Page 64 of At First Smile
My mouth drops open.I will kill JoJo.
“—Pen mentioned two older brothers. Do they look like you? Are they single? And into ladies?”
“Uh…” Another short pause. “Finn is. But Gillian…it’s complicated.”
“Gillian’s the chef, right?”
“How much has Pen told you about me?”
Ignoring him, JoJo continues, “I do love the idea of a man who cooks. How complicated are we talking?”
“JoJo, simmer your hormones. We’re supposed to be interrogating him about his intentions toward Pen, not about single men in his gene pool,” Trina clucks.
This is going sideways.Cringing, I hurry down the remaining stairs.
“What are your intentions with our friend? You already lied to her and hurt her.”
I draw to another halt with Trina’s question.
“Trina!” JoJo scolds with a loud gasp. “Pen explained what happened.”
Forehead puckered, I rush into the small foyer. My mouth opens…
But Rowan speaks, “You have every right to be wary of me. I’ve not earned your trust. Nor Pen’s. Not yet. You love Pen and I hurt her, even if I thought I was protecting her at the time. You ask what my intentions are with Pen… It’s to be worthy. I may never reach that goal, but I plan to keep trying.”
Sighing, JoJo tips her head to the laptop in her arms. “Well, he has my vote.”
“And mine,” I say.
Rowan’s eyes jump to me, a large grin kicks across his face. “Pen… You’re stunning.”
Heat tiptoes up my neck and I bite my lower lip. “Thank you.”
My gaze drags down Rowan’s body. A form-fitting, short-sleeved, collared shirt molds his sculpted chest. Fitted blue jeans hug him in all the right spots making me grateful for the limited vision I have and jealous of the denim’s proximity to his body.
“You look handsome.” GB scampers from Rowan’s side and I bend to lavish him with ear scratches. “And so do you, gorgeous boy.” GB’s pink tongue slaps me, his sloppy kiss making me giggle.
“GB, kisses come at the end of the date,” Rowan teases and tugs gently at the boxer’s leash. GB ignores him completely and plants another kiss on my face.
“Jealous?” I peer up at Rowan to see a lopsided grin etched across his chiseled features.
“Nah, he may have won the battle, but I plan to win your heart.” The playful comment zings with a promise.
“So sweet!” JoJo squeals.
“Barf,” Trina groans.
After saying goodbye to Trina and JoJo, we head out. It’s about a twenty-minute drive to Long Beach for a concert in the park.
Originally, he wanted to surprise me, but the control freak in me overruled that. It’s not that I must be in control. It just comes with the territory of being legally blind. I need to know where I’m going in order to prepare for how to handle it. I research menus ahead of time, since most places don’t have accessible ones. I plan how to get there via public transportation, including when the last bus runs to ensure I can get home. Even with rideshare services, I’ve gotten stuck for several hours in different locations. Information and planning are my best weapon in navigating a sighted world as a visually impaired person.
I explained this to Rowan on the phone Monday night as we hashed out date details. Unlike Alex, who’d gripe about how my need to know everything killed his ability to be romantic, Rowan simply proceeded to offer all the details, including texting a link to the park’s map and event info.
“Ready?” Rowan says, turning off the vehicle and putting on his hat.
My attention moves to the crowds of people streaming into the park and then back to him. “Sure you want to do this? We could go somewhere less public?”
He looks out the window and shrugs. “Yeah, I’m sure.”
