Chapter 16
CHAPTER SIXTEEN
Audrey lifted her mug to her lips, lightly sipping her hot and creamy caramel macchiato. Around her, the customers of Morning Brew chatted and laughed, enjoying their beverages and baked treats. Audrey closed her eyes for a moment, taking a deep breath.
I feel so jittery, she thought. I’m so excited to see Penelope and Harper, but I don’t know if I should tell them about my date with Evan or not.
She sighed, opening her eyes and taking a nibble out of the cinnamon roll she’d ordered. Although the taste of the soft dough was scrumptious, she felt that she couldn’t fully enjoy it because of her nerves.
She looked out the window at Coral Sand’s main street.
It was a beautiful spring day and the sky was a glorious blue.
Instead of seeing the passing pedestrians or the sunlight dancing on the tree leaves, however, she saw the basement of The Seagulls’ Nest Antiques, and Evan McBride’s disappointed expression when she’d decided not to kiss him.
Had he been expecting to kiss me? she wondered.
I hadn’t thought it was really that kind of a date.
Wasn’t he just trying to make up for the fact that we’d gotten off on the wrong foot?
So if it was just a casual kind of date like that, there’s no need to tell my friends about it and get people talking.
She took another bite out of her cinnamon roll, mulling over whether or not she should tell her friends.
On the one hand, she wanted to talk about her date with Evan because it was still on her mind and she would have loved to get her friends’ opinions on everything that had happened.
On the other hand, she felt hesitant to talk about a date that could easily not turn into another one.
She had no idea what Evan was thinking, or if he would want to go out with her again.
She had just decided not to tell Penelope and Harper about the date when she realized that it was more than possible that people in town were already talking about the fact that she’d gone out with Evan.
He was the mayor, after all, and apparently he was famous for his grumpy temperament.
The sight of him out on a date with a newcomer to town was sure to spark interest. She didn’t want to hold back from telling her friends about the date if they’d already heard about it.
“Audrey!”
She looked up and saw Penelope waving at her from the front of the coffee shop. Harper stepped inside right behind her, and they both hurried over to Audrey’s table.
“Hi,” Audrey said, giving them both warm hugs. “Great to see you guys.”
“Let us just run up to the counter to get our drinks, and then we can all settle down at a bigger table?” Penelope said.
“Sounds perfect,” Audrey said. “How about that one over there in the corner?”
The table she was pointing to was cozy, but it was also fairly secluded. The moment she’d suggested it, she wondered if part of her had picked it because she knew that they would be able to talk there without fear of being overheard.
“Love it,” Harper said.
While her friends were ordering drinks and pastries, Audrey picked up her cinnamon roll and caramel macchiato and carried them over to the table in the corner.
I won’t talk about Evan, she told herself. I’ll just sit quietly and let them tell me all about what’s been going on in their lives.
A moment later, Harper and Penelope arrived at their table with lattes and pastries.
“What did you get?” Audrey asked as they sat down.
“A blueberry chocolate chip muffin,” Harper said, gesturing cutely to her bakery as if it was a work of art that she’d made personally.
“Looks delicious,” Audrey said. “What about you, Penelope?”
“This right here is a world class lemon-filled doughnut,” Penelope said. “I always get these when I come here.”
“I remember that.” Audrey grinned. “Some habits never change, I guess.”
Penelope nodded. “Some habits never should.” She tore a bite off her lemony treat and popped it into her mouth. “So what’s been going on with you two? Audrey, you go first. Have you had any more unexpected run-ins with our charming but grumpy mayor?”
“Yeah, I went on a date with him,” Audrey blurted, unable to stop herself.
Harper nearly dropped her coffee cup and Penelope stopped chewing to stare at Audrey.
“You what?”
“A date?”
Both women squealed and then began chattering at once.
“What do you mean, a date?” Harper asked, leaning forward gleefully. “Like he asked you out on a date?”
“I need details,” Penelope said, grinning impishly. “This is the best enemies-to-lovers plot twist I’ve ever heard in my life.”
