Chapter Seven – Wren #3
“Younger. They’re… very different from me. If you lined us up together, you’d see the family resemblance, but their attitudes are worlds different than mine.” Reese shoots a grin my way. “Not that I’m saying I’m the perfect first-born child, but I do like to think I set the bar pretty high.”
That’s something I can understand. My parents always pushed me to accept nothing short of perfection, and that’s probably why I spiral so hard when things go wrong. If I ever have kids, I don’t think I’d push them toward perfection after knowing how hard it makes everything.
Literally, everything. Everything becomes next to impossible when perfection is the only thing that matters.
“Perfection,” I whisper. “I hate how much it matters to me. That’s something about myself I wish I could change.”
“If it’s any consolation, I think you’re perfect just the way you are.” The compliment flows out of him easily, and it catches me off-guard. All I can do is stare at him from across the table and wonder if he meant it, and based on the look on his face, he did.
Now, that’s something you don’t hear on first dates often, I don’t think. Having your date call you perfect. I’m getting all warm inside, and though I’ve been blushing this whole time, even more heat finds its way to my face.
I hope I’m not beat-red. How embarrassing.
Reese detects my inner turmoil. “You’re not used to compliments, are you?
” When I shake my head no, he tells me, “That’s a real shame, especially since everything I say is true.
You are perfect, and I wish more people would have told you that in the past—and I don’t mean it in the same way you do.
Being perfect and being a perfectionist aren’t the same things. ”
Now that, I’m not sure I agree with, so I make a sound that informs him of my thoughts on the subject.
“You don’t agree. Give it some time, and eventually you’ll see. You can have flaws. You can even fail at things. It doesn’t mean you aren’t perfect just the way you are. Being perfect isn’t about chasing perfection, it’s about being true to who you are.”
“I… I guess I never thought about it like that.”
All he does is grin at me, and those dimples make the butterflies in my stomach flutter. His blue eyes seemingly twinkle in the dim restaurant lighting, and yet I know I have his full, undivided attention. Either he’s good at first dates and telling girls what they want to hear, or…
Or this is something real, and that possibility scares me so much.
We eat, we talk, we laugh. It’s a remarkably easy thing, being here with Reese.
I thought it might be awkward or that we wouldn’t have anything to talk about, but he’s very good at keeping the conversation going, which puts me at ease and makes me more comfortable.
And the way he keeps looking at me is enough to make me forget all about the pain in my past.
How does he look at me? Well, maybe it’s silly, but I feel like I’m the only girl in the world when those beautiful blue eyes are on me.
When the bill comes, Reese pays it even though I offer to pay my half. Once that’s done, we walk out of the restaurant side by side, slowly heading to his car. I don’t know how long we were there together, but a big part of me doesn’t want to end this date quite yet.
He opens the passenger door for me, and before I get in, I turn toward him and say, “Is there anything else we could do? I mean, I wouldn’t be opposed to this date lasting a bit longer.” I fiddle with my hands as I stumble over my words. “I don’t really want it to end.”
“Well,” he says, leaning his right arm on the open car door.
He stands less than a foot away from me, and I have to crane my head back to meet his gaze.
“We could go see a movie, or—” There’s a long pause, a knowing glint in his eyes.
“—depending on how comfortable you are, we could always hang out for a while at my place.”
My breath catches. It’s a good thing the parking lot is relatively dark, otherwise he’d definitely see the instant blush on my cheeks when he suggested that second thing. Going back to his place; is that something I’m ready for? Is it something I want? Knowing what could possibly happen there…
Oh, who am I trying to kid? The way I feel is almost indescribable. It’s way too late to label this as love at first sight, but I definitely feel a connection to him. I wouldn’t mind exploring that connection, as much as it might shock the old me to admit.
Besides, I went home with Logan when I didn’t even know him. I don’t think going home with Reese could possibly turn out worse than that.
I say the only thing I can: “Let’s go back to your place for a while.”
The smile Reese gives me after that is one that is deliciously slow, unlike any other smile he’s ever given me before. It almost looks mischievous, devilish, but not in a way that makes me uncomfortable. No, that sleek, sly grin only makes me wonder if he already knew which option I’d choose.
I don’t know where the night will take us, but I’m ready to find out.