“Granted,” she said. “But it’s good to step out of my comfort zone once in a while.”
“Can I ask you a serious question?”
She pursed her lips and looked a bit worried. “Mmm.”
“Why did you suggest we come here?” He took a drink of his whiskey sour and found it watered down.
She lifted her shoulders and the corners of her mouth simultaneously. “Dirk told me you loved this place.”
“Not true. Dirk loves this place,” Tom corrected, irritated at the mention of his friend. “I come here because this is where he likes to hang out.”
“So you’re not a fan of The Loophole?”
Tom shrugged. “I can take it or leave it.”
“Oh. I didn’t know that.”
His eyes met hers. “Would you like to get out of here?”
“Yes, please.” Her smile was a reward and it lit him up in unexpected places.
“Before we go, I have another question to ask you.”
“Okay.” She cocked her head, studying him so intently he started to wonder if he had something on his face.
Feeling self-conscious, he ran a palm over his mouth. “Tell me how you would like to spend the rest of evening and be completely honest. Stop worrying about pleasing me.”
Jude cringed. “If I tell you the truth, you’ll think I’m the most boring person on the planet.”
“Try me,” he said, irked that he had to shout the conversation. “What would you normally be doing on a Saturday night?”
“Catching a movie at the Tavern Cinema.”
“Sounds perfect. C’mon. Grab your coat and let’s blow this popsicle stand.”
This time, Jude’s real smile was as glittery as unicorn rainbows.
13
Sitting in the darkened theatre, waiting for the show to start, Tom could smell Jude’s sweet scent mingling with the aroma of buttery popcorn and spicy jalapeños. They’d ordered the extra-large bucket to share along with fully loaded nachos and beer.
He tried not to think about how much he wanted to kiss her or how soft her hand was on the armrest between them. He had a bet to win and these kinds of thoughts didn’t serve his goal. Not in the least.
And then, as the movie started, Jude leaned over to rest her head on his shoulder, and Tom just about unraveled.
He was getting in too deep and he feared he would end up hurting her.
Is that what you’re afraid of? challenged a snarky voice at the back of his brain. Or are you afraid of getting hurt yourself?
There was a reason he kept his romantic entanglements light. He was terrified of getting his heart broken. Throwing himself into crafting furniture, telling himself that starting his business and getting it on solid ground was the reason why he couldn’t afford to get serious about anyone.
The real truth was that he’d been hiding from the kinds of feelings Jude stirred in him. It was why he dated women who weren’t interested in anything long term. Even though Jude had sworn that all she wanted was to have fun, he didn’t buy it.
She was a happily-ever-after kind of woman, and the man who ended up with her would be lucky beyond his wildest dreams.
Jude was the total package—smart, funny, gorgeous, and she didn’t mind his daffy family. In fact, she even seemed to like them, and they liked her. Several times this week his mother had texted him to ask when he was bringing Jude around again.
All he had to do was stay safely out of her way until the bet was over and yet, he couldn’t seem to resist temptation. He could have called off the date. He should have called off the date, but he hadn’t.
Why not?
What was he doing with her? He wasn’t sure himself. He should either stop seeing her or go for a long swim in cold water, but he wasn’t ready to jump into Lake Michigan—or stop seeing her.
He wasn’t ready to push her out of his life, but he didn’t know where to go from here.
Sure, he could forfeit the bet and take her to bed the way his body was begging him to do. The way her inviting smile, and the feel of her head on his shoulder, were encouraging him to do.
Surprisingly, despite the sexual tension, the rest of the evening was a blast. For Tom at least. The movie was hilarious and unexpectedly poignant as the main character learned to face his fears and embrace life—which in the end, included finding true love.
The character’s growth arc felt far too familiar, and he found himself wondering if Jude had picked the movie on purpose as some kind of message, but no, she seemed completely guileless, and the flick was so good, he vowed to stop overthinking things.
Just a coincidence.
And when the happily ever after came with closing credits, and Jude reached for his hand, Tom couldn’t resist gently squeezing her soft little hand as his confounded heart swelled inside his chest.
Afterward, they went out for frozen yogurt and when she added gummy bears to her pink lemonade froyo, he burst out in a big grin. She considered herself boring, but she looked at the world through such open and wondrous eyes he couldn’t help being charmed.
They sat in a back booth and over their desserts talked about themselves, not his bet, not her ex-fiancé, not Dirk. He told her how he’d started the store, and she filled him in about graduate school. They discovered they both loved hiking and camping. Tom confessed he could make a mean omelet, but was otherwise pretty hopeless in the kitchen. Jude revealed her father had taught her to change the oil in her car, but she always managed to persuade someone else to do it for her.
Then she blinked rapidly at him.
“All right, all right.” He laughed and raised his palms. “I’ll change the oil in your car.”
“You don’t have to.” She grinned. “I went electric.”
“Lucky me.” He chuckled. “Look how you wrapped me around your little finger.”
“Did I do that?”
“Don’t act like you don’t know I’m putty in your hands.”
“Not hardly.”
“Oh, very hardly.”
She cast a surreptitious glance at his zipper and Tom denounced all her claims that she wasn’t a wild woman. She was red hot.
Outside the yogurt store, the evening was overcast but mild with little wind; it boded well for a milder winter. When he walked her to the outer door of her complex, it was nearly midnight.
“Can I come up?” he asked, following her into the vestibule, even as he knew it was a risky thing to do.
“Sorry, not on our first date.”
“This isn’t our first date.”
“Yes, it is.”
“Our first date was Tara’s wedding.”
“Doesn’t count.”
“Why not?”
“You needed a warm body for a date. I was handy, and you felt sorry for me because I got stood up at the altar. I’m not letting a pity date be our first.”
“What about Aunt Pru’s birthday party?”
“I’m not sure what that was all about, but it wasn’t a date. I didn’t even have time to change. I smelled like eight hours in the library.”
“A very nice scent I might add.” He leaned in closer.
“And last night certainly wasn’t a date.”