Drake. Since we were kids I thought you could do something great with your life if you tried.”
She could kick herself. The words sounded patronizing though she’d meant them with all sincerity. But Drake seemed to take them in the spirit they were intended.
“I’ve been trying to do something more meaningful than sell insurance. I talk about my time in prison in a youth-at-risk program. Kids like that are hard, but not as much as people think. If even one thing I say stops them from doing something stupid, it’s worth it.”
“Sounds like a great program.”
Thoughtful. Caring. She’d always believed there was more to Drake than met the eye. What would’ve happened if she’d given him the time of day back in high school instead of stealing a few kisses then pushing him out of her life? Maybe things would’ve been very different for both of them. But Jen wasn’t big on second-guessing. Life flowed the way it did and every experience was a learning one.
They were both quiet for a while longer. Jen was very aware of the man beside her, no longer the boy of her memories but maybe even more attractive to her. In her line of work, she knew what strength of character it took for someone to swim against the river of his life and change course. She’d never really known Drake, his likes and dislikes, his opinions and hopes and dreams, but she thought she’d like to take the time to get to know the man he was now.
“Have you been…?” “Would you like to…?” They both spoke at the same time then laughed.
“Go ahead. What were you going to say?” he said.
“I was going to make small talk, ask if you’d been back to Whitman since you’ve been out of prison. But I don’t really feel like talking about school days or people we used to know. I’ve been away from there a long time. I’m not that girl anymore.”
“I liked that girl. She was cute.” He leaned toward her slightly. “Still is. Very cute.”
And oh God, there went the burn in her cheeks. She changed the subject. “What were you going to say?”
“I was going to ask if you’d like to go out for coffee.”
“Right now?”
His eyes gleamed in the subdued lighting and sitting this close she could see a dimple flash in his cheek. “Now or some other time. Whichever. I’d like to get to know you—the new you because I’ve heard you aren’t the girl you used to be.” She laughed. “All right, maybe there is still a lot of the old Jen left in me. Clearly I still get flustered when a handsome guy asks me for a date.” She raised her brows. “You are asking for a date, aren’t you?”
His laugh sparked an edgy tickling low in her belly. “Whatever will get you to go for coffee with me—two old friends catching up or an official date.” Jen tried to look at the situation objectively. Drake was a former client, a drug offender, a criminal, not the sort of person she could imagine getting involved with. On the other hand, “former” was the operative word. He sounded as if he’d changed. And he was only asking to have a cup of coffee after all. One date, if you could even call it a date, and that would be the end of it. Besides, hadn’t she grown up enough that she could finally stop seeing him as a personality type and accept him as a real person with flaws and strengths like anyone?
“Mm, this doesn’t look good for me.,” he said. “You’re taking a long time to think about it. Are you seeing someone?”
“No. Not right now. I was just thinking about whether now or later would be better for coffee.” She set aside her worrying and option weighing and just lived in the moment for a change. “I’ve got nothing going on the rest of this afternoon.” Or evening for that matter, but she wasn’t going to tell him that.
The dimple she’d never noticed before flashed again. “Good. Do you want to go now or spend more time here first?”
She considered. “Well, I haven’t seen the jellyfish yet. That’s one of my
She could kick herself. The words sounded patronizing though she’d meant them with all sincerity. But Drake seemed to take them in the spirit they were intended.
“I’ve been trying to do something more meaningful than sell insurance. I talk about my time in prison in a youth-at-risk program. Kids like that are hard, but not as much as people think. If even one thing I say stops them from doing something stupid, it’s worth it.”
“Sounds like a great program.”
Thoughtful. Caring. She’d always believed there was more to Drake than met the eye. What would’ve happened if she’d given him the time of day back in high school instead of stealing a few kisses then pushing him out of her life? Maybe things would’ve been very different for both of them. But Jen wasn’t big on second-guessing. Life flowed the way it did and every experience was a learning one.
They were both quiet for a while longer. Jen was very aware of the man beside her, no longer the boy of her memories but maybe even more attractive to her. In her line of work, she knew what strength of character it took for someone to swim against the river of his life and change course. She’d never really known Drake, his likes and dislikes, his opinions and hopes and dreams, but she thought she’d like to take the time to get to know the man he was now.
“Have you been…?” “Would you like to…?” They both spoke at the same time then laughed.
“Go ahead. What were you going to say?” he said.
“I was going to make small talk, ask if you’d been back to Whitman since you’ve been out of prison. But I don’t really feel like talking about school days or people we used to know. I’ve been away from there a long time. I’m not that girl anymore.”
“I liked that girl. She was cute.” He leaned toward her slightly. “Still is. Very cute.”
And oh God, there went the burn in her cheeks. She changed the subject. “What were you going to say?”
“I was going to ask if you’d like to go out for coffee.”
“Right now?”
His eyes gleamed in the subdued lighting and sitting this close she could see a dimple flash in his cheek. “Now or some other time. Whichever. I’d like to get to know you—the new you because I’ve heard you aren’t the girl you used to be.” She laughed. “All right, maybe there is still a lot of the old Jen left in me. Clearly I still get flustered when a handsome guy asks me for a date.” She raised her brows. “You are asking for a date, aren’t you?”
His laugh sparked an edgy tickling low in her belly. “Whatever will get you to go for coffee with me—two old friends catching up or an official date.” Jen tried to look at the situation objectively. Drake was a former client, a drug offender, a criminal, not the sort of person she could imagine getting involved with. On the other hand, “former” was the operative word. He sounded as if he’d changed. And he was only asking to have a cup of coffee after all. One date, if you could even call it a date, and that would be the end of it. Besides, hadn’t she grown up enough that she could finally stop seeing him as a personality type and accept him as a real person with flaws and strengths like anyone?
“Mm, this doesn’t look good for me.,” he said. “You’re taking a long time to think about it. Are you seeing someone?”
“No. Not right now. I was just thinking about whether now or later would be better for coffee.” She set aside her worrying and option weighing and just lived in the moment for a change. “I’ve got nothing going on the rest of this afternoon.” Or evening for that matter, but she wasn’t going to tell him that.
The dimple she’d never noticed before flashed again. “Good. Do you want to go now or spend more time here first?”
She considered. “Well, I haven’t seen the jellyfish yet. That’s one of my
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