Mister Romance by Amelia Simone (the reading list .txt) 📕

be pretending. That part thrilled me. The potential landmines I was going to set off with my filter-less mouth were what held me back from a wholehearted “yes” and a fist-pump of victory. I wasn’t exactly known for tact in social situations. Then again, maybe Tamra wouldn’t mind. She’d set off a few explosions of her own.

“Are you sure you want me to go? I’m not usually good with new people,” I warned.

Tamra’s eyes got a wild look. “It doesn’t matter.”

That wasn’t a denial.

“I didn’t mean that I think you’re bad with people,” she rushed on, “and of course I want you to be comfortable, I just really need a plus one this time.”

I was dubious that my attendance would be of any help. “And you’re sure? I mean, I’m honored. But also scared for you. Will you email me some details about your family, so I know any key dos and don’ts?”

She nodded a little too eagerly. “Sure. That’s not a problem.” Her smile widened. “Thank you.”

I smiled weakly. “I’m glad to help. We’ll have fun.”

That didn’t sound enthusiastic. At. All. I straightened my shoulders. I’d channel Jimmy. I would psych myself up and hopefully make a great first impression. For maybe the first time ever.

After my acceptance, Tamra seemed eager to change the subject to avoid any possibility that I might think better of my agreement and back out. We chatted more about my writing, and I gave her a tour of my desk and plotting notes. If my pulse sped up watching her drag a hand along the smooth surface of my desk, I thought I hid it well. She seemed fascinated by my process, and my chest warmed.

We settled back on the couch, our knees just touching, and conversation moved on to the TV and movies we’d both watched. Heat burned through me as my knee brushed hers, and hope bloomed in my chest as we laughed through quotes from our favorite comedies. Watching her shoulders shake as she chuckled unraveled another knot from the ball of yarn that seemed permanently lodged in my esophagus. We’d moved beyond my scripted topics long ago, yet she’d stayed.

Before I knew it, Tamra was yawning. She tried to hide it, but I glanced at my wall clock. I’d lost track of time. She caught my glance and noticed the clock.

“Oh, I didn’t realize it was past midnight. I should get going. Let you get some sleep.” She pushed up off the couch and grabbed her wine glass.

“Here, I’ll take that. You don’t need to clean up,” I admonished. “I appreciate you coming tonight. I hope you at least had some fun and didn’t feel like it was all shop talk.”

She smiled softly, the barest hint of tilt to her lips. “Chase, don’t sell yourself short. I haven’t talked this much in forever, and I loved dinner. You’re a lifesaver, agreeing to be my date for my brother’s wedding. I’ll send you the details and look forward to seeing you then?”

“I can’t wait.” As I said the words, I realized they weren’t empty platitudes.

I spent most of my time alone, and frankly, I savored it. My very small, close circle of friends gave me a break when I needed one. I lived alone. I worked alone. I slept alone. There was freedom there.

Tamra was easy to be with, and I wanted to spend more time with her. I wasn’t sure if it was her sense of humor and confidence, or that I seemed less awkward around her. My social skills seemed less flawed. She never made me feel like I’d said something awful, even though I was sure I’d made at least a handful of inappropriate comments over the course of the evening.

Would I be milking it to try for one last interview on nursing as an excuse to see her again before the wedding? She might begin to worry that I had an unhealthy interest in the labor and delivery process. I didn’t want to freak her out, but if I could come up with some more innocent questions to help my book, I wasn’t above extra research. Four weeks until the wedding was a long time to wait to see her again.

While I’d been woolgathering, Tamra had grabbed her purse and moved toward my front door. Moment of truth. Would we hug it out? I’d already made that mistake once. But I was drawn to her warmth, and my heart picked up speed at the thought of pressing her body to mine.

I moved in closer and pulled the door open, and she stepped toward me and into the open doorway. Another two inches and we’d be a single silhouette cast on the ground outside. She tilted her chin slightly and bit her lip, and I could see the light reflecting in her dark eyes and a hint of moisture reflecting off her bottom lip. My body swayed toward hers. Tamra didn’t give any solid cues. I held my breath and waited for her to close the gap between us. Instead, she smiled. “It was nice to see you again tonight. Thanks for the delicious dinner.”

She stepped out the door, and I reached out my right hand a second too late to touch anything but air. I was left beseeching empty space as she moved toward the stairs. She didn’t look back, but I couldn’t tear my gaze away. I told myself I was just watching to make sure she made it safely to her car. Sure. Her safety was important, but my inability to break away was more than that.

Once she had safely driven away, I couldn’t resist typing out a private message to Tamra.

VirginiaRothman: No hug? I feel cheated. I wouldn’t have even charged you to let go. Spoiler alert: I might not ever let go, no matter how much you pay me.

Wow. Creep alert. I must not have used up my quota of ill-timed comments during dinner. I deleted that last sentence. She didn’t need to