Total pages in book: 72
Estimated words: 68074 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 340(@200wpm)___ 272(@250wpm)___ 227(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 68074 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 340(@200wpm)___ 272(@250wpm)___ 227(@300wpm)
While Tammy had two ex-boyfriends, both of them somewhat serious, I had a string of weeklong relationships and one-night stands. I had never been in love. I had never even thought I was in love. The fact that I couldn’t get this girl out of my mind was new to me. I was thinking three steps ahead, imagining our next date before I even texted her good night. I cautioned myself to be careful. Success in the dating world had taught me that no woman wants a man to seem too interested. Better let them come to you.
I threw all the gameplay out the window as soon as I woke up. I just had to check in with her. I sent a sunshine emoji for “good morning.” A moment later, I was rewarded with a smiley face. Who knew what that really meant? It was too early in the relationship for eggplants or heart-shaped eyes, but at least I knew she was thinking about me.
At work I found I was actually able to concentrate. That was a nice development. I thought about Tammy, but it wasn’t the desperate am I ever going to see her again? crap that I had suffered through before. At the end of the day, I decided to call her. If she held out because I was too interested, then I would know she wasn’t the one. I climbed up to my apartment and paced the floor as I called, hoping to catch her alone.
“Hello?” she asked.
“Hi, Tammy. It’s Mike.”
“Hi, Mike.” Her voice warmed, but I had another takeaway from her reaction. She hadn’t put my name into her contacts yet. I wasn’t sure what that meant.
I got right to the point. “Would you like to go fishing tonight?”
“Sure,” she said without hesitation. “I’ve never been fishing.”
“I can show you,” I said, my head spinning with relief. “You get off at six, right?”
“Right.”
“I’ll pick you up then,” I said.
“Awesome.”
I hung up and got changed. I would have just enough time to pack the truck and grab some takeout and a few sodas before picking Tammy up. We could score a spot on the lake and stay until the sun went down. Fishing was usually productive this time of year. I had caught some big specimens around this time last year.
I splashed on a bit of cologne, shaved off my five-o’clock shadow, and thundered down the stairs. In the garage, I found the fishing poles. There were three—one for me, one for my dad, and one for my mom. I grabbed two and threw them in the back of the truck. I scooped up the tackle box and checked to see if we had any live bait. The kitchen door opened just minutes before my escape, and I sighed.
“What are you doing?” Mom asked.
“Going fishing,” I answered.
“Who’s the extra pole for?”
I held my breath for a moment, weighing my options. It was possible my mom would be excited for me. She was like any other mom in that respect, wanting to see her children happily settled down. I had only brought one of my girlfriends home= to meet her, and that had only been because we had plans for later that day, and it had been cheaper to have lunch with my parents than to go out to eat. My mom had not been impressed, and that relationship hadn’t lasted through the week. Before I went to prison, she had asked about my love life almost every day. With a jolt, I realized that it had been a long time since she made any noises about grandchildren.
“I have a date,” I said.
“With who?” She folded her arms across her chest. I couldn’t tell yet if she was happy or angry.
“It’s no one you know. She’s new in town.”
“Where did you meet her?” Mom wanted to know.
I frowned. I didn’t want to tell her about the meat market at the Lucky Lady. “She works at the hair salon on Main Street.”
Mom seemed to consider that, and I almost thought she was going to drop the subject. “You have to tell her.”
I wasn’t sure if I had understood her. “What?”
“You have to be up-front with this girl about your past,” Mom clarified.
“I will,” I said, dismissing her request.
I would tell Tammy as soon as we passed the point of no return. When I was sure she was as hooked on me as I was on her. I promised myself I would tell her maybe after we were married or after the first child.
I remembered my previous desire to be more appreciative of my parents and kissed my mom on the top of the head. “I really like this girl.”
She sighed. “Be careful.”
I nodded, leaving her alone in the driveway. It was too much trouble to guess what Mom meant when she said those cryptic things. Clearly, she had been worried that I would lie to Tammy. Did “be careful” mean that I was supposed to act like a gentleman? Did it mean that she was worried I would get my heart broken? I had no intention of being careful. Instead, I planned to follow my heart wherever it went. This would be our second date in as many nights. At the pace we were going, we would be married in a month, and I didn’t mind.