Total pages in book: 89
Estimated words: 84838 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 424(@200wpm)___ 339(@250wpm)___ 283(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 84838 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 424(@200wpm)___ 339(@250wpm)___ 283(@300wpm)
“A couple of weeks ago.” She grimaced with a shrug. “I didn’t want to jinx it by telling anyone.”
“Not even me?” I teased. “I thought you told me everything.”
“Normally, I do, but I just wanted some time to see how things went before I started talking about it.”
“Oh ... So, you really like this guy, huh?”
“Yeah, I do.” Madeline’s expression softened as she continued, “He’s really sweet and cute too. He has this little border collie named Sadie that’s just adorable.”
“What’s he do?”
“He’s a PE teacher at Polk Middle School.”
“Wow. That’s awesome. Does this guy have a name?”
“Steve.” She giggled under her breath. “I know it’s not the sexiest of names, but it suits him.”
“Not that it matters, but Steve is a great name. All that’s important is the fact you like him, and that he’s good to you.”
“He’s very good to me.”
“Well, I look forward to meeting him someday.”
A mischievous smirk crossed her face. “If you hit it off with Thomas, then maybe we could double date sometime.”
“You’re not going to let this go, are you?”
“Nope. I’ll just keep at it until you agree to at least meet him.” She took a sip of her tea, then, acting completely nonchalant, continued, “When I told him about you, he was really—”
“Wait ... You already talked to him about me?”
“Well, yeahhh. I had to make sure he was interested, and just so we’re clear ... he was very interested.”
“Okay. So, tell me about this great friend of yours.”
I listened to her go on and on about how amazing Thomas was, and after a great deal of persuasion, she finally convinced me to go on a blind date with him. I couldn’t believe I’d let her talk me into it. I’d heard horror stories from girls who’d gone on blind dates that ended in complete disaster. While I hoped the same wouldn’t hold true for me, I had my doubts. I’d never been very good at talking to complete strangers, but Madeline assured me that Thomas was easy to talk to. Going with Madeline’s advice to dress casually, I’d decided to wear black capri pants, with a khaki summer sweater and heels. As I sat there waiting for him to show, my mind was racing a mile a minute. I was tempted to just get up and leave, but quickly changed my mind when I noticed a man walking in my direction. This guy was the epitome of tall, dark, and handsome with thick, dark hair and deep brown eyes, and his white button-down shirt fit snug against his muscular build. I was feeling pretty good about my decision to go on the date when he approached me with a warm smile and extended his hand. “Remington?”
“That’s me.” As I shook his hand, I said, “You must be Thomas.”
“I am.” He sat down in the seat across from mine. “Man, you’re even prettier than Madeline described.”
“Thank you. That’s very sweet of you to say.”
“Well, it’s true.” He settled back in the chair, and like we were old friends, he seemed perfectly at ease. “Madeline told me you were a little apprehensive about meeting me.”
“She told you that?”
“Yeah, she’s never been very good at keeping secrets.” Thomas laughed.
“I’m well aware, but I thought she might use a little discretion this time.”
“Well, I’m glad you decided to come.”
“Me too,” I replied.
The waitress came over and brought us our menus. Once we’d placed our orders, I looked over to Thomas and said, “Madeline mentioned you were in law enforcement.”
“I’m in internal investigations.”
“That sounds a little daunting.”
“It can be. I’m not exactly a fan favorite on the force, but I have a job to do and try to do it the best I can.”
“Sounds like things aren’t exactly easy at the office.” I teased, hoping to make light of his heavy tone.
When he smiled, I knew I’d pulled it off. “No, they aren’t, but I do all right.”
“I’m sure that you do.”
We continued talking about his work for several minutes, but the conversation was interrupted when the waitress bought over our food. As we started eating, I thought back to how persistent Madeline was about me going out with Thomas. I hated to admit it, but she was right about him. I could definitely see myself dating a guy like him. He was handsome, very well-spoken, extremely charming, and his smile was incredibly contagious. Yet deep down, I had a feeling there was a catch because no guy was that perfect. So, I settled in and waited for the red flag to reveal itself. After swallowing a bite of his burger, he asked, “What about you? How are things at your office?”
“They’re pretty good, actually. I have Madeline there, so even when it’s bad, it’s good.” I laughed. “You know her. She has a way of putting a positive spin on just about anything.”