She began to object again, but I wasn’t having any of that. This was my Big Move. Now that I’d put myself out there, I wasn’t going to take no for an answer.
“I want you to be able to trust me,” I said, my heart pounding in my ears. “And I promise I won’t throw you to the sharks – so to speak – again. If you still want me to teach you to surf, that is? I mean, I really wouldn’t blame you if you changed your mind.”
She thought about it for a moment. “Yeah, I still want you to teach me.”
“Okay, good. So… dinner? My place, six o’clock?”
I held my breath. I felt like a teenager again. Jesus, a date? It’d been a while. Would I even remember what to do?
She hesitated, just for a moment. “Okay.”
“Excellent,” I exhaled finally, sure my relief was obvious. Smooth, dude. Real smooth. “Sure you’re okay to drive? It’s no problem.”
“I’m fine. But thank you.”
I felt physically lighter, like a weight had been lifted. “Well, I’ll see you later, then.”
“Okay.”
I made my way back to my truck. What was it about her that made everything seem fresh, new – possible, even? It was strange, because even though she looked a lot like Emily, she made me feel very different. Inexplicably, I felt as if I’d been given a second chance, and I was determined not to mess it up this time.
It wasn’t until I was driving back into town that I remembered she had left her clothes and shoes in the back of my truck.
I TRIED TO FIGURE OUT just how long it’d been. Em had been gone for five years. We’d been together four years before that.
Nine years.
It’d been nine years since I’d been on a date with anyone apart from Em. It was a terrifying thought. Had I gone to too much trouble? Or maybe not enough? I didn’t want to scare her off, but I did want to make her feel special. After all, I didn’t do this every day. I wanted to show her that. I needed to go to just enough trouble that she would be impressed, but not too much that it would seem creepy or weird. This was every bit as nerve-wracking as I remembered.
A knock at the door forced my stomach up into my throat. This was it. Had I gotten it right? I could probably wing it a little, if it looked like I was freaking her out. I walked towards the front door, briefly re-checking my appearance in the mirror in the hall as I passed it. Clean boardies and t-shirt, freshly showered and shaved, nerves shot to hell. Check, check and check.
I opened the door smiling, determined to make this work, regardless. “Hi.”
She stood on the doorstep, smiling nervously back at me. “Hi.”
She was wearing a tight red t-shirt and cropped denim skinny jeans that showed off her ankles. Nice. Understated, but very nice. Her hands were clasped in front of her, like a waiting schoolgirl. She did that a lot. Clasped her hands either in front of her, or behind her, as if she didn’t know what to do with them. I liked it. It showed she wasn’t over-confident. It made me want to step up and be confident enough for the both of us.
“Come in,” I said, stepping aside.
She walked past me and stood in the hallway.
“You’re right on time,” I said, closing the door behind her.
“Punctual is my middle name.”
“Is it? Mine’s Gerald.”
Her smile grew genuine. “Nice.”
“What’s yours?”
“My what?”
“Your middle name. Come on, it can’t be that bad. I’ve told you mine.”
I folded my arms across my chest and leaned back against the door, waiting. I bet it was something pretty. One of those names you read about in books. Poppy, or Millicent or something just as proper. She looked proper.
“I don’t have one,” she shrugged.
“Really?”
“Really.”
“That surprises me,” I said, standing up straight and heading for the kitchen. “You don’t meet many people without a middle name these days.”
“I know,” she said, following me. “I’ve noticed that, too. So, what’s on the dinner menu?”
I disappeared into the kitchen, coming back a moment later with the pre-prepared cooler bag. “First, answer me this. Surprises – are you a fan?”
I crossed my fingers and held my breath.
She smiled. “Yes, as it happens – I am.”
Thank God. “Great. Then let’s go.”
We headed out to my truck and set off for town. I wanted to do this on the down-low. I didn’t want everyone staring at us tonight, and I was willing to bet money that that’s exactly what would’ve happened if we’d done this in public. I hadn’t been out on a date since Em disappeared, and she was new in town. We didn’t need the added pressure. I just wanted her to myself. No staring, no good-natured ribbing, just the two of us, getting to know each other a little better in private, away from prying eyes.
“Your stuff’s in the back, by the way,” I said, as we crossed the bridge into town. “I forgot to give it back to you at the beach earlier.”
She glanced over into the back seat to see her clothes, sunglasses and shoes sitting neatly where she had left them. “Thanks.”
“Are you feeling better?”