I laugh. “Same. Katie is happiest when she’s taking care of everyone around her,” I say.
“Would you be interested in doing this again? Dinner next time?”
A nervous feeling comes over me. I’d be stupid to say no…
“Absolutely,” I blurt out.
“Great,” he says leaning in to kiss me on the cheek. “I’ll call you.”
He waves before turning to leave. I touch my cheek with my fingers. Cash is amazing. So why aren’t I more excited?