Clean Inspirational Romance: Escape to Paradise (Inspirational Happy Sweet First Love Second Chance Romance) (Contemporary New Adult Love Inspired Holiday Short Stories) by Johanna Jenkins Page B
Authors: Johanna Jenkins
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had while his attention was diverted. So this is what first dates feel like, she thought. She had “dated” a few people in college, none of which were actually taken seriously, but this was the first time she’d ever done something like this – most of the people she had gone out with had already been long time friends who’d just so happened to escape briefly from the friend-zone.
She was rather alarmed to see the waiter go but said nothing, instead diverting her eyes to the salt and pepper shakers. Theo peeped at her with a bemused smile.
“Why so shy?” he teased.
“I-I’m not!” Bridget protested vehemently. “I’m just, not used to this kind of thing,” she admitted sheepishly.
“We can quote Bible verses at each other like we used to do in Bible drill if that makes you feel better,” he deadpanned, a look of utter solemnity on his face.
“Well then.” Bridget feigned the same amount of seriousness. “Exodus 3:5.”
The face he made was absolutely adorable. “What’s Exodus 3:5?” he queried. “Excuse me,” he added, pulling out his phone, no doubt to look it up. When he did, he pulled the most pitiful, offended look he possibly could muster at her.
Bridget found herself laughing, and just like that, the ice that had settled over them broke, and the uncomfortable tension dissipated. “Well, then,” he said indignantly, “I’ll just leave then. I’ll just leave and never come back,” he huffed.
Bridget couldn’t stop laughing. “Sorry, sorry. That was mean of me.”
“Yeah, it was,” he agreed, though the twinkle in his eyes told her he hadn’t taken it to heart. “See, there you go.” He had a warm smile on his face.
“What?” Bridget tilted her head, confused.
“You were so tense before, you looked like Bambi lost in the woods,” he said, amused. “But now you’re fine – you’re like the you I was talking with on the phone yesterday.”
“Oh. Yeah,” Bridget nodded.
“And there you go hiding again,” he accused her teasingly.
“I’m not! I just… get embarrassed easily,” she defended herself.
“Mhm,” he raised a skeptical brow. Just then, their coffee arrived, though it wasn’t long before they were both abandoned in favor of more interesting conversation.
Theo, Bridget found out, was a medical student who had recently wrapped up his internship and was searching now for a few local hospitals to work at.
“Smart,” she raised her brows, impressed.
“Nah. Just geeky,” he responded. It was hard to find a subject on which they disagreed more on than the simple question of which was better: cats or dogs.
“Dogs,” Bridget argued.
“Cats.” Theo was adamant. It was a cute little banter, nothing more than a conversation roller. And with every topic they breached, Bridget found herself falling a little more for the man.
*****
They had kept the first meeting relatively short, like something of a teaser, or an appetizer. But the meetings grew, both in frequency and in length, expanding from sweet little nothings to more lengthy, more cozy meetings.
As the meetings grew, so did their feelings for each other. But Bridget was less than enthusiastic about revealing them, too often prone to her habit of panicking and overthinking things.
What if he doesn’t reciprocate them? What if I’m too forward? What if – why all these “what if”s, Marnie had scolded her. Just tell him. If only telling him could be summed up with a “just.” Bridget shook her head. She would wait, wait for the right moment and the right opportunity to tell him. And perhaps, she wouldn’t have to be the one to initiate it at all – perhaps Theo would tell her first.
But Theo, for all his cockiness and quiet self-assuredness, was just as, if not more, nervous about telling her than she was. At stake was also his pride, should she choose to reject him.
Though both clasped their hands in prayer, seeking God for answers on what to do, it was difficult to keep
She was rather alarmed to see the waiter go but said nothing, instead diverting her eyes to the salt and pepper shakers. Theo peeped at her with a bemused smile.
“Why so shy?” he teased.
“I-I’m not!” Bridget protested vehemently. “I’m just, not used to this kind of thing,” she admitted sheepishly.
“We can quote Bible verses at each other like we used to do in Bible drill if that makes you feel better,” he deadpanned, a look of utter solemnity on his face.
“Well then.” Bridget feigned the same amount of seriousness. “Exodus 3:5.”
The face he made was absolutely adorable. “What’s Exodus 3:5?” he queried. “Excuse me,” he added, pulling out his phone, no doubt to look it up. When he did, he pulled the most pitiful, offended look he possibly could muster at her.
Bridget found herself laughing, and just like that, the ice that had settled over them broke, and the uncomfortable tension dissipated. “Well, then,” he said indignantly, “I’ll just leave then. I’ll just leave and never come back,” he huffed.
Bridget couldn’t stop laughing. “Sorry, sorry. That was mean of me.”
“Yeah, it was,” he agreed, though the twinkle in his eyes told her he hadn’t taken it to heart. “See, there you go.” He had a warm smile on his face.
“What?” Bridget tilted her head, confused.
“You were so tense before, you looked like Bambi lost in the woods,” he said, amused. “But now you’re fine – you’re like the you I was talking with on the phone yesterday.”
“Oh. Yeah,” Bridget nodded.
“And there you go hiding again,” he accused her teasingly.
“I’m not! I just… get embarrassed easily,” she defended herself.
“Mhm,” he raised a skeptical brow. Just then, their coffee arrived, though it wasn’t long before they were both abandoned in favor of more interesting conversation.
Theo, Bridget found out, was a medical student who had recently wrapped up his internship and was searching now for a few local hospitals to work at.
“Smart,” she raised her brows, impressed.
“Nah. Just geeky,” he responded. It was hard to find a subject on which they disagreed more on than the simple question of which was better: cats or dogs.
“Dogs,” Bridget argued.
“Cats.” Theo was adamant. It was a cute little banter, nothing more than a conversation roller. And with every topic they breached, Bridget found herself falling a little more for the man.
*****
They had kept the first meeting relatively short, like something of a teaser, or an appetizer. But the meetings grew, both in frequency and in length, expanding from sweet little nothings to more lengthy, more cozy meetings.
As the meetings grew, so did their feelings for each other. But Bridget was less than enthusiastic about revealing them, too often prone to her habit of panicking and overthinking things.
What if he doesn’t reciprocate them? What if I’m too forward? What if – why all these “what if”s, Marnie had scolded her. Just tell him. If only telling him could be summed up with a “just.” Bridget shook her head. She would wait, wait for the right moment and the right opportunity to tell him. And perhaps, she wouldn’t have to be the one to initiate it at all – perhaps Theo would tell her first.
But Theo, for all his cockiness and quiet self-assuredness, was just as, if not more, nervous about telling her than she was. At stake was also his pride, should she choose to reject him.
Though both clasped their hands in prayer, seeking God for answers on what to do, it was difficult to keep
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