25. Chapter Twenty-Five
Chapter Twenty-Five
Amy
Eliza: Have fun!
I read her text just before placing my phone in my purse and taking a deep breath. Nellie approached me at work yesterday and asked if she could give my phone number to one of her boyfriend’s friends. I agreed...
And now I have a date tonight.
I’m not going to lose this bet.
I nearly laugh to myself as I smooth out the material of my black long sleeve dress. It’s fitted without being too fitted, and when I paired it with my Vans, it’s not too dressy, either. My freshly curled hair is flowing in all the right ways, and my red lips are the perfect touch, but.. .
“Do you think it’s too much?” I ask Parker, grabbing his attention from where he’s seated on the couch watching television.
He whips his head around, his eyes widening slightly and then returning to normal. “You look ... great .”
My nose crinkles. “Okay, but do I actually? You’re looking at me kinda funny.”
He chuckles. “No, I’m not.”
“We’re just going out for drinks at the Cricket.”
“Yeah, and you look fine.”
“Okay, but is it too much?” I ask one more time, my hands clasped in front of me. “I don’t want to come across like I’m trying too hard.”
Parker sits up, pausing his Netflix documentary and angling his body toward me. “Amy,” he says, his voice matter of fact. “You look beautiful. If the guy thinks you look like you tried too hard, then you should find someone else.” He then pauses and bites down on his lip. “Also ... are you sure you even wanna go out with this guy? You’ve never even met him—and the first thing he did was ask you out to a bar for drinks.”
I tilt my head in confusion. “Is that a red flag or something? He told me that he prefers meeting people in person rather than getting to know them over text messaging. I thought it was sweet.”
He sighs. “There’s nothing wrong with him saying that.”
“Okay, then.” I smile. “I haven’t forgotten the red flag training, and I’ll keep it all in mind. I’ll keep you up to date, too. ”
“You don’t have to give me a play by play.” He groans, leaning back on the couch with a plop .
“Well, I’ll at least let you know that I’m alive and well—or if I need you to save me from a disaster.”
He’s quiet for a few moments, holding my gaze in a way that makes my heart stutter ... again. “Yeah, I’ll be there if you need me.”
“Thank you,” I say, taking one last breath and heading for the apartment door. Innately, my hand lands on his shoulder as I pass by. I pull it away, embarrassed.
He turns to look back at me. “You good?”
I blink, not feeling nearly as excited as I think I should be. “Yeah ... maybe it’ll be fun.”
He narrows his eyes at me. “Yeah ... maybe.”
“See you later.”
“See ya,” Parker calls over his shoulder. The noise of the TV fills the silence only a moment later, and I step out into the hallway, feeling more conflicted than ever before.
Ugh. Please let this go well.
“I’m Dalton.” A tall, blondish-redheaded man extends his hand across the table.
“Amy.” I meet his bright green eyes, taking his hand and letting the warmth spread through my fingers. I was ten minutes early, but Dalton was right on time. The dive bar isn’t overly crowded, and thankfully, everyone is speaking in low tones, the soft alternative music overshadowing most of their conversations. “It’s super nice to meet you in person.”
“Likewise.” He smiles. “I won’t lie, though, I was really nervous about meeting you. That’s why I didn’t want to just keep texting. I wanted to get this part out of the way.”
“I like that,” I admit, taking him in as he sits across from me in the booth. He carefully removes his black wool coat, revealing his taut arms through a Henley. He’s... handsome .
“You’re beautiful.” Dalton’s long drawl catches my attention. It’s southern, and I can’t deny it adds a little extra charm.
“Thank you,” I say. “You’re not so bad yourself.”
“Good to know.” He laughs in a deep tone.
How is this man still single? I’m swooning a little, though the moment I realize that I am, Parker’s face comes to mind.
Don’t think about him.
Which is a little harder said than done.
It’s not like he’s even an option.
Because if Parker wanted to, he could’ve asked me on a real date. But he’s made it clear we’re just friends. Not to mention that he doesn’t believe in love ...
Which is why I don’t allow myself to admit that I find Parker’s mischievous ways more charming than Dalton’s... Yet, here I am, thinking it.
What’s wrong with me ?
“So, you work with Nellie?” Dalton’s voice grabs my attention.
“Yeah, I do.” I nod, trying to recount the red flags I’m supposed to be on the lookout for. “What do you do?”
“Well, I used to work in finance,” Dalton begins, letting out a sigh. “I’m really good with numbers, but I’m not gonna lie, after doing that for nearly ten years, I got tired of it. So, I recently started working for a veterinary clinic here in the city. I handle all of the office stuff and also get to help with the animals. It’s a win-win for me.”
I smile. “I admire the courage for a career change. I’ve always stuck to marketing, and I can’t imagine doing anything different, but I don’t see anything wrong with changing careers if you’re unhappy.”
He nods. “I’m glad you agree. One of my last dates only seemed to care about the pay decrease I took—and while yes , there was one, I’m still a partial owner of the finance firm I worked for, so I do pretty well for myself.”
