Chapter 4
Back at the library, the familiar scent of books and the soft hum of whispered conversations enveloped Clara. James had checked out a few books to take back to his rental house close to the beach. Clara was bummed he was gone, but anxious for dinner that night.
Allison showed up about an hour after James left. Clara couldn”t wait to tell her all about the new man in town. Allison was the head of the Friends of the Library group.
“I heard the Wentworth estate delivered a bunch of books,” Allison said. “Any for the FOL?”
“Actually, I think there will be a lot for the FOL.”
Kara came out of the back room with her purse slung over her shoulder. “Do you need anything else?” she asked.
“Nope, I think we”re good. Thanks for taking care of those late fee reports.”
“No worries. Did your friend leave?”
Clara smiled. “He did.”
Allison slapped her arm. “What? He? What? Who?”
“Sorry,” Kara giggled and walked away.
Clara turned to look at her friend who had her hands on her hips and a foot turned out with her gaze narrow and accusing. “Alright, spill the beans, Clara. Who is this man Kara was talking about?”
Clara blushed, a shy smile playing on her lips. “James.”
Allison squealed and pushed Clara in her excitement. “James! What is happening? When did this happen?”
“Nothing is happening,” Clara corrected. “I just met him. He”s in town for a week. He came in earlier to dig into the town”s history. He asked some questions about the town, and I was happy to oblige him. We talked for a bit, and he invited me for a cup of coffee.”
Allison slapped her hands together like she was praying. “Please tell me you said yes.”
“I said yes.”
“Tell me everything,” Allison squealed. “Details. Leave nothing out!”
As Clara recounted the details of her time with James, Allison listened intently, offering encouraging nods and supportive smiles. When Clara finished, Allison leaned back in her chair, a playful smirk on her face.
“Clara, this is amazing.”
“I”m not going to get too excited,” Clara said in her usual cautionary tone. “It”s just dinner. A friendly meal.”
Allison shook her head with a knowing smile playing on her lips, “Oh, Clara. I”ve known you for years, and you”re never just anything. This is far from a typical friendly meal.”
Clara blushed once again, trying to hide her excitement at the prospect of dinner with James. It would be her first date in twenty-something years. The thought was both thrilling and terrifying.”
“Allison, you”re making me nervous,” she confessed, wringing her hands nervously.
“Don”t be. It”s time for a fresh start. A little romance will do wonders for your soul.”
Clara hesitated, a flicker of uncertainty in her eyes. “But he”s only in town for a week. What”s the point?”
Lisa chuckled, patting Clara”s hand. “Sweetie, the point is you have to get back on the bike. Dating isn”t about marrying. You date to get to know someone. Sometimes they are worthy of a second date and sometimes they aren”t. That”s part of the dating process. No expectations, no pressure. Just enjoy the moments you have. It might be exactly what you need to dip your toes back into the dating pool.”
Clara nodded, knowing her friend was right. The idea of living the rest of her life alone was not appealing. But neither was getting hurt again. Maybe a first date was exactly what she needed to feel better about the idea of dating regularly. Not that there were a lot of options in her sleepy hometown.
“I want you to know, I”m terrified,” Clara told her.
“What”s the worst that can happen?” Allison shrugged.
“Don”t even get me started,” Clara groaned. “Trust me, my imagination is very healthy. I can think of about a hundred scenarios.”
“If he”s passing through, it doesn”t matter. You won”t see him again, anyway. If you go through dinner with spinach stuck in your teeth, it”s fine. You won”t have to worry about seeing him around town and being embarrassed.”
“Oh, nice, that really helps calm my nerves,” Clara sighed.
Allison giggled, her eyes sparkling with mischief. “Oh Clara, just be yourself. That”s all you can ever do. If he liked you enough to ask you to coffee and you passed that test and he asked you to dinner, you”re doing something right. Just be you. If it turns out you have nothing in common, so be it. You move on. You”ve been looking at this dating thing all wrong. It”s just a meal. Period. Nothing else.”
Clara looked at Allison for a moment and then smiled. “Alright, fine, I”ll try to be myself,” she said, drawing out the words playfully.
Allison clapped her hands together in triumph. “What are you going to wear?”
Clara gestured to herself. “This.”
“Oh no,” Allison shook her head. “You can”t show up to dinner wearing the same thing he already saw you in.”
“Allison! Now you”re making me nervous!”
“Relax,” Allison assured her. “Nothing fancy. Maybe the same pants. Those make your butt look great. A different blouse. Something with a little sparkle. And heels. See, simple.”
It wasn”t simple, but Clara was determined to make the most of it. She had spent long enough wallowing in self-pity.
Allison took her friend”s hand, a look of determination in her eyes. “Clara, this isn”t just about impressing James. This is about you. You taking control of your life again. Of being happy. Trust me, even if James isn”t the one for you, you are going to feel amazing for taking this major first step.”
Clara sighed deeply, absorbing Allison”s words. She was right. This wasn”t just about dinner with James, it was about reclaiming her life.
“Okay,” she said, trying to sound more confident than she felt. “I”ll change the blouse. I”ll wear heels.”
As Clara returned to her duties at the library, her mind buzzed with anticipation for the evening ahead. The two of them worked together opening boxes and assessing the condition of the books. Allison looked up some of the titles to determine their value. Any books of value would not be made available to be checked out.
“I have to go,” Allison said after a while. “Phil and I have dinner plans with his parents. Wish me luck.”
“Thanks for helping out with this.”
“This was fun,” she replied. “It”s nice to finally see what was being kept under lock and key at the big old house.”
“We”re supposed to get another delivery of boxes tomorrow.”
“I can”t wait. I”ll come by after I finish running errands and you have to give me all the dirty details about your date.”
“Allison, you sound like a gossipy schoolgirl.”
“And you sound like a deflated balloon. Come on, Clara, give me something to look forward to! I am looking forward to living vicariously through you on your dating journey.”
“Fine! Get out of here before I change my mind about the date altogether,” Clara said, waving her friend off with a roll of her eyes.
Grinning, Allison waltzed out of the library leaving Clara alone with the maze of unpacked boxes and old books. Clara sighed deeply, taking a moment to steady her hammering heart. It was just dinner. Just a man. Just... life happening all around her while she remained stagnant for too long. Even if James didn”t have any romantic interest in her, he was interesting to talk to.
She continued sorting through the boxes of items, the routine offering a welcome distraction. Among the treasures, she uncovered an old, leather-bound journal. She opened it and realized it was probably something that wasn”t supposed to be included in the donation box.
There wasn”t time to get into it. Clara tucked it into her bag, eager to explore its contents when she had time. Just then, she needed to close up the library and then go home to get ready for her date.
Just the word date had her stomach filling with butterflies.