Page 99 of Protect My Heart
This is all happening really fast, which is good. Having more time would just make me think about it and I might change my mind. Like my dad told Jason, thinking just leads to coming up with reasons for not doing things. It’s better to just take action.
‘We’re here,’ I say to Nora as I answer her call. We’remeeting her for a quick breakfast before going back to my place to pack. ‘Where are you?’
‘Outside on the patio. I’m the really hot girl with the black tank top and denim shorts, sipping a mimosa.’
I smile. I’m going to miss her unique sense of humor. I spot Nora as Jason and I go out to the patio.
‘Over here.’ I keep hold of Jason’s hand as I lead him to the table where Nora’s sitting.
She jumps up when she sees me and gives me a hug. ‘Tell me you’re not leaving today.’
‘I know it’s soon. I’m sorry. I’m really going to miss you.’
‘I’ll miss you too, but it’s only an hour away. And now I’ll have somewhere to go on the weekends.’ She looks at Jason, smiling as her gaze moves down his body. ‘You’re Jason, huh? You are not what I expected.’
‘I’m not sure what that means,’ he says with a laugh.
‘It means she thinks you’re hot,’ I tell him. ‘I told her you were, but I don’t think she believed me.’
We sit down at the table.
‘We have different definitions of that word,’ Nora explains as she picks up her mimosa and takes a sip. ‘Like when Mia set me up with this guy. She said he was cover model hot and well .?.?. let’s just say he was not my type.’
‘He looked better at the bar,’ I tell Jason. ‘But the lighting was dark and I’d had a few drinks.’
‘I never let her set me up again,’ Nora says.
‘Mia said you’re a professor,’ Jason says.
She nods. ‘I teach physics to pimply teenagers who complain constantly and don’t want to be there.’
‘So you like your job,’ Jason kids.
‘Love it.’ She sips her drink.
‘Speaking of professors,’ I say, ‘did you ever call up the one from the sandwich shop?’
‘Yeah, we already went out. We met during lunch at the frozen yogurt place, which I know is really lame for a date, but we didn’t have much time.’
‘How was he? Do you like him?’
‘I’m not sure.’ She crinkles her nose. ‘He ate his yogurt with one of those tiny spoons. You know the kind they give you for the samples?’
‘Maybe he was trying to make the yogurt last longer.’
‘I don’t know, but it was weird. That might be our last date.’
‘Because he used a tiny spoon? I think you’re being too hard on him.’ I look at Jason. ‘What do you think?’
‘It’s weird. Why would a grown man use a spoon that small? And he uses it on a date? That’s weird.’
‘See?’ Nora says to me. ‘Even your boyfriend agrees.’
‘Fiancé.’ I show her the ring. ‘He made it official.’
She laughs. ‘I know you told me that on the phone, but it’s not real, right? You were just playing along. You’re not actually engaged.’
Jason and I don’t answer.
