Chapter 12
Ryan
I think the restaurant designers thought candlelight on every table would set a romantic atmosphere.
And maybe in the right circumstances, it would.
But the light is reflecting off the lenses of Rena’s glasses, and I’m so distracted every time I look at her.
I want to stare into her eyes, but instead I see tiny orange flames right in the center of her eyeballs.
“Did you grow up around here?” she asks me.
I take a sip of my water and look at the spot right between her eyes.
“Canyon Cove is home to me, so not too far from here.” I have a brief moment where I consider telling her the whole story.
I lived in Canyon Cove until I was fifteen.
That’s when my dad cheated on my mom, so I moved to Hawaii with her for the last few years of high school then came back to California for college.
Nah. I think I’ll pass on that.
“I love it there,” she says. “The little shops are so cute.”
“Yeah, I would surf with my mom on the weekends and grab a bagel at the shop across from the beach.”
“Bobo’s Bagels? I love that place!” I think her eyes light up, but it could just be the reflection again.
“Yep! Bobo and I are on a first name basis.”
She giggles. “Isn’t everyone? It’s in the name of the shop.”
I grin. “Bummer. I thought it was just me.”
She laughs out loud, and I’m glad we’re vibing to some degree. “I’m gonna use the restroom really quick,” she says.
She gets up from her seat, and I stand, too. Manners from my mom. She grins even more, and while we’re standing, I can get a better look at her eyes. Big and brown. They’re really beautiful. It’s a shame I can’t see them when we’re sitting.
To entertain myself while she’s gone, I pull my phone out of my pocket. I noticed a few buzzes while we were talking but didn’t want to be rude and check them.
I see on the screen that I have four messages from Chase, my unofficial virtual wingman.
Chase
How’s the date going?
Don’t be weird.
Don’t talk about Claire.
You got this! Remember, ask her about herself.
I snort a laugh and type out a reply.
Me
It’s going fine. But thank you for the reminders.
Just then, another text comes in. From Claire.
Claire
Hey! How’s your date?
I feel like I’ve been punched in the stomach. She’s literally the last person I want to talk to about my date. Yesterday, she sent me a picture of her cake tasting. All I could do was respond with a thumbs-up emoji. And now she’s sending me a message WHILE I’m on a date with someone else?
Does she know what she’s doing to me?
Aaaand now I’m thinking about Claire.
I was doing so well. But now Claire is on my mind, and it’s not that easy to stop thinking about her.
“I’m back!” Rena says, sliding into her seat.
I look up at her, then back at my phone and the unanswered message, then decide to lock it and put it back in my pocket. “Hey.”
“Hey.” Rena smiles brightly. “What are you thinking about ordering?”
“Uh…I hadn’t thought about that yet.”
She picks up her menu, and now I see the laminated sheet reflected in her glasses. “I think I’m going to get the salmon.”
I nod and look back down at my menu, but I can’t see any words. My mind is still on Claire.
“So, you surf?” Rena asks, drawing my attention back to her. “I only tried once on a foam board. It was kind of a disaster.”
I nod and look back up at her. “Yeah. Been surfing since I was a little kid.”
“Maybe you could teach me?” She tilts her head with a small smile.
I swallow hard. Focus, Ryan. You’re a flipping math professor. You pride yourself on logic and rationality. You can rationalize yourself out of a crush on someone. I force a smile onto my face. “Yeah. That sounds great.”
She beams at me, and I convince myself that I can do this. I can be normal on a date.
What did Chase tell me to do? Ask her questions about herself. “So, if surfing isn’t your thing, what do you like to do?”
She flashes me a beautiful smile. “Well, I’ve always been into video games, so now I work in animation with Stone Gaming.” Her eyes brighten as she tells me about her job and the games she’s designing, and I breathe a little easier.
I got this.
An hour later, I’m walking Rena to her car.
“This was fun,” she says.
“Yeah, it was,” I agree.
No, it really wasn’t. I spent my time trying to focus on something other than Claire, and the reflection in Rena’s glasses gave me the worst headache.
“Here’s my car,” she says, pointing at her black Lexus. “And thanks for a nice dinner. But I don’t think I’ll be seeing you again.”
I turn my head to her, catching the streetlights bouncing off her glasses. Even out here, I can’t escape the glare. “Why’s that?”
“Because you’re looking for something else. Or maybe you’ve already found her.” She puts a gentle hand on my shoulder. “But I appreciate the effort. Thank you for being a gentleman.”
I nod once at her, grateful that she’s letting me off the hook. I open my arms. “Is a hug okay?”
She grins. “Definitely okay.” She leans into my embrace, and I give her a nice, friendly hug. In another life, I could see us being friends. But these circumstances were a little too strange for me, and I’m not ready to start another friendship with a girl. They’re too complicated.
“Have a good night,” she says. She opens her car door and climbs in, waving at me as she starts the car. I wave and head over to my car on the other end of the lot.
So…not terrible. I had a nice time with a woman who isn’t Claire.
That’s progress, right? One step in the right direction.
I pull out my phone and look at the message from Claire.
Do I write her back and tell her about the date?
I don’t think I should. Even if the date with Rena didn’t work out, I can’t let Claire pull me back in.
Instead, I close the messages app and dial Chase’s number.
“Hey, man,” Chase says in my ear. “Already done?”
“Yeah. She was nice, but there wasn’t a connection.”
“You want to go out with someone else?” he asks.
Do I? No.
But to Chase, I say, “Yep. Set me up.”
“Awesome. I have a whole list ready for you.”
Here we go.