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“We have time to figure it out.”
Charli had once dreamed about being able to go on a date to a restaurant where they wouldn’t have to worry about someone seeing them and revealing their relationship before they were ready to. Now, she was getting one “date” with no promise of anything more.
“Yep. We do.”
Needing the conversation to be over, Charli said, “I’d better go.”
“Thanks for talking to me. I’m sure you didn’t want to, so I appreciate that you did.”
She didn’t bother to dispute his comment, because while it wasn’t one hundred percent true, there was some truth to his assumption.
After saying goodbye, Charli flopped back onto her bed beside the pile of laundry she was supposed to be folding. She stared up at the ceiling, trying to figure out what had just happened.
Charli was still trying to figure that out the following Saturday as she got dressed for their dinner.
“Why are you wearing that on your date?” Janessa asked from where she was sitting against Charli’s headboard.
Charli looked at herself in the mirror next to her walk-in closet. Though she might have taken offense any other time, that day, she didn’t. It had taken her a long time to decide what to wear because it was so hard to shut down the little voice in her head that was trying to convince her to choose something she’d know for certain that Blake would like.
“I mean, it’s not a bad color,” Janessa said as she regarded the red, long-sleeved silky blouse Charli wore. “But I would have thought you’d go with purple or that soft pink that looks so nice on you.”
Normally, she would have, but she happened to know that Blake liked both those colors on her, and she didn’t want to be dressing with him in mind. Regardless of what Janessa might be calling it, she was choosing to think of it as just dinner and not a date.
“I like the style of this blouse.” Charli smoothed her hands down her sides. “And it’s comfortable.”
Janessa sat forward, drawing her legs up to cross them on the bed. “You don’t think anything is going to come of this, do you?”
“Not really,” Charli said with a shrug. “I mean, we’re going out because you guys basically held a gun to our heads.”
“That doesn’t mean you can’t enjoy yourselves and get to know each other.”
“Just remember that this is a one-time thing,” Charli said as she went into her bathroom to make sure her hair was okay.
Janessa followed and leaned against the doorjamb, her arms crossed. “But you should at least keep an open mind for this evening.”
“I will.”
Janessa gave a huff. “You never keep an open mind where men are concerned, so honestly, I’m not holding out much hope that you will for Blake.”
“Then why are you forcing me to go out with him?”
“Because every once in a while, you need to be reminded that you don’t have to be alone. That decent men still exist.”
Charli finished brushing her hair and set the brush on the counter. Would Janessa still think Blake was decent if she knew everything?
“We’ll see how it goes,” Charli said, picking up the bottle of her favorite perfume and lightly spritzing herself.
Janessa followed her back into the bedroom, standing there as Charli pulled on the ankle boots she’d decided to pair with her pleated black slacks. They would give her a couple more inches of height, though she’d still be a few inches shorter than Blake.
When Janessa’s phone chirped, she looked at the screen. “Will says Blake is here.”
A swarm of butterflies erupted inside Charli’s stomach, and for a moment, she wanted to call it all off. Nothing good could come from them spending time together.
“Let’s go,” Janessa said as she slipped her arm through Charli’s. It was like she didn’t trust Charli to make it downstairs without supervision.
Charli grabbed her purse, which already had her phone in it, then allowed Janessa to drag her out of her room. The murmur of male voices in the distance did nothing to quell the nervous fluttering in her stomach.
As she and Janessa walked into the living room, both men turned in their direction. Blake’s gaze landed on her, and after a moment’s hesitation, he gave her a smile. When her stomach knotted with even more nerves, Charli wasn’t sure she was going to have an appetite once they got to the restaurant.
