“What’s a while?”
“A couple of months maybe. She didn’t have a lot of depth. She was book smart, but it was as if all her intellectual capacity was channeled into her courses and there was nothing left over for the rest of the people she involved herself with. All she wanted to talk about was how much weight her roommate had gained and how annoying it was that her dad wouldn’t put a grand in her account every time she needed a new pair of shoes. The entitlement was a lot to handle. Anyway, it probably should have ended a lot sooner, but she had a few redeeming qualities, none that I would be inclined to talk about for fear of seeming shallow and like a giant douche.”
I laugh. “I don’t think you need to elaborate on those special skills.”
He scratches the back of his neck. “Please don’t judge me too harshly.”
“I’m pretty sure I was probably that girl at some point, which is embarrassing. But I can also admit to having dated someone with the depth of a puddle back in college.”
“This is a story I think I need to hear.”
We’re interrupted briefly when the server comes to take our drink order. I’m impressed when he doesn’t so much as bat an eyelid at Aaron’s request for root beer. I order a glass of prosecco, and Aaron suggests calamari as an appetizer, and I agree.
Once the server has left, he makes a go-on motion and props his chin on his fist. “Tell me about this guy you dated in college.”
“It was brief.”
“But long enough that you brought him up, and obviously there are some interesting memories attached to him, based on the way your cheeks are on fire. Give me the dirt, Teagan. Don’t forget that I know how much of a firecracker you are between the sheets.”
“Shh. You don’t need to tell the entire restaurant.”
“No one is listening to us.” He motions to the tables around us. “They’re all in their own little bubbles, just like us.”
He has a point. “His name was Andy, and he didn’t go to my college.”
“Okay. So how did you meet him?”
“At a bar. Anyway, I gave him my number, and we ended up going out on a date. It was a struggle to find things to talk about, but eventually we ended up back at his place, and, well . . .” I wave a hand around in the air, not feeling like I need to finish that story. “Anyway, the, uh, between-the-sheets part was a lot of fun, but I found out that he had a criminal record, so I lost his number really fast after that. It was fun while it lasted, though.”
“Wait, you went out with a felon?”
“It was very, very brief, almost too brief to count.”
“Were you a bit of a bad girl in college?”
I shrug. “Not really, apart from that one time. I never went away to school, but I had friends in the dorms, and I stayed there sometimes. I spent a lot of time trying to meet expectations that weren’t always reasonable or attainable. Sometimes I still do. It’s a hard habit to unlearn.”
“Can I be honest?”
“Of course.” I tuck my hands under the table so I don’t give in to the urge to bite my fingernails. I shouldn’t have told him that story.
“I love that you’re this closet badass and that you don’t let everyone see that side of you. I also kind of want to hunt down this Andy guy and beat the hell out of him, which isn’t rational and definitely doesn’t speak to my feminist side, but there you go.”
“If it makes you feel better, you are far better at other things than he could ever hope to be.”
Aaron shakes his head. “It doesn’t, actually—wait, yeah, it does make me feel better.” He holds his fingers a hair’s breadth apart. “But not so much that I don’t still want to kick his ass.”
The server brings our drinks, and we order our main course. Portion sizes here are so much smaller than they are at the pub, which is good, because most of the time I have leftovers for days when I get a meal from there.
I order the salmon and Aaron gets the steak. The conversation shifts away from our former dating habits and back to the farmers’ market.
“Do you want it to be locals, or will you see if some of the McMansion families want to participate?”
“I thought local would probably be best to start. Do you agree?” It’s nice to pick the brain of someone who knows both sides of the lake like Aaron does.
“Maybe for the first one? I think over time, though, it could be a good way to bring both sides of the lake together. Plus the McMansion folk have lots of green to throw around, and there are a group of hockey wives who do fundraising. They could be great to have on your team.”
“Do you mean the Winslows and their friends?”
“Yeah, exactly. There’s a whole group of them who bought on the lake. There are a few over here too.” He motions to the lake visible through the window. “This is where they came to retire. Not that any of them are truly retired. I think they could be a great resource for you moving forward. And they’re all good people, real grounded.”
“It would be great to see the lake community come together as a whole. I know it’s kind of a utopian idea, but working together would be more effective.” I take a sip of my drink, then switch to water because it’s going down fast.
“If anyone can make people see the benefit of working together, it’s you, Teagan.”
I duck my head. “I don’t know about that.”
“I do,” he says with conviction. “Everyone in Pearl Lake loves you. My mom talks about how amazing you are every time you have a shift at Harry’s and how creative and friendly you are.”
“You know your mom is the one who hired me, right?”
“She might have mentioned that.” He rubs the back of his neck. “It’s weird that you’ve already met my mom and probably talk to her about me.”
“We try to keep it professional at work, but sometimes she mentions that you’ve been busy lately.”
Aaron rolls his eyes. “That’s her hinting at wanting me to invite you both over for dinner. I figured I should take you on a few dates first before I start making you hang out with my mom.”
“I like her. She’s nice.” I genuinely mean that.
“She likes you too. And so do I. And pretty much everyone in this town.” He shifts the conversation away from his mom. “You’re approachable, and you have the benefit of being in with both sides of the lake. I think you can do amazing things that are going to be good for everyone on the lake. Just make sure you ask for help when you need it, since I know you’re not the best at saying no.”
“Don’t you jump on that train too.”
He raises an eyebrow, one side of his mouth turning up in a smirk. “How many times have you said no to getting naked with me?”
“That’s not even remotely the same thing and absolutely not something we’re talking about right now.” I set my napkin on the table. “And on that note, I’ll be back.”
“Where are you going?”