Chapter 3

Sarah

On Saturday afternoon, Monica comes to pick up Lindsay.

“How was your night of freedom?” I ask her when she’s inside.

“So necessary. I really appreciate you being able to watch her. Life gets so busy, Larry and I end up living past each other.”

I nod. “Of course, I know how busy you are, and I love spending time with her.”

Lindsay comes into the living room with her bag, and Monica smiles at her daughter.

“Did you have fun, sweetie pie?” she asks.

Lindsay nods. “I did. We wrote letters to Santa, and I delivered mine.”

Monica looks at me when I sigh.

“Yes, she did,” I say. “She delivered it to the man next door.”

“What?” Monica asks, laughing. “Why?”

“He was dressed as Santa yesterday,” I say. “She put two and two together and got a number that was very far off the mark. Oh, and she included me in her letter.”

Lindsay grins, proud of herself. “I asked Santa for a man for Sarah. Just like you were talking about.”

“Oh, God,” Monica says, looking at me.

I nod, confirming it. Monica gives Lindsay a stern look, and the child’s smile fades.

“Was it wrong?” Lindsay asks.

Monica kneels so that she’s closer to Lindsay’s height. “Sweetie, Santa doesn’t live next door. It’s Sarah’s neighbor. Sometimes, people dress up like Santa for fun. Just like you sometimes dress up like a fairy, but that doesn’t make you one. Do you understand?”

Lindsay nods. “I’m sorry,” she says. “I thought Sarah wanted a man.”

This is exactly why I don’t want to talk about these things in front of Lindsay. She’s old enough to know what we’re saying, but not old enough to fully know what we mean. Monica sighs, running her hand through Lindsay’s hair.

“It’s okay, but next time you want to do something like this, you need to ask someone, okay? And you need to apologize to Sarah, not to me.”

Lindsay looks up at me with big eyes. “I’m sorry, Sarah,” she says.

“It’s okay, honey bunny,” I say to her, and it makes her lips twitch with a smile. “Now we know for next time.”

Lindsay nods and wraps her arms around my waist. I stroke her hair.

“So, you must write another letter for the real Santa when you’re home, okay Lindsay? Then you’ll get all your presents, and it’s not accidentally overlooked.”

Monica smiles at me. Lindsay picks up her bag, and we all walk out to the car. When Lindsay is in the car, Monica turns to me.

“I’m sorry about that,” she says.

I laugh. “Don’t worry. The neighbor came over, the one who got Lindsay’s letter, so I met him.”

“He did? And?”

I shrug, trying to look nonchalant. “His name is Graham. He’s really attractive… and he asked for my number.”

Monica laughs. “Something good came of it after all. Let me know the minute he calls you.”

I promise I will, and Monica hugs me.

She gets in the car, and when they back out of my driveway, I wave at them. Lindsay waves back at me. I watch the car as they leave. When I turn to walk into the house, Graham steps out onto his porch. He waves at me.

I lift my hand and wave shyly back at him. He rocks on the balls of his feet, jamming his hands into his pockets. He looks like he’s considering something before he steps down his porch and walks around to my driveway.

“I take it the little matchmaker has gone home,” he says.

I nod. “Yes, we’re safe for now. “

Graham chuckles, and I like the sound of it when he does. It’s smooth and deep, like velvet on my skin. In the light of day, his features are so much more striking. God, he’s hot. His eyes are a dark blue — the color of the ocean — and his dark hair is messy around his face in a way that only makes him look hotter. His jaw is defined, his nose is straight as an arrow, and thick dark eyebrows above his eyes make him look perpetually pensive.

“So, now that you’re free of your babysitting duties, do you want to go out tonight?”

He’s so straightforward it catches me off guard, but I can’t find a reason to say no to him. I don’t want to say no to him.

“Yeah, tonight sounds good,” I say, and I blush for no good reason at all. This seems to happen around Graham.

He smiles at me, and it’s a brilliant smile, making me melt.

“Dinner? I’ll pick you up at seven.”

I laugh. “You live right next door.”

“So, no excuse to be late, then,” he says and winks at me.

I laugh. That happens a lot around him, too, I realize. I don’t spend a lot of time dating or trying to find a man, but he makes me laugh a lot more than other men have. When he walks away, I watch him leave. He’s as hot from behind as he is from the front. He looks like he works out or something, but his muscles aren’t for show. He carries himself with a swagger to his stride, maybe a little arrogance, but it’s so damn attractive.

I turn around and walk back into my own house because he reaches his porch and catches me staring.

Why have we never spoken before? He’s so open and approachable now, making all the moves. It’s hot when a guy does that — I love assertive men. I’ve always assumed he was in a relationship, or there was some other reason why he kept to himself so much. Maybe we’ve just been living past each other. We were total strangers until last night, after all.

I’m nervous to go on my date. I go on dates now and then, mostly to satisfy Monica who always tries to set me up with someone, but they never end up being someone I like, and most of them seem to be intimidated by me. Graham isn’t like that.

Maybe it’s not the date I’m worried about, but where it will lead. I haven’t dated seriously since college. Jacob broke my heart when he cheated on me. He made me believe that it was my fault, that I wasn’t exciting enough for him. I had tried to be someone for him that just wasn’t me, and I learned that it didn’t change anything.

Now, I’m a lot fussier about what I accept in my life. Monica thinks I’m always looking for a reason to push away men, and she’s perpetually worried that I’ll be alone forever. I’m not worried about my own love life. I’ve still got plenty of time to see what’s out there and find the right man for me.

And who knows? Maybe it will be someone like Graham.

I shake off the thought. I’m not going to let my imagination and the immediate attraction I feel when I’m around him influence me. I need to keep an open mind about this and run him through the same list I use with all the men I consider. Besides, it’s only a date. I’ll see how it goes and take it from there. I must admit, I’m more excited than nervous to go out with him.

The most important thing right now is deciding what to wear.