for the day, she took her to the mall. Thankfully, she didn’t make her try on a zillion different outfits like the last time she took her shopping. Clair was a simple girl and she wasn’t used to getting all glitzed up to go out.
A few outfits later, Roz was unlocking the front door with Clair in tow, carrying her bags.
“Go on up and get ready. It looks like you have about an hour before Alex gets here.” Roz said, glancing at her watch.
As she walked up the staircase, Clair hoped a quick shower would help settle her nerves. The mere mention of Alex’s impending arrival made her stomach flip, letting loose a swarm of butterflies inside her.
CHAPTER SEVEN
Alex
Rummaging through his closet, Alex pulled out a navy collared shirt with tiny orange stripes across it. He slipped it on over his plain white tee-shirt and paired it with khaki pants and Topsiders. Looking at his watch, he saw that it was too early to pick up Clair, and the anticipation of the date made him nervous. It had been a long time since he had been in a relationship, if you want to call it that, and he promised himself that it’d be a very long time, if ever, before he got into another one. The people he loved made a habit of leaving him and Alex wasn’t sure he wanted to risk that kind of heartache again. Maybe it would be better if he went on the date without expecting anything more than just two friends having dinner together. He couldn’t help but feel like they had a connection; and he’d never had that with anyone else before. She seemed to lack self-confidence, which he thought was crazy because she had such a determined, sometimes stubborn mind. Even with the messed-up hair and bruised face, Alex thought she was beautiful. He enjoyed the little conversations they had engaged in and wanted to get to know her better, if she’d let him. Still, with all that, he didn’t want to get his hopes up, since he had no idea what Clair thought of him. Alex hoped after tonight, he’d have some indication.
When Alex pulled into Roz’s driveway, Roz was on the porch watering her potted flowers. Stepping out of the car, his hands started to sweat. Get a grip! He told himself, wiping his palms on his pants. You were fine when you saw her yesterday. It’s just dinner. No big deal. He tried taking a couple of deep breaths, but his mental pep talk couldn’t overcome his anxiety.
“Hey Roz, I thought you’d still be at Stu’s house. How did your fancy dinner go last night?”
“Oh, it was wonderful,” she said, grabbing a hold of his arm to walk into the house. “The food was delicious. I’ve wanted to go there for years,” she laughed, “which is probably why Stu chose it for his birthday dinner. It was nice that he did it for me more than himself, but I still paid the bill.”
“Oh boy, I bet he wasn’t happy about that, was he?”
“Nope. But he got over it.” She waved him off with her hand. “He forgot all about it after we got home,” she winked.
Alex put his hand up to stop her from speaking, “Please, spare me the details. I don’t need the mental image.”
“By the way, why didn’t you tell me you asked Clair out?” Roz asked. “This is a big deal. I should know these things.”
Alex chuckled, shaking his head. “Three reasons,” he said. “One, I haven’t seen you since yesterday and that was before I asked her. Two, it’s not a big deal; it’s just dinner. And three, you are not my mother; even though you might as well be.”
“Fine,” she threw her hands up. “ I think it’s a big deal, but no one ever listens to me,” she mumbled, walking up the staircase. “You two will see what I mean someday. I didn’t get this old without learning a thing or two.”
Alex heard Roz walking down the hall on the floor above him before he realized what she said. “ You two will see what I mean someday.” What did she mean? he thought. Had she been talking to Clair
A few outfits later, Roz was unlocking the front door with Clair in tow, carrying her bags.
“Go on up and get ready. It looks like you have about an hour before Alex gets here.” Roz said, glancing at her watch.
As she walked up the staircase, Clair hoped a quick shower would help settle her nerves. The mere mention of Alex’s impending arrival made her stomach flip, letting loose a swarm of butterflies inside her.
CHAPTER SEVEN
Alex
Rummaging through his closet, Alex pulled out a navy collared shirt with tiny orange stripes across it. He slipped it on over his plain white tee-shirt and paired it with khaki pants and Topsiders. Looking at his watch, he saw that it was too early to pick up Clair, and the anticipation of the date made him nervous. It had been a long time since he had been in a relationship, if you want to call it that, and he promised himself that it’d be a very long time, if ever, before he got into another one. The people he loved made a habit of leaving him and Alex wasn’t sure he wanted to risk that kind of heartache again. Maybe it would be better if he went on the date without expecting anything more than just two friends having dinner together. He couldn’t help but feel like they had a connection; and he’d never had that with anyone else before. She seemed to lack self-confidence, which he thought was crazy because she had such a determined, sometimes stubborn mind. Even with the messed-up hair and bruised face, Alex thought she was beautiful. He enjoyed the little conversations they had engaged in and wanted to get to know her better, if she’d let him. Still, with all that, he didn’t want to get his hopes up, since he had no idea what Clair thought of him. Alex hoped after tonight, he’d have some indication.
When Alex pulled into Roz’s driveway, Roz was on the porch watering her potted flowers. Stepping out of the car, his hands started to sweat. Get a grip! He told himself, wiping his palms on his pants. You were fine when you saw her yesterday. It’s just dinner. No big deal. He tried taking a couple of deep breaths, but his mental pep talk couldn’t overcome his anxiety.
“Hey Roz, I thought you’d still be at Stu’s house. How did your fancy dinner go last night?”
“Oh, it was wonderful,” she said, grabbing a hold of his arm to walk into the house. “The food was delicious. I’ve wanted to go there for years,” she laughed, “which is probably why Stu chose it for his birthday dinner. It was nice that he did it for me more than himself, but I still paid the bill.”
“Oh boy, I bet he wasn’t happy about that, was he?”
“Nope. But he got over it.” She waved him off with her hand. “He forgot all about it after we got home,” she winked.
Alex put his hand up to stop her from speaking, “Please, spare me the details. I don’t need the mental image.”
“By the way, why didn’t you tell me you asked Clair out?” Roz asked. “This is a big deal. I should know these things.”
Alex chuckled, shaking his head. “Three reasons,” he said. “One, I haven’t seen you since yesterday and that was before I asked her. Two, it’s not a big deal; it’s just dinner. And three, you are not my mother; even though you might as well be.”
“Fine,” she threw her hands up. “ I think it’s a big deal, but no one ever listens to me,” she mumbled, walking up the staircase. “You two will see what I mean someday. I didn’t get this old without learning a thing or two.”
Alex heard Roz walking down the hall on the floor above him before he realized what she said. “ You two will see what I mean someday.” What did she mean? he thought. Had she been talking to Clair
Similar Books
