“What’s wrong?” I asked while we sat on the porch swing.
“I love you and would never do anything to hurt you.”
Panic struck me even though I couldn’t imagine what Harlow might have done.
“You like Dylan and he likes you. The girl you saw him with wasn’t a date. He’s waiting for you and I think we need to end the wait.”
“You talked to him about that girl?”
“Yeah, I also asked him out for tomorrow night and he said yes.”
“You asked him out?” I asked, frowning.
“For you, dork.”
Both happy and terrified by this news, I stared at my bruised hands. “I don’t know how to go on a date.”
“You know how to talk to people. You even talked to Dylan before the stuff happened with the Devils. All a date is you and him eating and talking. Nothing hard about that.”
“What do I wear?”
“I read on the internet the first date is always a pink track suit.”
Laughing, I kicked her gently. “Did he seem like he was only saying yes because you’re pushy?”
Harlow squinted at me. “He likes you and this is his chance. The doofus was salivating at the idea, so I didn’t have to twist his arm.”
Studying the quiet street, I thought about Dylan’s hand on mine the day in the car. Instead of grossing me out, his touch felt good. Even wanting to feel good again, I was scared to do something stupid on the date.
“Don’t cry,” Harlow said, hugging me.
“I’ll mess it up. I’ll say something stupid or embarrassing. Maybe I won’t say anything at all and he’ll think I’m a loser. If I mess this up, I won’t ever have another chance.”
Harlow shushed me. “It’s a date. Everyone says stupid things on dates or spends the entire dinner with something stuck in their teeth. You’re a person and people are lame. Dylan will probably do stupid stuff too. You just won’t care because you think he’s a sexy beast and want to stare at him.”
I gave her a little grin. “I do think he’s sexy and staring at him is fun.”
“And he thinks you’re sexy too. So sexy he likely won’t care what you say. Guys aren’t really complicated,” Harlow said then added, “Or so I’ve heard.”
Sighing, I wiped my eyes. “That girl he was hugging is prettier than me.”
“It doesn’t matter if you think she’s prettier because Dylan picked you.”
I hugged Harlow. “Thank you for doing this for me.”
“You’re not mad?”
“I’m too scared to be mad.”
Harlow caressed my face between her banged up hands. “Don’t be afraid of Dylan. He’s not a normal guy who doesn’t understand you’re shy.”
“I’m more than shy.”
“He doesn’t care,” Harlow said, standing up. “Want to get dating advice from Bailey and Lark?”
Pulling at her arm, I whispered, “No. I can’t handle the pressure of everyone knowing about the date.”
“My lips are zipped.”
We returned to the house and found Lark over halfway done with her huge salad. Bailey sat at the end of the couch while massaging Lark’s feet.
“I’m a princess,” Lark said with her mouth full.
We smiled at her happiness, but I knew she was exhausted from even the smallest amount of effort.
“Everything okay?” Bailey asked suspicious now.
“Never better,” Harlow responded. “Why don’t we head out and leave the quiet gals for their nap time?”
Likely thinking she would get info from Harlow once they were alone, Bailey agreed to leave. Lark mumbled something to them then returned to her salad.
“I don’t care about manners,” she told me once they were gone. “I used to be nicer, but people show up then they leave without any rhyme or reason. It’s like they drop by to check on the fat chick and make sure I haven’t exploded yet. Then they go away. Oh, well. Once I get these babies out of me, I’m going to show up at everyone’s houses, eat their food, and leave without warning. You just wait.”
Sharing her smile, I suspected she would go through with her threats and I didn’t blame her. People were weird when someone was sick. They worried at first then got bored and awkward when the illness didn’t go away quickly.
Even with my issues, people tried to be supportive, yet they hoped I’d get over it long before I ever did. I didn’t blame them for losing patience with me. I’d lost it plenty of times too. I only hoped I could keep my problems in check during my date with Dylan.
Chapter Four ~ Dylan
After Harlow left the work site, my mind thought of nothing except the impending date with Winnie. By the time I sat in my SUV and watched her house, I convinced myself the date would go horribly. I would fuck up and lose my shot forever.
Maybe I’d push her too hard or get too needy or ask the wrong questions. My very presence might convince Winnie that I wasn’t right for her. My girl needed gentle and I wasn’t really that guy. Hell, I lacked the patience to have a damn dog.