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Before she could change her mind, she snaked her hand beneath the sheet. Saturday night couldn’t come soon enough for Beth. She had no idea if they would attempt to play that night, but if things went well, she had every intention of taking Drew up on his offer and letting him return the favor.
***
Chapter 13
By the time Saturday afternoon rolled around, Beth was becoming nauseous from all the ups and downs she’d experienced in the last day and a half. One minute she was looking forward to her date with Drew. The next minute, she was debating whether or not to call it off.
Nicole had been her saving grace. Every time Beth started to get cold feet, she’d call her best friend and get reassured that she wasn’t being stupid by giving Drew a shot. Honestly, she was making herself sick with all the dependency, but she needed a shoulder to lean on and Nicole got the luck of the draw.
“You ready for this?” Nicole asked.
It was four fifteen and Beth was standing in front of her bathroom mirror fixing her hair and makeup. She had her friend on speakerphone so she could get ready and talk at the same time. Drew had sent her a text on Friday letting her know that he’d pick her up at five on Saturday evening. Giving him her address had taken more resolve than giving him her phone number, but she’d done it. His reply back to her, including a smiley face and a ‘see you tomorrow’, had her grinning and all feelings of unease disappeared.
With less than an hour until he was due to show up on her doorstep, she’d needed Nicole’s support yet again. “I think so. I just hope I’m making the right decision. The friends thing was working well. What if this ruins it?”
“What if it makes it better?” Nicole countered.
“I know. I’m just worried about all the what-ifs. I can’t help it.”
“Considering what that jackass Ben did to you, it’s not surprising. Speaking of which, he hasn’t shown up again, has he?”
Beth had told Nicole about Ben showing up at the café earlier that week. Her friend had wanted to track him down and have a nice long chat with him. It was a sweet notion, and Beth appreciated it, but she also knew it wouldn’t help anything in the long run. If Ben showed up again, she would most likely have to look into getting a restraining order. That wasn’t a pleasant thought, but she couldn’t have him continuing to show up at her shop and disrupt her and her business.
“No.” She finished running the brush through her hair, and debated whether or not to put it up or leave it down. “I just wish I knew what he wanted. First the club, and now the café? And why so much time in between? It doesn’t make sense.”
“No, it doesn’t. But you know what they say. Curiosity killed the cat.”
She laughed. “Thanks. I’ll try and remember that.”
Deciding to leave her hair loose, Beth cleaned up the counter, and went to her bedroom to start getting dressed. Drew said they would be keeping things casual, so she was opting for shorts and a fitted T-shirt.
“Just remember to relax and have fun. It’s just a date. And Drew seems like a nice guy.”
Beth waited until she’d pulled her shirt over her head before answering. “So did Ben, at first.”
“You have to learn to trust again sometime.”
“Maybe I need to have that tattooed across my forehead or something.”
“Nah. If it was on your forehead, you’d only see it when you looked in the mirror.”
As usual, talking to Nicole had lightened her mood considerably. “Okay, I think I’m ready. And . . .” Beth glanced at the clock beside her bed. “I have over twenty minutes to kill. Just enough time for me to psych myself out again.”
Nicole snorted, and Beth could almost see her rolling her eyes. “Do you have any idea where he’s taking you?”
Beth strolled into her living room and took a seat on her couch. “I asked, but he said he wanted to surprise me.”
They spent the next several minutes throwing out ideas on where Drew might be taking her on their date. It had started with things such as dinner and a movie, but by the time a knock sounded on her front door, they were both giggling and making jokes about outrageous costumes and scavenger hunts.
“I think he’s here.”
“Relax, and have fun. Oh, and call me tomorrow. I want details.” With that, Nicole hung up, not giving Beth time to respond. Sighing, she tucked her phone into her purse before going to answer the door.
Drew stood on her front porch with a small bunch of red flowers. They looked a little like lilies, but she’d never seen lilies that color before.
“Hi.”
“I hope I’m not too early. I couldn’t wait any longer.” He gave her that smile she loved so much.
