Page 25 of Protect My Heart
‘How was the trip?’ he asks.
‘Good. It was an easy drive. I’m just tired after the drive and a long day of counseling sessions.’
‘Are you still going to class?’
‘No, classes are over. I just have some assignments to finish.’
‘It must feel good to be done. Congratulations on the degree.’
‘Thanks.’ I pick up my water glass and take a drink. Part of me wants to just tell him the news and not wait, but the other part of me wants to enjoy a nice dinner with him and pretend we’re on a date.
If things were different, if our situation wasn’t so complicated, I could see us dating. I could see us having a relationship. But it didn’t work out that way.
‘Hey, Jason,’ the waitress says, stopping at our table. She’s tall and thin with long blonde hair and light blue eyes.
‘Hey, how’s it going?’
‘Great! Haven’t seen you for awhile.’ She smiles at him in away that makes me think she’s flirting with him. Does she not see that we’re on a date? I guess it’s not a date, but she shouldn’t assume it’s not.
‘I’ve been busy with baseball,’ Jason tells her. ‘But the season’s wrapping up soon. We had a rough year. We won’t be going to any playoff games.’
‘So you’ll have more time soon.’ She hasn’t even glanced at me. It’s like I’m not even here. ‘Maybe we could go out again.’
Again?Jason went out with this woman? When? How long ago?
Wait—why do I sound like a jealous girlfriend? I’m not dating Jason. I never did. We just shared a night.
‘Andrea, this is Mia,’ Jason says, not answering her question about going out.
She finally looks at me. ‘Hi.’
‘Mia’s going to school in Madison,’ Jason says. ‘This is her first time to Haydon Falls.’
‘Welcome,’ she says, but her tone isn’t very welcoming. ‘Do you want to start with a drink?’
‘Just water is fine,’ I say.
‘You sure?’ Jason asks. ‘They have a good wine list here.’
‘I’ll stick with water.’
‘I’ll have the same,’ he says to Andrea.
‘Do you want to just order?’ she asks, sounding annoyed that we didn’t get drinks.
‘I think we need a minute,’ Jason says.
She leaves and I pick up my menu. There isn’t much on it and everything is expensive, or expensive for here. It’d be cheap if I were back in Boston. How am I going to live there with a baby? My rent alone will be four times what I pay now.
‘You sure you don’t want some wine?’ Jason asks. ‘If you’re worried about the cost, don’t. Tonight’s on me.’
‘Jason, I don’t expect you to buy me dinner. I invited you. If anything, I should be the one paying.’
‘You’re my guest. I’m not letting you come to Haydon Falls and pay for dinner. I’d be a really shitty host if I did. Now are you sure you don’t want wine?’ He smiles. ‘Or how about an old fashioned?’
I smile back. ‘That’s probably not a good idea, given what happened last time I had one.’
‘The wedding was the last time?’
