finished with the package, he handed her an order slip.
“Fill out the top part, please.” He couldn’t help but lean over the counter a little closer just to get another whiff of the smell emanating from her.
She looked up at him, after writing down the address of a college dorm. “It’s a care package. For my daughter.” She spoke as if she expected him to say something negative about it.
He held his hands up. “Look. I’m in my forties. It’s rare to find someone I’d like to date who doesn’t have kids.”
“Do you?” He looked at her blankly. “Have kids?” She continued.
He shook his head. “Good God, no. No kids here. Never been married.” He took the slip from her. “How we shipping? First class? UPS? FedEx?”
“First class is fine.” She continued twisting her fingers in her hand, and he noticed the pale spot where her wedding ring had been. He’d noticed the first night at the Gin it was gone because the indentation around the finger implied she’d just taken it off. He wondered what made her so nervous around him. Maybe she was a fresh divorcee? New to the dating scene? That would explain a lot.
“So…You don’t date much?” He was prodding. He wanted answers.
She shook her head.
“Just get out of a marriage?” He softened his voice, not sure he wanted to get involved with a woman with that kind of baggage but curious nonetheless.
“Widowed.” She took a deep breath and let it out with her next words. “Sixteen years.”
“Oh.” A different type of baggage.
Her stance changed, and Jason recognized it as the stance of a woman who was about to lay it all on the line to see what would happen. He purposefully blanked his face to absorb whatever she was going to say.
“In fact, that woman, Sabrina, from the gym Monday was his mistress. He was driving her home from a party, where they were both drunk, when he crashed and died. She walked away without a scratch, and he left me alone to raise my daughter.” She put her hands on her hips in a ‘Watcha gonna say now, sucka? pose.
“I see why that was such an awkward exchange now.” This woman had an entire set of luggage she was carrying around with this story. But he wanted more. “You never dated after him?”
She shrugged. “I had a daughter to raise. My priorities were focused elsewhere.” Her eyes pleaded with him to understand.
He glanced down at her left hand on her hip. “So, she’s just moved out, your job as a mom is finished, and your friends got you out for a night on the town? Made you finally take off your wedding ring?” That made sense. And now he knew that she felt the same intensity he felt, and it scared her to death.
She nodded. “My daughter is the most important thing in my life… right now. I never spoke a harmful word about her father to her, I shielded her from the gossip, I raised her to be a smart, independent young woman who got a scholarship to college.” The words flew from her mouth, and she looked surprised at herself.
“See? This is what I like.” Jason gestured between the two of them. “I’d like to hear more about you and your daughter.” He glanced down at the package. “Kelly.” He looked at her again. Yeah, she had baggage, but he couldn’t stop himself. “Go out with me?” He held up his hands. “That’s the last time I’ll ask. I promise.” He crossed his heart with his index finger and said a little prayer she would say yes.
“Tell me why you stood me up, first.”
“I’d rather you heard it from someone else.” With impeccable timing, Jodie strolled through the door, sending the bell tinkling. Jason walked around the counter and held his hand out to Renae. “Come to my dad’s place with me. He’ll explain with much more panache than I ever could.” Jodie raised an eyebrow at him. “Renae, this is my brother Jodie. He came into town to help me out a little with dad.”
He watched as his brother shook hands with Renae, quirking an eyebrow at
“Fill out the top part, please.” He couldn’t help but lean over the counter a little closer just to get another whiff of the smell emanating from her.
She looked up at him, after writing down the address of a college dorm. “It’s a care package. For my daughter.” She spoke as if she expected him to say something negative about it.
He held his hands up. “Look. I’m in my forties. It’s rare to find someone I’d like to date who doesn’t have kids.”
“Do you?” He looked at her blankly. “Have kids?” She continued.
He shook his head. “Good God, no. No kids here. Never been married.” He took the slip from her. “How we shipping? First class? UPS? FedEx?”
“First class is fine.” She continued twisting her fingers in her hand, and he noticed the pale spot where her wedding ring had been. He’d noticed the first night at the Gin it was gone because the indentation around the finger implied she’d just taken it off. He wondered what made her so nervous around him. Maybe she was a fresh divorcee? New to the dating scene? That would explain a lot.
“So…You don’t date much?” He was prodding. He wanted answers.
She shook her head.
“Just get out of a marriage?” He softened his voice, not sure he wanted to get involved with a woman with that kind of baggage but curious nonetheless.
“Widowed.” She took a deep breath and let it out with her next words. “Sixteen years.”
“Oh.” A different type of baggage.
Her stance changed, and Jason recognized it as the stance of a woman who was about to lay it all on the line to see what would happen. He purposefully blanked his face to absorb whatever she was going to say.
“In fact, that woman, Sabrina, from the gym Monday was his mistress. He was driving her home from a party, where they were both drunk, when he crashed and died. She walked away without a scratch, and he left me alone to raise my daughter.” She put her hands on her hips in a ‘Watcha gonna say now, sucka? pose.
“I see why that was such an awkward exchange now.” This woman had an entire set of luggage she was carrying around with this story. But he wanted more. “You never dated after him?”
She shrugged. “I had a daughter to raise. My priorities were focused elsewhere.” Her eyes pleaded with him to understand.
He glanced down at her left hand on her hip. “So, she’s just moved out, your job as a mom is finished, and your friends got you out for a night on the town? Made you finally take off your wedding ring?” That made sense. And now he knew that she felt the same intensity he felt, and it scared her to death.
She nodded. “My daughter is the most important thing in my life… right now. I never spoke a harmful word about her father to her, I shielded her from the gossip, I raised her to be a smart, independent young woman who got a scholarship to college.” The words flew from her mouth, and she looked surprised at herself.
“See? This is what I like.” Jason gestured between the two of them. “I’d like to hear more about you and your daughter.” He glanced down at the package. “Kelly.” He looked at her again. Yeah, she had baggage, but he couldn’t stop himself. “Go out with me?” He held up his hands. “That’s the last time I’ll ask. I promise.” He crossed his heart with his index finger and said a little prayer she would say yes.
“Tell me why you stood me up, first.”
“I’d rather you heard it from someone else.” With impeccable timing, Jodie strolled through the door, sending the bell tinkling. Jason walked around the counter and held his hand out to Renae. “Come to my dad’s place with me. He’ll explain with much more panache than I ever could.” Jodie raised an eyebrow at him. “Renae, this is my brother Jodie. He came into town to help me out a little with dad.”
He watched as his brother shook hands with Renae, quirking an eyebrow at
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