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I feel isolated and alone, even though I'm surrounded by people.
The endless buzz and chatter of people talking, laughing, and screaming in the water fills my mind and I wish for silence.
And for just a moment I wish for some peace and quiet alone.
Or maybe not alone.
I wish Damien was with me.
Two hours later.
We're finally sitting at a table in a restaurant. Ben is telling an incredible story about hiking with his ex when a rainstorm washed away the trail behind them, forcing them forward until they came across a ranger who told them to get back to safety.
I envy him for being able to remember the good moments in a relationship that ultimately went bad. I'm not good at that. All I can think about when I think of Jake are the horrible, awful things. It's like the good memories are locked away in a trunk somewhere, and I can't access them without a key that I lost the day I caught him cheating on me.
“Hey, isn't that...?” Cassie says, interrupting Ben’s story with an apologetic smile as they all turn to look. I follow her gesture and see him.
Damien walks into the restaurant and scans the room.
His gaze locks with mine and I see a charming smile curve the corners of his lips. Cassie gestures him over with a wave of her hand and I stare at her. She glances at me with a smile and lifts both shoulders. “What? He's hot. I think you should go for it.” She pops a bite of bread into her mouth, and Ben nods his head.
“And we all know you won't make a move unless we push.” Ben’s words have me glaring at him with mock outrage next. In all honesty, I'm glad that Cassie waved him over. And I'm thrilled that my friends seem to like this stranger, because I like him too. I don't know why their validation matters, but it does. Maybe I'm just burned and worried that I'm going to end up with another guy like Jake. But if my friends like him, then maybe he's not a bad guy.
“Can I sit here?” Damien asks me the question while making direct eye contact.
My heart begins to flutter in my throat, and I swallow hard before nodding my head. I love that even though he had my friend's permission to come join us, he still made sure that I want him here. There's something so respectful in that gesture it makes me melt inside.
My friends seem surprised and curious by his question, and Cassie and Amy begin to whisper amongst themselves. Ben, however, sits with both elbows planted on the table, his hands clasped together with his chin resting on his knuckles. He stares at us with an absolute adoration that makes me think he’s seeing the kind of relationship he’s longing for.
Which tells me he's reading far too much into this situation.
“Please,” I say, gesturing at the chair beside me.
Damien's smile grows as he pulls the chair out and sits beside me. He's so close, I can feel the warmth of his leg through his slacks as I sit in my little sundress. His gaze locks on mine before scanning the table and coming back to me again, that slight smile making my heart beat double time.
“Please introduce me to your lovely friends,” he says in a low voice as if he’s speaking only to me. I feel seen, validated, heard, like I’m the center of his attention, and I wonder if I can even find my voice as he engages me in conversation like we never stopped talking.
Before I can answer him, Amy speaks up. “I actually met Zoe when she was going through school to become a vet tech.” Amy runs nervous fingers through her blonde hair as she studies Damien with a look in her eyes that I don’t like. If I didn't know better, I'd think she was trying to flirt with him. “We hit it off right away because we have so much in common. We both love animals, books, music...” She trails off, watching him intently, even as his attention sweeps back to me. “We both planned to become vet techs, but she was the one who actually made it happen.”
“She does seem like the type to get things done.” As Damien says the words to Amy, he's still locked on me and his words leave me feeling warm inside.
“Well, I met Zoe at work.” As Ben says the words, a huge smile spreads across his face. “We work together in the same clinic and became best friends day one. When things went south with my now ex-wife, she was somebody I could count on and call day or night.”
I love how it almost sounds like he's trying to sell Damien on how good of a friend I am. Damien is still watching me, his gaze darting back and forth between my eyes.
“I think I'm the only one that didn't meet her in a work capacity. I know Zoe from book club,” Cassie says, while flipping her red hair over her shoulder. “We both love to read, and Zoe even writes a little bit.”
I can feel my cheeks burning red hot, and I glance at Cassie as if I can glare her into not saying another word about my private writing. But Cassie isn't listening to me. “Get a chance? You should definitely read one of her romance stories. I keep telling her she should get them published, but she doesn't listen to me. Maybe she'll listen to you.”
“Okay, Cass. Thank you.”
My friends all laugh at me as I politely tell Cassie to shut up without actually saying the words.
“I'm just telling you the truth, that you're talented and creative and don't believe it.” Cassie lifts her shoulders with an innocent expression, as if she's trying to get out of the fact that she’s sharing secrets.
“You never let me read anything you've written.” Amy sounds almost offended and Ben talks over her.
“I can’t imagine you writing a romance story. I want to read one!”
