4. Anders
4
ANDERS
I don't know how many times I've driven past Elaina's house on my way home. The familiar sight of her maroon Honda CRV parked in the lot has become almost a fixture in my daily routine, yet I never paid it much mind. I may have even caught a glimpse of her or her daughter during those countless drives, but I simply kept moving, heading the three blocks to my own place.
"I'm surprised you came," I say with a genuine smile as Elaina swings the door open, her expression a mixture of surprise and curiosity. "I didn't expect you to show up."
She narrows her eyes at me playfully, a smirk creeping onto her lips as she responds, "Well, it's my house, Anders. I suppose I should have known better than to keep you waiting."
"Did you know that we're practically neighbors?" I ask, stepping inside as she gestures for me to enter. We go through the familiar rigmarole of introductions, where I reveal that I live on St. James, while she resides here on Monte Cristo. "You've probably seen me on my morning runs then. I'm the shirtless guy just doing my best to keep the neighbors entertained. You know, a little morning eye candy never hurt anyone."
"Oh," Elaina nods knowingly, her eyes sparkling with mischief as she walks toward my truck parked outside, "so you're the one who's huffing and puffing as he desperately tries to gracefully haul his ass back home."
She's got jokes today, and I can’t help but chuckle. "Yup. That's me. You should have said hello. I could have used a cheering section."
Elaina clucks her tongue in playful disapproval and gracefully pulls herself into my truck, adjusting her seatbelt and getting herself situated. "You know, this whole situation is a little weird. I came to get my car washed, my daughter gave you my number, and now here we are, exchanging witty banter while you drive us to get pizza. It’s like something out of a romantic comedy."
I can't think of another way I'd want this to work out. "This seems perfectly fine to me," I say with a casual shrug, trying to convey my ease in the moment. "I've met a lot of women on dating apps, and that never seemed to play out the way I hoped. Do you know how many women try to use me to get rid of a speeding ticket? It’s like I’m some kind of good luck charm for their traffic woes."
"Yeah, that's really all I'm here for, too," Elaina replies with a deadpan voice, her lips curling into a teasing smile, "I've got three that need to be paid, and I'm hoping if I sleep with you, they'll be gone by morning. So, what do you say? A win-win situation?" Her playful tone leaves me chuckling, feeling the lightheartedness of our impromptu outing.
Though my cock pricks up at the idea of getting to sleep with a curvy beauty like Elaina, I know she's joking. I keep my eyes firmly on the road, the steady hum of the tires on asphalt grounding me as I remind myself that this is all part of the first date game. "I mean, they'd be gone by Sunday. That's when I go in next. I hope you can wait that long. But if you have any serious offenses, now's probably the time to tell me. And if you’ve got any warrants out for your arrest, I’m afraid I’ll have to take you in. Sorry."
Elaina stifles a giggle, the sound bubbling up from her lips as she reaches over to squeeze my arm—a playful gesture that sends a shiver of warmth through me. "You know me, Officer Hemingway, one half of the Bonnie and Clyde team."
I can't help but grin at her audacity. "If you're looking for the other half, I look great in high heels and pin curls. I've always wanted to channel my inner Bonnie." The image of us, a mischievous duo tearing through the night, brings an unexpected thrill to my chest, and I can’t shake the feeling that this ride is going to be anything but ordinary.
Dinner unfolds as a delicate interplay of jokes and half-truths, each exchange steeped in an easy familiarity that makes the air between us crackle with anticipation. Elaina shares more about her daughter, Mollie, a typical fifteen-year-old in many ways, yet somehow a bit more exceptional than the average teen. "What teenage girl sets their mom up with some guy she spotted talking to at a car wash?" Elaina chuckles, shaking her head in disbelief. "I really thought I had instilled a sense of stranger danger in her that would stick."
I resist the urge to pry into the complexities of Mollie's father or the reasons behind Elaina's status as a single mom, but I make it clear with a nod and a gentle smile that I’d be open to hearing those stories if she chooses to share. Ever mindful of first-date etiquette, I casually mention my own background, revealing that I’m divorced from a lovely lady who chose to settle the age-old debate of police officer versus firefighter by embarking on a torrid love affair with a firefighter that somehow managed to span nearly the entirety of our three-year marriage. "At least we’ve managed to roundly defeat them in the football game every year, though," I reassure her with a light-hearted grin.
Everyone carries some baggage into a relationship—be it daddy issues, past romances, or intimacy challenges; it’s all part of the human experience. As we journey through life, we accumulate this baggage, each piece a lesson learned or a scar earned. The key is to learn from it instead of allowing it to weigh you down like a heavy anchor. Once you figure out how to navigate the complexities of your past, everything else falls into place, and the rest is just gravy, adding flavor to the rich tapestry of life.