AllFreeNovel
Share Us
Still, as she thought about what she would wear tomorrow and how good it would be to get out of her apartment with Zander, she couldn’t feel anything but weightless.
And that, she knew, couldn’t be a good sign—then again, maybe it could. Maybe it was time to let go of Seth and all of the craziness and just live a little bit. Maybe Zander could be the one to show her the way.
Or, then again, maybe this was all going to end in broken pieces, the whole way around.
* * *
Gettingready for a not-date-that-sort-of-seemed-like-a-date wasn’t an easy task for a woman with two good ankles, so Rachel found the task especially daunting Saturday night. She wormed her way into several different dresses, trying to find one that looked nice but not too nice, was ideal for the warm New York City evening, and would have the lowest chance of causing her to fall on her face on her crutches. She settled on an orange, off the shoulder dress that was knee-length and a breezy material. She layered on a few necklaces and bangles, pulled her hair into a side swept ponytail, and anxiously sat on the sofa, waiting for him to arrive.
She wasn’t sure if she should have the television on or off. Should she make it look like she was swept up in a flurry of activity when he came? Did it seem desperate if she were just sitting here, twiddling her thumbs?
And why was she even doing this is in the first place? Did alleviating her loneliness for a night out really outweigh the risks? She could just hear Georgie or Julie or any of the No Brides Club if they caught wind of this. Although the group had been rocked by new relationships and some of the members were straying from their adamant stance against love, she knew many of them still hadn’t been struck by cupid’s arrow.
And those members, well, they’d tell her she was making a mistake.
And she probably was.
But when the doorbell rang, she found herself startled with a smile, a smile she told herself to wipe off her face.
She hobbled to the door and reminded herself to breathe, that it wasn’t a big deal. But when she flung the door open and took in the sight of Zander Riley once more, she knew it was a big deal after all.
He was wearing dark wash jeans, a blue button-up shirt, and a black suit jacket. He looked like he was dressed for a date. In truth, though, the man could wear just about anything—or nothing—and look perfect, Rachel knew. His easy mannerisms and very subtle confidence allowed him to wear anything with a sexiness Rachel couldn’t deny, no matter how much she wanted to tell herself it wasn’t true.
He extended the contents of his hands to her. Where roses would have been if this were really a date—an important distinction Rachel was quick to note—a stack of magazines sat instead.
“The lady at Rite Aid assured me these would be perfect. I know nothing about women’s magazines, just to be clear. But I thought these would come in handy for your last week of R & R.” He flashed her the perfect grin she’d already come to like too much.
“Thanks,” she replied, beaming at the thoughtfulness, looking down at a brand-new magazines she would definitely appreciate this week. “Let me just grab my bag.”
“I can get it,” he offered, but she shook her head.
“I’m good. Just a second.” She took the magazines from him and precariously hobbled to the counter, stacking them carefully. She stretched for her clutch, managed not to fall, and called it a win. She was sure it wasn’t the most graceful maneuver she’d ever pulled off, but it would just have to do.
“All set? You look amazing, by the way,” he said with caution, as if not sure how far he could tread before reeling it all back in.
“You don’t look so bad yourself,” she quipped, smiling at the handsome man who was taking her out for some food and wine and some sweet relief from the hellish prison of monotony she’d been stuck in for a week.
As he led her out to get a cab that would whisk them to a night of food, conversation, and adult beverages she couldn’t wait to taste, Rachel decided to not complicate things like she so often did. She decided not to worry about drawing lines and rules and regulating this—whatever it was. She chose to just bask in the company of a guy who seemed like a perfect gentleman and excessively interesting. She thought she’d just savor the night for what it was, which was simply a nice dinner out with a man who had just happened to be in the right place to be her hero for one night and one night only.
Rachel Winters was a strong, sassy woman, after all. She didn’t need a hero for more than one night, she assured herself as she walked into the restaurant, insisting on holding the door for herself even though it wasn’t easy with crutches and a bum ankle.
* * *
“You’re joking,”Rachel said after almost spitting out her wine. Zander had just finished telling her a story about a camping trip gone wrong he’d taken his senior year. Apparently, Zander’s brother Ian was quite the wild child, to his parents’ chagrin.
“I’m not. But it all worked out, I guess, because now my little brother’s actually a stuntman in Hollywood. Works for the big guns and all. So my parents can’t fault him too much for all of his crazy, risky behaviors.”
Rachel shook her head. “You must be their quiet sense of relief.”
Zander grinned. “So you’re saying I’m the boring one.”
“There’s nothing wrong with being… well, stable. Safe.”
“Oh yes, that’s just what women look for,” Zander teased. “I’ll have you know, I do have quite the wild side.”
Rachel shook her head. She couldn’t wipe the smile off her face. “Really now?” Zander might have a not-so-perfect vibe to him, but edgy wasn’t quite the word that came to mind now that she was getting to know him.
“Oh, yes. Yes, I do.” He twirled the stem of the wine glass between his fingers, staring intently at her.
