“So, you think she only wants you for your bod?” she asks. A teasing grin is plastered on her face as she assesses me.
With a dry laugh, I repeat, “Yeah.”
“But you want more than that with her?” I open my mouth to reply when she cuts me off with her dainty forefinger raised in the air. “And so help me, if you say no, I will cut off your balls and ship them to her so she doesn’t have to do it herself.”
“I can get sex anywhere,” I explain though it doesn’t stop me from shifting my crotch away from the woman who just threatened it. “With Charlie…it’s different.”
She nods her approval. “Good answer. As far as the date goes, it’s really simple. Go have fun. Do something that relieves the pressure you’re both inevitably going to feel as soon as you pick her up. Get your minds off the what-ifs and focus on exploring your relationship. And then, when you’re both in love and are over the awkwardness, invite her to the grand opening of the Jelani Arts Center so I can say hi and tell her how awesome I am for guiding you through your epic meltdown.”
“You make it sound so easy,” I argue.
“That’s because it is. I knew from the moment you introduced me to her in Get Baked that there was a spark between you two. I’m just glad I get to help fan it into a flame.”
“And now we get to wait and see if Charlie and I are going to wind up burned,” I mutter before rubbing the back of my neck.
She laughs. “That’s what flowers and apologies are for. You’ll be fine, but you better get to work on those reports Greg mentioned before he comes searching for you.”
Pushing myself up from my seat, I say, “Good point. Thanks again for your help today.”
“Anytime. Keep me updated.”
“I will.”
Turning around, I stride to the door when her voice stops me. “Oh! And thanks for the eclair.”
I smile over my shoulder. “Don’t mention it.”
Chapter Twenty-Three
Charlie
“Good luck on your date tonight,” Suzette says with a smirk as I drop off Bonnie from our afternoon run.
“It’s not a date,” I argue, though it falls on deaf ears.
“It’s totally a date. Don’t lie just because you’re nervous.”
My phone vibrates with a text alert, and I pull it out to see if it’s from Levi. It’s not. And the name that flashes across the screen makes my face scrunch up with guilt.
Conner: Hey, beautiful. What’s up?
I slide my phone back into the pocket on my running shorts then hand over the leash to Suzette’s outstretched hand. Thankfully, she’s too hellbent on getting me to admit that I’m going on a date with Levi to notice my reaction to Conner’s text. If she did, I have no doubt she’d be grilling me as to why I’m too much of a coward to tell Conner I’m not interested in him. I mean, it was one date. And one kiss. We aren’t exclusive. At all. But that doesn’t mean he deserves to be dumped over a text, either. I make a mental note to give him a call or maybe even drop off a pastry or something at his office for a quick chat to let him down easy.
Shaking my head, I wipe my sweaty palm on my spandex-clad hip. “I’m sorry, what was the question?”
“I’m still waiting for you to admit you’re going on a date with the infamous Levi McCoy.” She taps her toes against the tile floor like a mom waiting for her kid that’s late for curfew.
“Okay, so maybe it is a date. Or maybe I misunderstood him. That’s possible, right?”
“And did you misunderstand the kiss too? Or is that something you usually do with your friends?” Suzette quips before crossing her arms and popping out her hip. The girl is totally rocking the unamused mom look.
“Shut up,” I mutter, my cheeks heating.
With a laugh, an amused Suzette pulls me into a friendly hug that somehow brings a smile to my face even though I’m beyond overwhelmed. I’d hoped the running would ease my anxiety, but it still seems to be pulsing through me just as strongly as before.
“It’s a date. And you’re going to have a blast. I better get all the details, okay?”
Stepping back, I check the time on my phone. “Deal.”