Page 49 of Feels Like Love
Dark-brown hair, boyish grin, bronzed skin as if he’d been surfing. And he had a dog. River would love that.
I clicked on the button to accept the match and returned my attention to my inbox. I was still nervous after what had happened the other night. But because of Bennett, I felt more excited, more confident, than I would have otherwise.
I responded to Ben’s message next. Fortunately, it didn’t look like he was online.Whew.That took some of the pressure off.
Me: Hey. How are you?
Again, not earth-shattering, but it was a start.
A new message popped up in the LoveBirds chat window from Arlo, and I debated tapping on it. Knowing that if I did, I’d have to answer because he would know I’d seen it. Gah! Why was I so awkward at dating?
Arlo: Hiya, Wren! Nice to meet ya.
Light and casual. Keep it easy. Cool. Pretend you’re texting with a friend, with Bennett. At least, that had been his advice.
I had so many questions for Bennett, but I knew I could only push him so far. And I worried that if I kept pushing, he’d freak out and end our coaching sessions.
Me: Hey! Same. I see you’re an Aussie. Always wanted to visit.
Arlo: I am! It’s a beautiful country. California reminds me a lot of home.
Me: Have you lived here long?
Arlo: About five years, though I only recently moved to the Alondra Valley. What about you?
Me: Born and raised here.
Arlo: Wow. A true blue. That’s awesome. Maybe you could show me around some time?
So far, he seemed easy to talk to, but I was hiding behind a screen. Was I prepared to meet him in person? What if…
Stop.If you don’t try, you’ll never know.
Me: I’d love that.
I thought about the cupcake in his profile picture. Immediately, a bakery a few towns over came to mind. It was cute and quirky. And best of all, St. Cecilia was miles away from the curious eyes of Alondra and Fall River. Too bad I didn’t know of any cute bakeries in Blue River Creek, which was even farther away.
Me: Have you been to the 221b Bakery?
Arlo: No, but is that…is that a reference to Sherlock Holmes?
I laughed, pleased he’d understood the reference. Between baking and Sherlock Holmes and Australia, I felt more confident that we’d have enough things to talk about.
Me: It is. But don’t look up the bakery ahead of time. It’ll ruin the surprise.
Arlo: I feel like a bit of a bludger. I should be the one planning our first date.
I laughed, though I got caught on the word “bludger” before realizing it must be Australian slang for slacker. If nothing else, it would be fun to meet an Aussie. And I appreciated his desire to impress me. Or, perhaps, woo me? Whatever. Before I could type out a reply, another chat bubble popped up.
Arlo: I’ll console myself with the fact that I can plan the second one.
I couldn’t help but smile. Confidence was sexy. And I liked that he was already hoping for a second date before we’d had the first. Even so, that didn’t mean I was going to make it easy on him.
Me: What makes you so sure there will be a second date?
Arlo: It’s the accent. You won’t be able to resist me.
I laughed, enjoying his sense of humor. Though I wondered if he used that line with all the women. Was he merely a flirt, or was he actually a player?
