Chapter 19 #2
“Like the person who just lost me my points?” I try to pull it away from him, but he is surprisingly strong, the stick barely moving in his grasp. He gives a yank and I stumble toward him.
“Consider it payback.”
“Is there a rule book somewhere? I want to consult the rule book.”
“You are a rule follower, aren’t you? I see that about you.” At this point, my shuffleboard cue is resting on Daniel’s shoulder and I’m still holding the end of it, a mere foot away from him. As he regards me, I feel that tingle again. Okay, Mallory, time to get some air .
I clear my throat pointedly, and he releases my stick. Jones plays his turn and then cheers.
“That’s game!” he calls.
He and Billy high-five, and Daniel and I do the same. The competitive tension fizzles away.
“Good game,” he says.
“You too! That was fun.” It was not. Other than the close proximity to Daniel. I need another drink.
I pass Billy and Jones on my way to the bar, giving them both a high five. With a fresh G&T in hand, I rejoin Amanda, where she’s engaged in a spirited conversation with a small group, something about Marvel fan theories. After a minute, I sense Daniel’s presence at my elbow.
“There’s just no way Tony Stark could be Dr. Doom.
It makes no sense.” He stands unnecessarily close to me, his abdomen grazing my arm.
I pretend not to notice, and we stay that way for five minutes or more, chatting with the group without so much as looking at each other.
Finally, the group disperses to start a new game of shuffleboard.
As the others mill about in different directions, I turn to Daniel.
Should I order an Uber back to Gramps’s?
I don’t know how much longer Daniel plans to stay, and I’d rather quit while I’m ahead.
Before I have a chance to say or do anything too awkward.
But Daniel gently nudges me and tilts his head toward a nearby bench. I follow and sit beside him. My drink sends beads of condensation between my fingers.
“Enjoying your first shuffleboard experience?”
I nod. Other than the shuffleboard part, it’s great. “Thanks for bringing me.”
“Has it helped you take your mind off things?”
“You know what? It has.”
“Good.” He stretches both arms along the back of the bench. I instinctively straighten so I don’t accidentally rest my shoulders against his arm.
“So.” As the words leave my mouth, my brain begs, Don’t say it . “Amanda mentioned that it’s been a while since you’ve dated.” Annnnd I said it. I fumble to recover, adding, “Me too. So, not that it’s weird or anything. And not that this is a date.”
My words hang in the air. I wish, how I wish, I could shove them back in my mouth.
The silence between us lingers for so long that I consider standing up and walking away.
It wasn’t even a question, it was just a statement that somehow managed to be nosy and inappropriate.
I slurp the rest of my watered-down drink.
“Well,” Daniel begins thoughtfully, “I s’pose that is true. My ex and I broke up about a year ago, and I haven’t exactly been out there, if you know what I mean.” His gaze slides toward me.
“I do know. How did it end between you two? If you don’t mind me asking.”
He tilts his head back and exhales a little puff of air. “Nothing dramatic. Kelly moved to New York for a job. We’d been together for a couple years at that point, so we tried to keep it going. Didn’t work, though.”
“Long distance.” I nod sympathetically, though I haven’t actually been in a long-distance relationship myself. “Sounds hard.”
“Yeah. Hard to keep the spark going over FaceTime. We tried to fly out to see each other every month or so, but.” He shrugs. “It wasn’t working out.”
I wonder if there’s something more in his nonchalant tone, some bitterness or hurt. But I suppose when it comes to breakups, there’s always something more there. We all have our secret aches.
And then, as I gaze down into the ice in my cup, another meaning to his words creeps up on me. He’s been burned by a long-distance relationship. He’s not going to want to try that again.
Not that we’re doing anything here. But now I know for sure that there is no there there. It would be impossible.
He doesn’t return the line of questioning, and I’m glad. I don’t want to talk to him about Alex. I wish I hadn’t asked about his past.
We talk about light topics for the next ten minutes, mostly about how he knows Jones and some of the other friends here, and then I decide to make my exit.
“Thanks again for the invite,” I say after summoning an Uber.
“Sure I can’t drive you home?” Daniel asks, hands in his pockets. The party is still in full swing around him, the band cranking it up as the hour grows later.
“It’s okay, you stay and enjoy. I have a lot to do tomorrow, so.” I feel like the spark I’d felt an hour ago has disappeared completely. I doused it out by asking about his ex. Now we both know nothing can happen between us, and the air feels flat. I wonder if he feels it too.
“Well, hey, remember to let me know about the floors. We can set a date for me to come by and help you out.”
Oh, right. I’d almost forgotten about that. I feel a tiny flare of something again, if only because I’ll be spending more time with him. Silly, but I can’t help it.
“I will.”
I say a quick goodbye to Amanda and the birthday boy, and then slip into the waiting car.