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She nods several times. “Fair assumption. I’ve never been married. No kids. I’m waiting for the universe to open that door. But I do have a date next weekend, so there’s hope for me. However, I’m a little nervous.” Her nose crinkles.
“Why is that?”
“He’s the grandson of a customer who shops at the store nearly every day. Herb is my favorite customer.”
My eyes widen. “A matchmaking grandfather. That’s pretty special.”
“And scary.” She sips her drink and rubs her lips together before canting her head. “What?”
I grin. “Nothing. I just can’t believe I’m having dinner with you.”
“I know. It’s such a small world.”
No, it’s not. It’s a massive world with nearly eight billion people, and it took a while to find her.
“Why is your date scary? Have you at least talked on the phone?”
“No.”
“Just texts?”
“No.”
“What?” I laugh.
“Herb, the grandpa, set it all up. One day, he asked if I’d consider going on a date with his grandson, and the next day, he gave me a date and time to meet said grandson for dinner at a sushi restaurant thirty minutes from the store.”
“That’s it?”
“I know he’s a ‘shy’ welder who loves kayaking and hiking.”
The waiter delivers our food and refills my water glass.
“And you said yes?” I retrieve my fork from the rolled napkin.
She bites into her wrap and chews for a few seconds. “Herb is the nicest guy. So I figured it's worth one date if his grandson is anything like him.”
“Shy sounds like code for you’d better be ready to carry the conversation for the entire night.”
Scottie wipes her mouth and nods. “Yes. I thought about that. If I’m not getting a good vibe, I’ll bore him to death with the minute details of my hobbies. If I like him, I’ll work my magic and get him to tell me his deepest secrets.”
“Magic? Is that like a spell?”
“You were under my spell, Price Milloy. Don’t act like you don’t remember.” Mischief shines in her eyes.
“That was a long time ago. I don’t think you remember me as well as you claim to.” Am I fishing for just the opposite? Absolutely. I remember everything about Scottie Rucker. But she walked away from me too easily to imagine I made much of an impression on her.
“You weren’t the guy who sat around contemplating life and eating salads.ThatI remember with complete clarity. You had a plan, and it was pretty darn close to world domination. Youwoke up at five to exercise. Showered by six. And you made it to your dad’s office before anyone else.”
“Ah, yes. I was an exhausting overachiever. A real ass.”
She remembers. Damn! My whole day has been made.
“Price.” She laughs. “Stop. You weren’t an ass. I envied your drive and work ethic. Your passion for setting goals and achieving them. I felt goalless.” Her chin drops, and the lighting isn’t great, but I think she’s blushing. “You were the one who got away.”
Scottie remembering absolutely anything about me is enough. I don’t need to be the one who got away. But I’ll take it. I’ll take anything she’ll give me. I’ll swallow each morsel like a pill that will let me live forever. I’ll wear her words as a magic cloak of immortality. Unfortunately, I have nothing to give her in return.
“As I recall, you gave me the boot. You punted. That’s not the same asgetting away. If a certain someone let another someone get away, it was I who let you get away … or push me away.”
