Page 33 of Seeking Her Studs

“I didn’t get stood up!” I shout over his humming.

An older couple with hiking poles rounds the corner, eyes wide at my outburst. I put on a fake friendly smile and wave at them to let them know everything is okay.

“I didn’t get stood up,” I repeat in a measured tone.

“Oh,” Reese looks around the woods dramatically. “Sorry for my assumptions. Are you on a blind date with a squirrel?” Then he looks up at the sky. “Or the Holy Spirit? I just assumed neither could use the internet.”

Now the couple doesn’t even try to hide their staring.

Reese turns to look at them and nods his head with a warm smile. “Morning Ted. Morning Rita. Looks like you’re making good time this morning.”

“Morning Reesey,” Rita smiles back at him. “You getting into trouble again?”

Reesey, huh? Is there anyone these guys don’t know?

“Always,” Reese grins broadly and winks at her.

I smile politely and nod my head as they pass.

When they’re out of earshot, I resume the conversation.

“Can you just do me one small favor? And not make me feel bad about this? Yes, I met someone on the internet. But it was anonymous, yet he still liked me. Is it so wrong that I wanted to meet someone that likes me for me and not what they think of Mandy or Scarlett or Tabitha?” I name all the characters I’ve played that I get compared to the most.

I expect a smart-ass reply from him, but instead I see his expression fall, just ever-so-slightly.

He nods. “Sorry. You’re right. I’ve got no right.”

I sigh as I continue the trek. We’re deep in the woods, the old trees towering over us make our path cool and shady. And quiet.

So quiet.

He stopped his damn humming.

“Can you hum something else?” I whip back around. “Now this just feels awkward.”

He lets out a belly laugh and I try to stop it from making me smile, but I utterly fail. Our eyes meet for a moment and I feel myself blush.

And it’s completely ridiculous. We’ve had sex before. Yet here I am, not able to do a damn thing about the red gathering on my cheeks from the way he’s looking at me. It’s not with lust, or even flirtation, but a look of friendship. And that feels less common in my life.

I turn forward to hide my face and concentrate on stepping over the roots and rocks on the path. I hear his steps stutter behind me, as he probably tries to figure out what the hell just happened. A faint sound of running water grows louder as we make our way closer to the falls that this path is known for.

After a few more awkward strides, I release a long sigh. “I didn’t actually have plans with anyone.” I finally admit.

“You don’t say?” His voice lacks any surprise as he responds.

“That obvious, huh?” I keep walking, feeling better about looking ahead on the path than the judgement that I’m sure lines his face. I thought I was good at fooling people, but it doesn’t seem like I can get away with much when it comes to the Riles.

“About twenty minutes in, I started having suspicions.” He admits behind me.

The path starts to become elevated, and our breathing is slightly more labored. The low rumble of flowing water gets louder.

“To be fair, there is someone I’m looking for,” I tell him a third of the truth, as there are actually three someones I’m looking for. “I know he likes this hiking path on the weekends. But I can’t actually reach out to him because even though we were talking for the last year, he blocked me when I said I was Blaire Evans. Likely because he thought I was a catfish or he could not have wanted to deal with the intensity of my life, which I could understand, too.”

I grit my teeth, waiting for his response as only the sound of rushing water falls over us. I feel so pathetic telling him all this.

He doesn’t say anything for a moment that stretches out for forever. The sounds of the running water feels desperate now, the water loud and angry all around us.

The path bends in a sharp right and I debate running, the anxiety of embarrassment coursing through me with nowhere to go. But as we round the corner, the path opens up to a view of the rushing falls.

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