Page 89 of The Disasters of Dating
I inwardly roll my eyes.
I should be done here by 6 at the latest. So any time after that. Do you want to grab dinner first?
Poppy
Sure. Where are you thinking?
A crazy thought pops into my mind, and before I can shoot it down—as I totally should have—it’s out of my fingers.
So, some of my co-workers are meeting for dinner. I keep dogging them. Would you mind if we have dinner with them, and then we can leave and go for ice cream?
I can’t believe I asked her that. I pull up the delete button, and my thumb hovers over it. What do I care if they think she’s imaginary? I know she’s not. And I’m the one that matters. Besides, it’s not like these guys are my besties. We’re friendly enough but not that friendly.
I press the delete button, and my message disappears. I suck in a breath and start to type a different message when Poppy’s pops up.
Poppy
Does that mean you’re taking back the dinner offer? It’s fine, if you just want to do ice cream.
No, that’s not what I meant. I was reconsidering subjecting you to my co-workers. I don’t know what I was thinking.
Dots dance on the screen and then disappear. Then start again, only to disappear again. Oh, man. It’s not a good sign that she keeps starting and stopping her text. She’s trying to decide what to say.
“Way to screw that up, Keat.” I mutter under my breath.
“Let me guess, she can’t make it after all?” Brenden asks. It’s kind of ballsy considering I’m the president of the company. He may think that Evan makes all the decisions. But he would be wrong.
Poppy
If you don’t want me to come to dinner, that’s totally fine. We can meet for ice cream after you have dinner with your friends.
I rub a hand over my face.
First, they aren’t my ‘friends,’ they are my co-workers. I don’t hate them, but I also don’t tell them much about my private life. Second, it’s not you I worry about introducing. It’s them.
Am I broaching into creepy territory if I say that I don’t want to share my timewith you with them?
Poppy
Not creepy. Sweet. I don’t mind meeting your co-workers. But if you don’t want your worlds to collide, I get that, too.
Nice Seinfeld reference… If you’re okay to come, I’d love to have you there. We’ll make it as quick as possible.
Poppy
Great. Any dress codes I need to know about?
Nope. It’s nothing fancy.
Poppy
Okay. Where are you eating?
“Where are you guys going to dinner?” I ask Brenden, who is still firmly planted in the chair across from me. Maybe I need to give him more work to do. He obviously has too much free time on his hands.
Brenden’s lips curve slightly upward. “We’re thinking about going to The Spicy Cactus.” Again with the challenging look. Maybe I need to do some firing so people respect me more.
I meet his challenge with one of my own. “Are you okay if I bring her?” I can’t believe I’m seriously considering subjecting Poppy to these guys. But if it means I can go out with her in the future without all the supposition, maybe it’s worth it?
