Chapter 1 Faith #2
“Right this way,” the hostess says as she guides us through the restaurant.
Dark wood walls that showcase brightly colored oil paintings.
The burnt orange and brown-tiled floors lead us to the back of the restaurant.
The aroma of Italian meat sauce, pasta, and freshly baked bread makes my mouth water for my favorite dish, the lobster ravioli with white sauce.
And I won’t complain about dipping the bread into Buena Vista's signature garlic infused oil because it’s amazing.
The hostess leads us to a semi-private high-back U-shaped booth. We all slide in, and it’s perfect for spilling the deets about Colin. Being on this side of the restaurant, I won’t feel like everyone will hear me.
Every girls’ dinner, we start off with a shot of tequila and end with dessert and decaf coffee. It’s our thing. We’ve been doing this for years now, very rarely missing the opportunity to get together. Surprisingly, Kendall hasn’t blown us off for Dane, now that they are engaged.
“The usual to start, girls?” Kendall asks and signals for the waiter to come over.
We all nod in agreement.
The waiter comes over immediately to pour water and take our order. The minute he leaves our table, Kendall is all about Colin.
“What happened?” She looks at me and raises an eyebrow. It’s like she has more to say but stops herself.
“Ok…It was one of the worst dates in a while. My previous dates, at least some, attempted conversation. Colin was more interested in his phone and complaining about work than actually having a conversation with me.”
Lane’s midnight-blue eyes are wide and unblinking. “Are you telling me he put in no effort to get to know you?”
“He was very self-absorbed. When he droned on about his job, I leaned back in my chair and crossed my arms in hopes he’d get the hint. Nope. He just kept talking. He sometimes avoided eye contact when he was talking to me so he could watch TV.”
Addison blows air out of her mouth and says, “He sounds like a real winner.”
“Addison, you would have died. He was not only late, but when he finally arrived, he was still on the phone until after we were seated.” I roll my eyes when the thought comes tumbling into my head. “And it was just one of his buddies.”
She slams her fist against the table, which is surprising how much force comes out of that petite body. “I wouldn’t have put up with that. He would have been dead to me when he showed up late and on his phone.” Addison rolls her sapphire eyes, fluttering her thick lashes.
“I giggled thinking about your reaction to him. I wanted to give it a chance. People run late all the time.” I wink, knowing I run late a lot.
“I’m definitely lucky I met Dane, and every day I wish all my friends the same kind of happiness.” Kendall takes a sip of her wine.
They have quite the love story that started in a very interesting way last year, and now they are engaged.
I’m happy they found each other, but I wish my luck would change, too.
Maybe I’m giving off some sort of stay away from me, I’m damaged goods kind of vibe.
The last couple years of dating proved there are a lot of duds out there.
My dreams of finding the love of my life are dwindling.
“Your luck needs to change, Faith. You deserve a great guy. Someone you could spend time together eating out at all your favorite restaurants, going to the movies, and fall madly in love with. I see it in your eyes when you watch all those romantic movies and cry.” Kendall sighs.
“I should swear off men,” I declare.
“No, I’m asking Dane to see if he has a friend or co-worker we can set you up with,” Kendall says, crinkling up her face as she taps her chin dramatically.
She’s not wrong. I want to fall madly in love. The feeling of full-body goosebumps, the fluttering in my belly, my soul yearning to be with someone that I want to spend quality time with and not have any hesitations.
“Another setup? No, thanks!”
I’m thirty years old, and I’ve had just a few boyfriends since the love of my life shattered my heart into pieces.
It seems like I’m on a date a couple times a week, but in reality, it’s only about twice a month.
They all make me feel exhausted, though.
I get my hopes up, then I’m disappointed.
Maybe I’ll take a sabbatical from dating.
One minute, I want someone to share my life with, and the next, I swear off all guys. Being me is entertaining, at least.
“Come on, girl. You have nothing to lose but a couple of hours and everything to gain—like a hottie that loves you,” Kendall urges. She really can be very persuasive.
Despite it all, I know that, deep down, part of me is still with my high school sweetheart, Jude.
It’s been almost twelve years, and he’s the only one I can’t seem to forget about.
But I have to move on. If I don’t, I’ll be living in the past and continuing to second guess all of my decisions.
It’s time to think about the future and find a man that I can share my life with.
“I think I need to say yes, or I fear I’ll end up living in my house with a dozen cats.”
“That’s depressing. Well, let’s see what Dane says. It’s worth a shot. You just have to keep trying and putting yourself out there,” Kendall reiterates as she rubs my shoulder with so much affection. I lean into her.
“What the hell. Why not?”