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“Why? Why what?”
“Why don’t you date?”
He wants an answer, but the real reason I’m a loser doesn’t seem like the right thing to say, “Because…,” I look around and spot Candy coming out of the back room, “Because I’m too busy. Much too busy. With the shop opening soon and the…”
“But you have to eat, right?” Is this a trick question? Does he not see the box of doughnuts that have already hit my thighs from last night? “Why not do it with me?”
I can only stare back at him as I try to play catch up. Is he asking me… if I’ll go out with him?
“Have lunch with me tomorrow.”
Lunch? Lunch isn’t really romantic. Maybe he’s interested in me for something other than romantic reasons. For all I know he needs someone to babysit. I didn’t really see him as a dad but you never know.
“Um, okay, I guess I can.” In my head, I’ve already ran the scenario of him wanting me to watch his kid, or maybe have a play date with Tandy since he’s met her and no one who has met Tandy couldn’t help but fall in love with her.
“So, I’ll come for you tomorrow. Sound good?”
Actually, it sounds kind of like a threat. Or a warning. But instead of saying either of those I just give him a small head shake. When he leaves, he looks back and gives me a toothy grin before finally walking out. I stare at the door even after he’s gone. I’m not sure how long I would have kept staring at it but I’m shaken out of the stupor when Candy’s shirt brushes my elbow.
She’s also staring at the closed door, but her face tells me it’s not because he’s left her shocked and spacey like I am. The frown kind of gave her disapproval away.
“You think I shouldn’t go?”
She looks at me, but the frown isn’t there anymore. “I think I’m going to have to ask someone if he’s alright or if I need to do something about him.”
“Why would you have to ‘do something about him’?” She gives me a look of disbelief. “I’m sure the only reason he wants to go to lunch with me is so he can ask me to do a play date with Tandy or something.”
“Sweetheart, I don’t think it’s Tandy he wants to have a play date with.”
“He’s not interested in me like that.” I give her a rueful smile. “I couldn’t keep a guy like Grayson’s attention on me for the span of even a lunch thing.”
She doesn’t look convinced. We go back to work without talking about it for the rest of the day - thank God! I don’t know how to explain to them that the man isn’t attracted to me like they think he is.
The next morning, I make sure to wear something comfortable that won’t make the poor man think I want him. I’m sure he gets that a lot… from everybody. Jeans and a sweater have to be the most unsexy thing to wear. I wore this very outfit when I picked Tandy up from her play date with Charlotte. Totally says I’m here to accept your offer of a play date.
The morning drags by, and I hate to admit I keep looking at the clock and waiting. I probably shouldn’t be looking forward to this as much as I am. When he doesn’t show at exactly noon, my heart hits the floor. I shouldn’t have been so eager to go with him. Candy comes out from the back when he’s ten minutes late, but I don’t look up from what I’m doing. I don’t want to see the look on her face because she’s realized he’s not coming.
“You alright, Bon?”
“Yeah. Why wouldn’t I be?” Sounds completely normal, right?
She opens her mouth to say something when the door swings open and a disheveled Grayson steps inside. “I’m so sorry I’m late. I couldn’t get away from Mrs. Guttenberg telling me about her cat.”
Mrs. Guttenberg is eighty-six and lives for her cat, Rachel. I can’t help but break into a grin thinking about this poor man trying to get away from her telling him about Rachel’s spaying or what she hacked up this morning.
“It’s alright. She’s got me a time or two in the grocery store too, so I completely understand.”
“It’s not really. No one should keep you waiting.” His eyes run over what I’m wearing and suddenly I feel like what I have on isn’t as innocent as I first thought. “If she wasn't eighty-six I would have walked right out too, but…she’s,”
“Eighty-six.” I finish for him. “I think it’s sweet. It says a lot about you that you aren’t willing to walk away from her or hurt her feelings.”
“Really? What exactly does it say?”
The way he is looking at me sends a thrill down my body that I try hard to suppress. He doesn’t make it any better by wrapping his hand around mine and pulling me from the store.
“Oh, um, well, it just… it makes you a nice person, and kind. And, um… I just think it’s sweet.”
He gives me a big smile as we start walking down the sidewalk towards the diner. “Is the diner alright? I wanted to stay close so you wouldn’t have to rush to get back.”
