Chapter 25
“I’ll let you two have a minute.” Samantha smiled as she stepped past Blu and into the coffee shop.
Blu leaned back against the wall and studied me. “So, what are you doing hiding out here?”
“Not hiding.” I grinned at her. “I’m so glad you’re here.”
“Me too. So dish.” She crossed her arms. “I keep hearing rumors about you dating and not dating—and something about naked chess? Please tell me that Zoe is making that up.”
“She isn’t.” I laughed. “But that has to do with my friend Wes. He started it.”
“Right, I’ve heard a little bit about Wes too. You talk with him a lot, don’t you?”
“Yes.” I shrugged. “Why?”
“I just think it’s interesting.” She offered a secretive smile that made me wonder if she was hiding something.
“He’s a great friend.”
My phone beeped. I ignored it.
“Go on, check it.” Blu shrugged. “It drives me crazy if I can’t get to mine.”
“Thanks.” I pulled out my phone and looked down at the screen. “Oh wow, I wasn’t expecting this.”
“What, what is it?” She tried to peer over my shoulder.
“I got another message on Forty and Free—a request for a connection. I thought I’d hidden my profile.” I turned the screen off. “It doesn’t matter, I’m not dating right now.”
“Wait a minute!” Blu snatched my phone from me as she laughed. “You have to at least look, Noella—otherwise it will drive you insane.”
“No, I’ll be fine.” I rolled my eyes as I tried to get my phone back from her. Sometimes she was just like Hanna.
“Fine. Then it will drive me insane.” She grinned as she turned the screen back on. “Oh my!” Her eyes grew wide. “Wow!”
“What?” I sighed. “Now I have to know.”
“Trust me, you’re going to want to go on this date.” She held up the phone and displayed the profile photo of a man—a man who nearly took my breath away with his curly blond hair, bright blue eyes, and sweet smile.
“Wow!” I took the phone back. “This can’t be for real. I bet he’s using someone else’s picture.”
“It looks pretty real to me.” Blu shrugged. “What can it hurt to contact him?”
“Let’s see, the first guy I met was aggressive and handsy. The second guy I’m pretty sure wanted me to be his little wife. So, I think it could hurt.”
“I’d be this guy’s little wife anytime.” Blu wiggled her eyebrows.
“Blu!” I laughed. “You’re about to get married!”
“Oh, right.” She cleared her throat. “I meant—you know—if I wasn’t already madly in love with the most gorgeous man on earth. And also, I wouldn’t be anyone’s little wife.”
“You’re too much.” I laughed so hard I almost dropped my phone, but that picture made me hang onto it. “Alright, I’ll give it a try. He probably clicked on my profile by mistake.” I sent a quick message back to him, then turned the screen off. “Now the rest of the day is for you and Samantha.”
“Great, because you have to help me figure out how I’m going to fit over one hundred guests into a bar without them tripping all over each other. I’ve got the seating chart.” She pulled out her phone as we stepped back inside.
I was surprised by how much had changed since I stepped outside. I intended not to date anymore, yet I was walking back in with a new date on my mind.
What if it wasn’t a mistake? What if this Justin actually wanted to meet me?
I couldn’t deny that I was dazzled by his good looks and the sweet message he’d sent.
In between conversations, seating charts, and glasses of wine, I checked out his profile. I discovered that he was just forty as well and had a son a little younger than Tyler. He was an executive for a manufacturing company and lived only about thirty minutes away. There were no drawbacks to him that I could find. So why was he still on the market? I glanced at the date that he’d joined Forty and Free and realized that he’d signed up that very day. I was one of the first people he was contacting?
I was sure I had to be near the bottom of his list, so I didn’t expect to hear back from him any time soon. But after hugging Samantha and Blu goodbye and heading home to relieve my babysitter, I heard my phone chime.
Parked in the driveway, I almost didn’t look. It was too good to be true and I knew I would be disappointed if it wasn’t from him. But with the chaos that would ensue when I stepped inside, I knew that this was my best chance to check.
I opened the message and discovered it was from Justin.
Noella, I’m so glad that you want to make a connection. Here’s my number. You can call any time. I look forward to getting to know you. Justin
“Justin.” I whispered his name and stared at the phone number he’d sent just after the message. This was real, this was happening—again.
I looked up at the house and saw Tyler peering through the front window at me with a wide grin. I smiled and waved back, then tucked my phone into my pocket.
Justin would have to wait until later.