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13
Elizabeth
The rancid smell of piss and vomit hits me with a vengeance the moment we enter the tiny bathroom, my stomach churning as I turn to scowl at Julianna. “What’s your deal?”
“Why didn’t you tell me about the dreamboat out there?” she asks, pointing her thumb over her shoulder.
I roll my eyes and let out a sigh. Someone exits one of the stalls and I gesture toward it, offering it to her first, but she shakes her head.
“Well, apparently you were already told about him,” I say, entering the stall. “There isn’t much else to tell.”
“So, you aren’t seeing him?” She steps closer to the stall door.
“No!” I screech. “I don’t even know the guy.”
“Yeah, well…the two of you seem very comfortable with each other. I don’t think I’ve ever seen you cut up or talk to someone you don’t know with so much ease before.”
It is bizarre how relaxed I feel around him. I tend to be a bit untrusting of new people. But he doesn’t feel like a stranger. Which sounds completely ludicrous.
“His laidback personality makes me feel at ease, I guess. I don’t know. But we aren’t seeing each other. This is the first time I’ve seen him since we ran into each other at the coffee shop,” I explain, flushing the toilet and exiting the stall.
Julianna steps back enough for me to exit before following me over to the sink, continuing to pester me as I wash my hands. “You do realize he wants to date you, right?”
I look up at her in the mirror, my cheeks flushing. “I highly doubt Brenden has any desire to date a widowed mother of two.” I reach for a paper towel to dry my hands, trying to ignore the stuttering of my heart.
“After what I witnessed out there, I’d say you’re very wrong about that.” She smirks in the mirror, applying more lip gloss. “What about you? Any interest in dating him?”
“No.” The lie causes a tightness to build in my chest.
Like it or not, Brenden has piqued my interest. Dating may be out of the realm of possibility for me, but that didn’t stop me from thinking about him for the past two weeks. Even with all my armor, he’s gotten under my skin.
“Why not? Would it really be such a bad thing?” she asks.
“Yes.” I cross my arms, stepping away from the counter to make room for another woman. “I couldn’t do that to Xander.”
Julianna follows close behind me as I make my way back into the bar, her voice straining as she tries to continue the unwanted conversation over the noise. “Don’t you think Xander would want you to—”
“Go around dating a bunch of men?” I come to an abrupt stop and face her, trying to dodge all the people brushing past us. “No, I don’t think he’d want that. Or for me to bring those random men into our children’s lives.”
The end of my sentence echoes around us as the music momentarily dies down, further flustering me. This isn’t the first time I’ve had this conversation with someone, and it most likely won’t be the last, but it never seems to get any easier. I finally took my wedding rings off last week, tucking them away for safe keeping so the kids can have them one day. But that doesn’t mean I’m ready to start a new relationship.
“Hey,” Julianna reaches out to rub my arm, “I’m not suggesting you go around dating a bunch of men. That isn’t you. I just don’t want you to completely shut down the possibility of dating again. You like Brenden. I can see it. Xander wouldn’t want you to be alone.”
Tears form in my eyes as a lump grows in my throat. A part of me knows she’s right, but I’m not ready for that—not even close.
I’m not sure I ever will be.
Brenden
“I knew you couldn’t have gone to school around here. There’s no way I wouldn’t remember you,” the redhead coos, leaning forward to reveal more of her cleavage.
Fighting the urge to laugh at her desperation, I give her a dull smile before scanning for Lizzy again. This woman needs to get to the point and leave. I don’t want her here when Lizzy returns.
After Jon left to get us another round, the woman he pointed out on the dance floor approached our table. Even though I showed zero interest, she still took it upon herself to take a seat. I’m not sure whether she doesn’t realize I haven’t paid attention to anything she’s said or simply doesn’t care, but she’s been gabbing like I give a damn.
“I’m sorry,” I sigh, my politeness wearing thin, “I’m sitting with some friends and they’ll be back any second now.”
“Oh, right, of course.” She straightens her back, lifting her chin. “Will you be going home with these friends?”
