Page 62 of Miss Typed

I was still shaking my head while getting into my SUV, not knowing what to do with the information Teagan had provided. Did she actually think I was planning to cook dinner? Shit, would Chloe?

How the hell had I gone from trying to convince Chloe I wasn’t right for her to asking her to date me, to having her over for dinner? And now I was going to cook chicken parm, pairing it with white wine and a nut-free dessert.

Yet it wasn’t lost on me that I was smiling while looking up recipes on my phone.

I think the pivot point of wanting more had happened in Toronto. Why else would I have laid myself bare, blurting out why I’d barged into her life? Then, instead of feeling sorry for me or staying angry, she’d offered cheeseburgers. Such a simple, genuine gesture to put me at ease when I’d been at my most vulnerable. Then last night, she’d called me on my hot and cold behavior. Well, it was time to pick one. She was right; I could offer her better than what I’d given so far.

I couldn’t figure out quite how she did it, but Chloe pulled me out of my dark places. I only hoped I didn’t end up dragging her into those ugly places instead.

I was a man who’d gone from swearing off relationships to one who was planning the ultimate date. Unexpected anxiety crept up, but I tamped it down. We’d talk before anything physical happened and establish boundaries. I might want her more than I’d ever desired any woman, but I wouldn’t cross the line unless I could convince myself I wouldn’t end up hurting her.

Now to tackle the challenge of making chicken parmesan. Couldn’t be too hard to follow a recipe, right? After all, I could field strip and reassemble an M-16 in fifty-three seconds. Surely I could manage a dinner fit for consumption.

* * *

I opted to work from home, mainly to give my leg a rest. And because I was worried about Reid and wanted to check on him. He’d taken the day off to wallow and nurse a hangover. I’d left a voicemail for Chloe to let her know we were still on for tonight. Otherwise, she might wonder if I was avoiding her by not coming in today.

Working from home also allowed me a chance to plan the date. By the time I made it back to my apartment from the grocery store, my arms loaded with ingredients for dinner, I was nervous. When was the last time I’d been nervous about getting things right? I couldn’t recall. I did my best to calm the voice that told me I was no longer worthy. Quiet my insecurities one at a time.

The knock on the door came just as I was removing the pot of noodles from the burner. At least I knew how to boil those. As for the chicken parm, here was hoping it was edible.

Upon opening the door, I found Chloe standing there looking beautiful in a black wrap dress, matching pumps, with her hair up in a ponytail.

A lump suddenly formed in my throat. “Hi.”

She smiled shyly. “Hi. You didn’t specify what time to meet. I hope I’m not too early.”

“No, not too early at all. I should’ve given you a time. Come on in.”

She stepped to the right of the entryway into the kitchen. “Wow, it smells good. Did you cook?”

“I attempted to.” My hand went to my neck. “Your roommate mentioned you like chicken parm?” Unless she’d been messing with me.

Her face lit up. “It’s my favorite thing.” Then she tilted her head to the side. “When did you talk to my roommate?”

“This morning. She supervised my note-leaving skills.”

Her chuckle was contagious. “I can only imagine she did.”

“I’d give you a tour, but you can basically see the place from here, and I’m about to dish everything up.” I didn’t want to spoil the surprise of the candles and rose petals in the bedroom just yet. “Are you okay with Pinot Grigio?”

“Sounds wonderful.” She took a seat at one of the two stools at my kitchen island. “At the risk of ruining your mood, did you get the money this morning?”

“I did. Thank you.” As much as I would’ve preferred she kept it, I also respected her need to pay it back, and wanted to put it behind us. I poured the wine, handing her a glass before returning to the stove to dish up the plates. “And for the record, my mood couldn’t possibly be ruined with you sitting there looking as pretty as you are.”

She lit up at the compliment. “Thank you. How is Reid doing? Better today?”

“I believe so. He’ll return to work this next week. He’s anxious to get back into the billable side of things, and that should help. Acting as HR director was not his favorite thing in the world, but thankfully, he’s done with that soon.”

“I’m sure my pussygate situation didn’t help Reid’s job satisfaction scores.”

My laughter came easily. “I would imagine not.” I was about to share my amusement from our initial interview when we were interrupted by a knock at the door.

“Expecting anyone?”

Given that Miranda knew where I lived, I walked over toward the door with trepidation. Then I saw Reid through the peephole. Shit. It wasn’t that I sought to hide what I had going on with Chloe, but I hadn’t planned to spill the beans tonight. I tried to open the door and step outside, but I wasn’t fast enough.

Reid barged right in. “You’ll never guess what Vanessa is doing.”