Page 21 of Serendipity

“I told you I was going to woo you so let me woo, dammit.”

She lifts her hands in surrender. “Sorry. Just not used to it, I guess.”

Letting the shrimp do their thing for a moment, I lean on the counter and face her. “That’s ‘cause Brett’s a freaking dumbass.”

“True story,” she says, lifting her glass to clink it against my beer bottle.

The fact that Leah and I have known each other for several years, but have gotten to know each other well since I moved back to Red Oak, helps with our first date not being too first date-like. All the get-to-know-each-other uncomfortableness isn’t here. I understand what she’s been through and vice versa because we’ve talked about it. Brett, the freaking dumbass, walked away from the best woman I have ever known.

“Heard from him lately?”

“Nope. Kids haven’t either. Not since Christmas, I mean.”

“Freaking dumbass,” I grumble, plating the shrimp. Brett has been throwing a tantrum since he walked out of their marriage. He assumed the boys would “be on his side”, his words, according to Leah. He figured that they’d choose him over Leah, when Leah never wanted them to choose either of them. She wanted them to have both their parents. Brett expected the kids to be happy for him with his newfound love and not be upset that he broke their family up. When they were angry, he turned on them like a petulant child.

“I have more words for him, but tonight’s not about him, is it?”

I grin, thankful to put the subject of her ex-husband behind us. At least for tonight. “No, it is not. It’s about us.”

“Darn right it is,” she replies, smiling.

“What was happening with Brock and Naomi tonight? I’ve never seen them act that way.”

“My guess is Naomi’s date last night.”

I nod, assuming as much. “Ahh. Gotcha. He’s not handling it well, huh?”

“No, he isn’t.”

“Well, I don’t have a lot to say since it took me so long to ask you out, but I’d say he better let his true feelings be known or he won’t have a leg to stand on. He won’t know unless he tries.”

She fiddles with the stem of her wine glass, spinning it between her fingertips. “He’s afraid of ruining their friendship.”

“I understand that completely.”

Leah smiles up at me. “Yeah. Me, too.”

“Ready to eat?”

She nods excitedly and helps me plate up our shrimp and pasta, steamed asparagus, and the baguette I picked up fresh from the bakery this afternoon. I refill her wine glass and we take a seat at the table that’s lit by candlelight. I briefly questioned my idea to have the candles, not wanting it to be too corny or cliché, but decided to go with it.

I bless our meal and neither of us waste any time digging in.

Like I knew, or maybe hoped, there’s nothing awkward about tonight. In fact, she reaches over and stabs one of my shrimp with her fork and shoves the entire thing in her mouth at one point.

“Delicious,” she says, covering her mouth that’s full of food. “Thanks for this.”

“My pleasure.”

“Can I ask you a question?”

“Anything.” I use the napkin on my lap to wipe my mouth and take a swig of my beer.

“Why’d you ask me out?”

I almost choke on my beer. I assumed the answer to that was pretty clear. “Is that a real question?”

“I don’t mean why… I meant why now?”

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