“Ah, so you were smart in your investments.” I giggle and bat my eyelashes a few times. “I must say ... that’s impressive. Which makes sense, considering you worked in finance. It shows you know your stuff.”
“And the fact you’re so visibly appealing shows you know how to market.” He winks at me, and I feel my cheeks grow red.
“You’re too kind,” I say, reaching for my drink and taking a sip. I spend the rest of the evening laughing and talking with Dalton—and rarely do I think about Parker. Well, I mean, other than the handful of times I text him and reassure him I’m still alive .
“Can I walk you home?” Dalton offers as we stand to leave. “I’ve had a really great time getting to know you tonight, and I’d like to see you again—and see that you get home safe.”
I question the idea but then agree. I mean, Parker lives there. It’s not like anything bad is going to happen to me. “Okay, I’m staying with a friend right now.”
“Oh,” he says, frowning. “I hope you didn’t take that wrong. I wasn’t planning on coming up or anything. I ... I like to take things slow.”
“I was just letting you know,” I say quickly, laughing nervously. “I actually prefer to move slowly myself.”
He sighs in relief as he opens the door for me. “Good. I thought I read you right.”
I smile warmly. “You did.”
Dalton and I make the long walk to Parker’s penthouse apartment, laughing and talking about our lives. He grew up in Texas, but his family life is a lot more similar to mine than most.
“I moved to the city for a job—and then I kind of just ... fell in love with it,” Dalton admits, reaching out and grabbing my hand. “And not to be too forward, but I happen to be extra glad about that tonight.”
I blush, letting him squeeze my fingers. “I’m still getting used to the city, but I think I love it already.”
“And the friend you’re staying with...” Dalton eyes me. “Is it someone you knew before you moved to the city? ”
“No. I met him when I moved here.” I choose to leave out the way we met.
Dalton gives me an odd look. “ Him ?” he asks, and realization dawns on me.
“Oh, yeah,” I say quickly. “But we’re just friends. We actually have a bet going right now about me finding a boyfriend.”
He nods very slowly. “I see ... and what exactly is the bet?” His tone is cautious.
“Well, I bet him that I’d have a boyfriend by Valentine’s Day—which is also my birthday—and he bet that I won’t. Whoever loses has to buy the other concert tickets. It’s silly,” I admit. Now that I’m saying it out loud to someone who doesn’t know either of us all that well, it does seem kind of wacky. “But it’s all in good fun. My apartment flooded recently, so I’ve been staying with him while it gets sorted out.”
“Well, I guess ... I guess that kind of thing happens.” Dalton’s voice brightens slightly. “You know, I actually have a good friend who’s been looking for someone. Is your friend single?”
“Yeah, he is, and we should totally set him up,” I say, a big grin stretching across my face. “He’s such a cynic when it comes to love, but I think he just hasn’t met the right person.” Something about the last two words causes my stomach to knot up, but I ignore it.
“There’s truth in that...” Dalton’s voice trails off as we arrive at the front of Parker’s apartment building, and I follow his gaze. The street is empty...
Except for one person, who’s leaning against the side of the building.
What’s he doing out here?
“Hiya,” Parker greets, pushing off the wall and walking toward us. “I’m Parker.”
“You must be Amy’s friend,” Dalton says, his voice tense. “Were you standing outside to wait for her or...?”
Parker nods and I don’t even know how I feel about it. “Yeah, it’s cold, and you know, there are some weirdos in the city.”
Dalton relaxes. “I get that. Which is exactly why I wanted to walk her home.”
“I respect that,” Parker says, his voice flat. “I’ll take it from here, though.”
“Uh...” My voice trails off as I look back at Dalton and then at Parker. “I think I can handle it, Parker. I’ll be up in a minute. I don’t think Dalton is gonna kidnap me or anything.”
Parker’s lip twitches. “Alright. I’ll wait in the lobby.”
“Okay,” I mutter, watching him as he disappears inside. I then turn to Dalton, giving him an apologetic smile. “Sorry about that. I just think he’s convinced that someone might try to hurt me.”
“I understand,” Dalton says, his voice dropping. “At first, I have to admit that it was a little off-putting, but...” He sighs. “I guess it’s good to have friends that look out for you. He’s right about the fact that this city can be dangerous.”
I nod. “I know the drill. ”
“I bet you do. You’re from Chicago.” He chuckles, pulling me gently toward him. Nerves shoot through my body as his fingers trace along my jaw, lifting my face to his. “Thank you for tonight, Amy. It was nice.”
I can’t reply before his lips are against mine, pressing gently. I don’t part my lips and he pulls away, smiling down at me.
“I’ll text you tonight and we can set up a second date.”
“That sounds great,” I say, giving him a wave as I step toward the lobby.
“Goodnight, Amy.”
“Night,” I call as he turns and heads back down the street. I smile to myself as I enter the lobby. Tonight was good.
And it’s totally okay that there weren’t sparks on the first date.
Not everyone can kiss like Parker.
And I’m just going to have to get past that.
Because at least there weren’t any red flags.