Page 38 of Here You Are

“So, you didn’t leave a wife or girlfriend behind in California?” I asked, awkwardly at best, mortifyingly desperate at worst.

“I actually did, kind of. I was engaged to someone I worked with. We dated for three years and got engaged in 2017. The business I was working for closed, and with my finances being a little tight, we moved in together to save on rent. With the financial strain and all of the uncertainty, things between us got difficult. She was great, and neither of us really did anything wrong; it just seemed like the timing of everything was a recipe for disaster. When I mentioned moving back here, she was adamantly against it, despite all of the family reasons I shared. At that time, we realized neither of us was willing to sacrifice what we wanted to do, so we called it quits. It was awful. I still care for her a lot, and we had to continue to live together for a couple of months after we made the decision.”

“Wow, that does sound like it would be a lot. I’m sorry you went through all of that. Do you miss her?” I asked.

“Yeah, I do. Like I said, nothing went wrong in our relationship, and we still care for each other. It just seemed to reach the end. We still keep in touch. It’s just casual. How about you?”

My God, that sounds familiar. In the back of my brain, I wonder if he couldn’t commit, and that is why it ended.

I shrugged, “I haven’t dated anyone for a while,” not willing to bring up my pathetic friends-with-unsatisfying-benefits situation.

“Ok, that’s good to know. So, what else is new with you? I have no idea what you have been up to. I think you might have me blocked on social media.”

I cringed, shrugged again, and then internally berated myself for excessive shrugging. Why am I feeling so awkward around him? “Sorry about that. I was trying to move on, and it seemed like the best choice. Anyway, I have my own business now. I moved out to the burbs and own my own home. That is where I work from. Um, I have cows in my backyard. My closest friend lives across the street. She’s widowed. She’s also in her seventies.”

“I didn’t hear you mention a boyfriend or a husband.”

“Nope, just me and the cows and the widow right now.”

“So, we are both single,” He smirked. I melt.

“It seems we are both single and one of us is on the rebound,” I fired back at him, playing it cool despite the bead of sweat that runs down my butt crack.

He shrugged and said, “I might be on the rebound. I might be ready to move on. All I know is, it’s good to see you. It makes being back home feel even more like home.”

Swoon.

After we finished our drinks, we ordered another round and finished those, too. I, ever the lightweight, can no longer drive home. It seems like we are wrapping up the evening, so I get out my phone to order a ride share.

“What are you doing?” Luke asked me when I pulled out my phone.

“Just ordering a ride. I better not drive.”

He grabbed my phone and said, “Don’t order a ride; I can give you a ride home. Maybe we can grab breakfast tomorrow and pick up your car.

I raised an eyebrow at him. “So, you think our gathering tonight is going to end with breakfast?”

“Whoa, whoa, lady. This is our first date!” He grinned at me with a little bit of mischief in his eyes. “I would never put out on a first date.”

“One, I know that is a lie because I was there on our actual first date. Two, I didn’t know this was a date. I thought it was just two old friends, catching up. And three, you can give me a ride home. You can come see my lair because if you want to see more of me, I request that it be there or in your parents’ basement. I'm too old for bars. I have always been too old for bars.”

“Deal.” He paid for our check despite my flamboyant gesturing about getting my wallet to split the check.

On the way to my house, we listened to one of his old playlists that really brought out the nostalgia. Since my house is in a newer development that he isn’t familiar with, I gave him directions to my door. I kept glancing over at him, feeling like my time machine worked. Except he is so much hotter than he used to be. Or maybe I am getting older, and my eyes have changed. Regardless, I can’t stop sneaking peeks at him as he sings along to the early-2000s hits that are playing.

We arrived, and I asked him if he wanted to come in since it was still pretty early. He looked over at me in the passenger seat and said, “Yes, I would love a tour and a bathroom break.”

I let him in through the garage and made the first stop on our tour, the bathroom. I showed him around, but since it’s just two bedrooms and one is unfinished, there isn’t a ton to see. I tried to show him the cows, but it’s too dark. We ended up out on the porch in my working/reading/contemplation corner. I look up at the light in Widow Jenkins’ bedroom, and she is clearly watching us. I don’t mind since I’ll probably tell her about it tomorrow. Everything is dark at the Thompsons. The Johnsons have a lot of cars in their driveway—probably a wild swingers party—and I see the flicker of a TV in the dark living room at Grass Daddy’s house.

This is cozy, I like the vibes out here,” Luke said as he sat down.

“Thank you. As you know, my home is my sanctuary. I needed a place to work from that made me feel a little less like I was dying on the inside. Working from home is probably not the best setup for me because I basically never leave. Once in a while, Cora gets me to come into the city. I go outside to get my mail every day and usually get roped into some shenanigans or wild gossip with my elderly neighbors. So, that’s it.”

Luke looked over at me in the relatively dark setting and let out a big breath. “This is nice, Cassie. You’re really killing it. I better head home; I don’t want to keep you.”

“I don’t mind if you stay longer, but if you have to go, I’ll walk you back out,” I replied, as I stood up.

He followed me through the kitchen, and as we got to the door, I turned around to look at him. He was right behind me, so when I turned around, he was right there. Nearly touching. I backed up a step toward the garage door, and he said, “So, about breakfast, or at least picking up your car.”