I didn’t want the getting to know you stuff and all that. She was fun. She was fucking gorgeous and she seemed to be on the same page as I was. Neither of us made any commitments to call.
Why did I suddenly regret that?
Chapter 14
Evie
I closed the dishwasher and turned it on. Being a single lady that was rarely home and didn’t eat a lot at home meant few dishes. I had to practically wash my dishes before putting them in the dishwasher. If I didn’t, they would be crusty and gross by the time I got a full load. I put the towel on the counter and shut off the light.
I had plenty of candles going. I loved candles. Anytime I got a chance to burn candles, I did. I carried my glass of wine out to my itty-bitty balcony and sat down. It was a warm evening with some serious humidity.
I settled in, putting my feet up on the railing and staring out at the pool below that was packed with tenants taking advantage of the warm weather. My phone chimed, alerting me to a text. I didn’t want to look. I didn’t want to deal with a client bitching at me. I was completely chill at the moment. Not a minute later, the doorbell rang.
“Nelle!” I said, already knowing it was her.
I walked barefoot to the door and pulled it open. “I didn’t know you were coming over.”
“I thought I would stop by.”
“You’re off on a Thursday?” I questioned.
“I am.”
“Do you want some wine?” I offered.
“No thanks. What are you doing?” She looked around at the many candles and then me.
“I have to do some more work, but I’m taking a break before I dig in again.”
She slowly nodded. “I see. Rough week?”
I sat down on the couch and stretched out my legs. My feet were aching. “Yes. I have a party this weekend and took on two new clients with events scheduled in a couple of months. It’s been crazy.”
“Sounds like it.”
I sighed, knowing my break was over. I needed a few more things for the event on Saturday. It wasn’t an event I was looking forward to. “I need to find some cigars,” I said, thinking out loud.
“Taking up smoking?” she teased.
“It’s for some corporate thing, all men. A few women, but mostly men. I’m doing an old twenties kind of vibe. I need some good cigars.”
She quickly named a place. I opened up my laptop and pulled up the name of the store. “Hey, you are right. How did you know?”
“I work in a bar. I know things.”
I laughed as I quickly typed in my order. “Of course, you do.”
“How is Xander?” she asked.
I looked up, catching the sly smile on her face as she stared at me from her place in the chair. “Subtle,” I said.
She shrugged. “Subtle is boring and it takes too long. Have you talked to him?”
“Nope.”
“Why not? I thought you liked him?”
“He’s all right, but we are just friends. We both agreed to keep things neat and tidy. Neither of us wants the baggage. I work all the time and a boyfriend would quickly feel ignored. I have been down that road before. It’s better if I just stay single.”
“That is the dumbest thing I have ever heard,” she said.
“It isn’t dumb, it’s practical.”
“You liked him.”
I nodded. “I do like him. He’s fun to hang out with. He has a very dry sense of humor and it makes me laugh. He isn’t wild. He isn’t boisterous. He doesn’t try to impress me. He’s just him. It’s refreshing to be with a man that doesn’t care what anyone else thinks. He’s his own man and that’s that.”
She was smiling. “You really do like him. Did something happen that has you running scared?”
“No,” I assured her. “It isn’t that. Now, I’m going to get my shoes on. Will you run me over to that cigar place?”
“You’ve been hitting the bottle pretty hard?”
I laughed. “No, I had one glass of wine. Trust me. I deserved it. I want to pick up the cigars before they close. Then I need to stop by the party rental place and pick up some stuff.”
“Your wish is my command,” she said and got to her feet.
I quickly put on my shoes, not caring that I was very dressed down. I had been going for what felt like four days straight. I needed some casualwear and my feet were begging for the comfort of my tennis shoes.
She drove to the cigar store where I quickly picked up my order, along with a few accessories. Then it was to the party rental place to pick up more decorations for the gig. It was almost seven before the last of my errands were done.
“Let’s grab something to eat,” she said once we were back in the car.
“Sure,” I answered. I was so ready to go home and crawl into a hot bubble bath, but she was obviously not ready to call it a night.
She drove us to a restaurant that specialized in wings. “So Xander,” she started again.
I rolled my eyes. “I knew there was a reason you wanted to sit down and eat.”
“I usually sit down and eat,” she replied.
“No, you don’t. You are always on the go.”
“Anyway,” she said, steering the conversation right back to the place I didn’t want to go.
“I already told you,” I insisted. “I like him well enough, but you know how much I work. I don’t have time to date regularly. I rarely sleep as it is.”
“I bet your dad would like him,” she commented.
I rolled my eyes. “I don’t think my dad would ever like any man I brought home to meet him.”
“But this guy sounds like he’s got his shit together. He’s an engineer. He’s wealthy. He’s not wild and dumb. I think the two of you would be really good together. He would tame you and you would liven him up.”
“You haven’t even met him,” I protested.
She shrugged. “I don’t have to. You told me all about him.”
“I can’t take him to meet my dad. For one, we are not even close to being at that stage, and for two, no way. You know how critical my dad is. Xander would cut and run before we even get started. My dad would find fault with a royal prince. There will never be a right man for me in his eyes.”
She smiled, sipping on her diet soda. “That’s because he loves you. He wants the best for you.”
“He wants me to be a spinster.”
“I think he just wants to make sure you are with someone that is going to treat you right. He loves you. He raised you. He has some very high standards. It’s normal for dads to be picky about who their daughters date.”
“My dad takes that a little too seriously.”
“You won’t know until you try,” she said.
I shook my head. “Nope. I have not taken a man to him yet and I don’t plan on doing it now. Not until I am a million percent sure he is going to be the man I am going to marry. Then, I will be more willing to fight for the man.”
“Makes sense, but I think your dad is also a good judge of character,” she said. “He might be able to see something you can’t.”