Page 27 of Perfect Date
“I do. Now tell me, what were you going to say to number three?”
“Number three? His name is T.J.”
He just grunts.
Looking at him, standing there smiling at me, I see the genuine interest in his eyes. He really wants to know what I was going to say and I find it both endearing and a mystery. Something about him sucks me in and simply delights me. The thought brings shivers down my spine and makes the hair on my arms raise. I confess I quite like the feeling.
Leaning in, I smile softly as he sits down, “You know the weather app you can have on your phone?”
“Yeah,” he says and pulls his phone from his back pocket. He touches the screen and pulls his up turning his screen to face me. I see the eighty degrees it is currently in Rebel River.
Smiling I pull my phone from my purse. Going to the weather map, I pull up what I’m looking for, then turn my screen to face him. “I keep the weather for Mason Creek, Rebel River, sure. I even have Lolo on here still. But I also have the weather for various places in the world that I’d like to visit.”
“Like where?” he asks curiously.
“Tahiti is on here. Paris. England. Bora Bora.”
“Bora Bora?”
“Yeah.”
“Why do you do that?”
“Because when things are stressful, or painful, or just crazy in my life, I have this daydream where I imagine packing a bag and impulsively jumping on a plane and going away somewhere. A place that’s relaxing, and where I can immerse myself in some other culture, see new things, have new experiences. The thought… calms me I guess.”
His eyes trail over my face, smiling at the wistful expression I’m sure I’m displaying, “I like it. Maybe I should try it.”
“I highly recommend it.”
“What’s the weather in Tahiti right now?” He asks making me laugh.
After a couple swipes with my fingers, I look at him, “It’s seventy-one degrees currently with a high today of seventy-seven.”
“Sounds amazing,” he says and stands again. He comes to my side of the table and reaches out to push a strand of my hair behind my shoulder.
“So soft,” he whispers quietly and I don’t know if he’s talking about my hair, or my skin from when his fingers brushed my collarbone.
I’m caught in his gaze and suddenly I wish that I wasn’t here with boring T.J. - tomato jam, totally jazzy, tentacle jerry - or whatever the hell the initials stand for. I wish I was here on a date with Justin. I want to get to know him. I want to know where his favorite vacations have been and where he wants to go.
“Where do you-“
“Sorry about that,” T.J. says interrupting me and making Justin pull his hand away. “Oh, hi,” T.J. says looking at Justin. “I’ll take another beer please.”
“Sure thing,” Justin says with a frown. He glances at me, the look indecipherable as he walks away. I feel myself deflate like a balloon at the loss of his presence.
“Was everything okay with Rebecca?” I ask.
“Oh yeah, she’s doing great.”
“It’s good that you have someone you can trust that helps you watch her when you go out.”
“Yeah, I have a really great friend that also has a parakeet that she loves to play with.”
“I’m sorry, what?” I ask.
“What?” He asks.
“Um, hey, I’d love to see a photo of Rebecca. Do you have one? You talk about her so much, I’d love to be able to picture her when you do.”
