do some Christmas shopping tomorrow, but after that, I’m free. What about you?” he asked.
“I actually have some work I need to finish,” she admitted. “I have three design boards I have to finish by the end of the week and-”
“Oh, yeah, yeah. You don’t have to explain. I completely understand. We just met and here I am hogging up all your time.”
“No. It’s nothing like that,” she rushed to explain, but her unease wouldn’t go away. “I’ve enjoyed our time together.”
Daniel heard a “but” in the hanging sentence and consequently felt like an ass. Had he been pushing too hard-going too fast? “I’ve had a good time, too.” He drew a deep breath and exhaled it slowly. “Well, it’s getting late. I should let you go.”
“It’s not...I mean, if you have to go…”
“Yeah. Just give me a call if you find some time tomorrow. I should be around here somewhere.” He laughed awkwardly.
“Okay. I’ll do that,” she said softly.
They held the phone for a few long, awkward seconds, and then finally disconnected. Daniel stared at the portable hand unit with a wave of dread crashing against his body. He pressed the instant replay button in his mind and was still unsure of what just happened and how it went wrong.
He didn’t get much sleep that night and Starr accused him of being distracted during breakfast. So this was what it was like being back in the dating arena-a dizzying seesaw of emotions where you’re constantly guessing and wondering what the other party is feeling.
Oh, joy.
But the thing was, he really liked Gia. She was strong, smart, and beautiful. My, was she beautiful. My, was she beautiful. The way her eyes lit up when she smiled or laughed. She even had this way of making him want to drop everything to take care of her when at times she looked so sad about something.
It usually happened whenever he talked about Starr. He pondered that for a while.
“I know I told you I didn’t have any children...but the truth is more complicated than that.”
What exactly did she mean?
On the fourth day he hadn’t heard from Gia, Daniel saw the writing on the wall: she wasn’t interested. Though it was difficult to put the matter behind him, he was determined to forge ahead, put a smile on his face, and prepared to enjoy the holidays with his daughter. Yet, in the back of his mind, he couldn’t help but wonder at what could have been.
Chapter 8
“Twelve days before Christmas and you’re not doing anything but staring at the phone,” Bernie accused, plopping down a stack of accounts that needed review. “Why don’t you do us both a favor and just call him?”
“I don’t know what you’re talking about.” Gia shifted her gaze to the pile of swatches on her desk.
“Uh, huh.” Bernie cocked her head and crossed her arms. “Then let me tell you what I’m talking about: Call Daniel. What’s the point of pretending that you don’t like him?”
“I never said I didn’t like him,” Gia said stiffly. “I’ve just been busy that’s all.”
Bernie stared.
“It wouldn’t have worked out anyway,” Gia added. “It never does.”
“Sounds like you’re scared.”
“Don’t be ridiculous.” She huffed. However, her heart quickened at just how close Bernie was to the truth. “I just dated the man for a week.”
“Every night for a week and then ran away for another week. C’mon. Maybe this guy really is the one. Have you thought about that?”
In truth, she could think of little else. “It just can’t be this simple,” Gia mumbled.
“Believe it or not sometimes love is simple.”
“Love? Who said anything about love? I just said I liked the guy.” She bolted to her feet and paced behind her desk. “Who wouldn’t like him? He holds out chairs, opens car doors, and sings like...”
“He sings, too?”
“Oh, Bernie.” She sank back into her chair. “He has the most incredible voice and the things that man can do on a
“I actually have some work I need to finish,” she admitted. “I have three design boards I have to finish by the end of the week and-”
“Oh, yeah, yeah. You don’t have to explain. I completely understand. We just met and here I am hogging up all your time.”
“No. It’s nothing like that,” she rushed to explain, but her unease wouldn’t go away. “I’ve enjoyed our time together.”
Daniel heard a “but” in the hanging sentence and consequently felt like an ass. Had he been pushing too hard-going too fast? “I’ve had a good time, too.” He drew a deep breath and exhaled it slowly. “Well, it’s getting late. I should let you go.”
“It’s not...I mean, if you have to go…”
“Yeah. Just give me a call if you find some time tomorrow. I should be around here somewhere.” He laughed awkwardly.
“Okay. I’ll do that,” she said softly.
They held the phone for a few long, awkward seconds, and then finally disconnected. Daniel stared at the portable hand unit with a wave of dread crashing against his body. He pressed the instant replay button in his mind and was still unsure of what just happened and how it went wrong.
He didn’t get much sleep that night and Starr accused him of being distracted during breakfast. So this was what it was like being back in the dating arena-a dizzying seesaw of emotions where you’re constantly guessing and wondering what the other party is feeling.
Oh, joy.
But the thing was, he really liked Gia. She was strong, smart, and beautiful. My, was she beautiful. My, was she beautiful. The way her eyes lit up when she smiled or laughed. She even had this way of making him want to drop everything to take care of her when at times she looked so sad about something.
It usually happened whenever he talked about Starr. He pondered that for a while.
“I know I told you I didn’t have any children...but the truth is more complicated than that.”
What exactly did she mean?
On the fourth day he hadn’t heard from Gia, Daniel saw the writing on the wall: she wasn’t interested. Though it was difficult to put the matter behind him, he was determined to forge ahead, put a smile on his face, and prepared to enjoy the holidays with his daughter. Yet, in the back of his mind, he couldn’t help but wonder at what could have been.
Chapter 8
“Twelve days before Christmas and you’re not doing anything but staring at the phone,” Bernie accused, plopping down a stack of accounts that needed review. “Why don’t you do us both a favor and just call him?”
“I don’t know what you’re talking about.” Gia shifted her gaze to the pile of swatches on her desk.
“Uh, huh.” Bernie cocked her head and crossed her arms. “Then let me tell you what I’m talking about: Call Daniel. What’s the point of pretending that you don’t like him?”
“I never said I didn’t like him,” Gia said stiffly. “I’ve just been busy that’s all.”
Bernie stared.
“It wouldn’t have worked out anyway,” Gia added. “It never does.”
“Sounds like you’re scared.”
“Don’t be ridiculous.” She huffed. However, her heart quickened at just how close Bernie was to the truth. “I just dated the man for a week.”
“Every night for a week and then ran away for another week. C’mon. Maybe this guy really is the one. Have you thought about that?”
In truth, she could think of little else. “It just can’t be this simple,” Gia mumbled.
“Believe it or not sometimes love is simple.”
“Love? Who said anything about love? I just said I liked the guy.” She bolted to her feet and paced behind her desk. “Who wouldn’t like him? He holds out chairs, opens car doors, and sings like...”
“He sings, too?”
“Oh, Bernie.” She sank back into her chair. “He has the most incredible voice and the things that man can do on a
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