Audrey shook her head, blushing. “Slow down, it was just a little date. Yes, he asked me out, but it’s not like—I mean, don’t act like we’re the next local romance or something.”
“So you don’t think you’re the next local romance?” Harper asked, nibbling her muffin. “The date didn’t go well?”
“No, it’s not that the date didn’t go well,” Audrey said slowly. “I mean, it did and it didn’t, but—”
“What went well?” Penelope prompted, her eyes twinkling.
“Well, he—he bought me lemonade and fudge, both of which tasted amazing. And we played a few games. He’s actually really fun to be around. He’s got this amazing smile—”
“Oh, he does, does he?” Harper squealed, clapping her hands together. “You’re blushing, Audrey.”
“Oh my gosh.” Audrey unfolded her napkin and held it in front of her face like a mini curtain. “I mean, it wasn’t that great of a date.”
“But he’s got a great smile,” Penelope prompted, clearly trying to nudge more juicy details out of her friend. “And he was fun?”
“Yeah, he made me laugh. He was goofy, which I wasn’t expecting.
But the flea market itself was fun,” Audrey added, wanting to backpedal and stop making such a fuss about her date with Evan, despite how excited her friends were.
“It was just the kind of thing that would have been enjoyable with anyone.”
“Hmm. Sounds like you like him.” Penelope popped another piece of her lemon-filled doughnut into her mouth.
“It sounds like you’re anxious, actually,” Harper said softly, her perceptive green eyes glinting with sympathy. “How come?”
Audrey smiled at her, grateful for how insightful she was. “I’m not necessarily anxious, but I am—well, not worried exactly, but just kind of unsure. I mean, the ashes of my marriage are still smoking. Am I really ready to start dating again?”
Penelope nodded appreciatively at her metaphor.
“I think that’s the kind of thing where you become ready little by little.
Sure, you’re not ready to get married again right now, but I think you are ready to go out on a date.
After all, you said yes, didn’t you? I don’t think you’re the type of person who would go on a date unless you actually wanted to. ”
Audrey nodded. “That’s true. But you can want something and not want it at the same time. Emotions are complicated. So is dating.”
“True, but I think Penelope’s got a good point.” Harper took a thoughtful sip of her latte. “You don’t need to feel all kinds of pressure about this date. All relationships can move at different paces, and if you want to start something with Evan but take things slow, just communicate that to him.”
“I second that,” Penelope said, smiling warmly at Audrey.
“There’s nothing wrong with enjoying this experience.
You don’t need to know all the answers yet.
You don’t need to know anything at all yet!
It’s okay to just have fun and let yourself be attracted to him and see where it goes.
” She made a goofy face, but Audrey detected a trace of actual bitterness in her eyes.
“Sometimes you never know where a relationship will lead. Half the time I don’t even know what the future of my marriage holds. ”
Despite Penelope’s playful attitude, Audrey could sense that her friend was truly upset deep down. She took Penelope’s hand and squeezed it.
“I don’t want to talk about me too much,” she said. “I don’t want to be insensitive, chatting on about something that isn’t even really a thing yet.”
Penelope shook her head. “Don’t feel like that. We always love to talk about whatever’s going on in each other’s lives, and you have the floor right now. Besides, it’s actually fun to live vicariously through you and remember more care-free times.”
Audrey smiled and nodded, understanding what her friend meant and wanting to be supportive. Inside, however, she was shaking her head.
I guess in a lot of ways my predicament is easier than wading through the murky waters of marriage problems, she thought, but this feels anything but carefree.
I don’t know what to do moving forward. I’m not even sure how I feel about him—and I’m definitely not sure how I feel about dating anyone right now.
She took a sip of her caramel macchiato, finding that she enjoyed it a great deal more now that she’d shared her news with her friends.
She found herself hoping that she would get a chance to see Evan again, feeling that would be helpful.
She would probably know what she wanted better if she had the man standing in front of her.
She crossed her fingers under the table, hoping that another interaction with Evan would happen organically, and she wouldn’t have to seek him out. Seeking him out felt like a decision, and she didn’t feel ready to make any decisions connected with Evan McBride yet.