Page 56 of The Baby Dragon Bakery
“Oh!” A variety of emotions clashed through Lavinia. She was pleased at the effort Calahan made; he really was swoon-worthy. Then there was guilt: she should have suggested that! And then there was something else, a little voice that told her that maybe this was a bad idea.
But why would it be a bad idea?
“Yes, definitely!” she found herself saying, because it had already been too long of a pause. “I don’t think the game will be super long, anyway.”
“Great, send me the address,” he replied. “I’ll meet you in the parking lot there and we can walk in together.”
“Perfect!” she squeaked. Lavinia hung up, then sent him the location, a strange feeling spreading through her like a chill. But maybe that was just the weather, reminding her how close winter was.
These plans with Calahan were good. The more time they spent together, the better. While she still wasn’t sure yet that he was The One, she was determined to make things work with him. Besides, it wasn’t like she had other options.
Lavinia rolled her shoulders, making it to her car. She sat down, closing the door against the cool autumnal air. The weird feeling remained, even as she drove over to the field.
Shewashappy with Calahan, and she knew that as long as they were together, she would be happy.
But was she the happiest she could be? She didn’t know what to do. She wanted to see the map of her entire life and make the right choice. Being unable to was debilitating.
Shouldn’t it have been easy?
The thing was, itwouldbe easy, if it was up to her. She didn’t allow herself to think it, but deep down, in the shadows of her thoughts, tucked into the darkest corner of her heart, she knew she would choose Theo. She wouldn’t hesitate, and there would be nothing to second-guess.
But would he choose her? She already knew the answer.
So then why . . .whywould she jeopardize things with Calahan? Ruin something good for someone who didn’t even want her!
Tears pricked her eyes, and she squeezed them shut. She rubbed her temples, releasing a long breath. It was almost the end of October. She’d had all this time, all these years, to find her person—if she wasn’t settled by the winter, she never would be.
Calahan liked her, and he didn’t seem to be getting tired of her. He seemed—dared she say it—committed. It had almost been a month since they had started seeing each other, which wasn’t long, but his affections only seemed to be growing, not lessening.
And she wanted to be loved. She wanted to be loved so badly. Didn’t people always say it was better to be loved? She couldn’t remember who exactly thesepeoplewere, or where she had heard that, but she was sure it was a thing.
Stop thinking so much, she mentally scolded herself. She was getting exhausted at herself and all these emotions.
Things would work out, and she would get used to it. These doubts would go away, and she would be settled.
Lavinia arrived at the location of the match, then waited in the parking lot for Calahan. She could see the guys out on the field, warming up, and about fifteen minutes later, Calahan’s car parked beside hers.
He got out of his car, then walked around to the passenger seat, which was next to the driver’s seat of Lavinia’s car. She stepped out, and he smiled at her. “Hey,” he said, kissing her cheek. “Brought you something.”
He opened the door to the passenger seat and pulled out two coffees, as well as a bakery box, the goods all decorated with the Baby Dragon Cafe logo, a coffee cup with wings. The other side of the bakery box was decorated with the wordsThe Baby Dragon Bakeryand a cupcake with wings, which was adorable.
“Ooh, yum,” she said, as he handed her a drink. She took a sip; it was a latte, one she hadn’t had before. “What is this?” she asked, trying to figure out the taste.
“S’mores latte,” he replied, shutting the door of his car. “It’s a chocolate mocha topped with roasted marshmallows and crushed graham crackers.”
“Oh! You know, usually I’m a mocha hater, but this is pretty good,” she said. They began walking over to the field.
“Why are you a mocha hater?” he asked, holding the bakery box with one hand and his drink with the other. “I thought you loved coffee.”
“No I do, but mochas just taste like chocolate milk to me,” she said. He laughed, and they made it to the field, where there were a few other friends and partners of the players on the sidelines, watching. The viewers were sitting on blankets on the grass or on folding outdoor chairs.
“So,” Calahan asked, turning to the field. “This is a league or something?”
“Yes,” Lavinia said, taking a sip of her mocha. “All these guys get together to make a team and practice and then meet up with other guys who have also gotten together to make a team and practice. Just for fun.”
“Who’s the ref?” Calahan asked. There was in fact a man in a referee outfit with a whistle hanging around his neck.
“I think they all pay for someone to come,” Lavinia said.
