“At least you got named after the main character. I got named after the mother who no one ever remembers.”
“At least she’s human, and you weren’t teased about it all your life.”
“I’ll give you that. But don’t go changing the subject. What happened to your date?”
I look at her for a moment then decide to refrain from pointing out exactly who went off on a comic-related tangent. “She got hit in the face by a swinging door as we were leaving. Slammed her straight in the nose, and there was blood everywhere.”
Her hand covers her mouth as she gasps. “No way. Is it broken?”
“I don’t think so. The owner’s wife kind of swooped in and took care of everything.”
Her brow shoots up. “You left her there?”
“What? No. I’m not a total asshole. I felt like I was completely in the way, but I stuck around until the wife drove her home, and the husband followed behind in her car. Once they were gone, and I was sure she was fine,thenI left.”
“What a horrible end to a date.”
I sit down and start unlacing my boots. “The whole entire thing was awful if I’m honest.”
“You didn’t get along?”
“She’s amazin’. But…”
“But what?”
“I’m over-the-top attracted to her, but I’m not sure we have nothing in common. The only thing we seemed to agree on is the smell of that damn candle. Everything else, we’re total opposites.”
“In what way?”
“For starters, I’m into cars and she’s into meditation. I read the newspaper, and she reads romance novels. I like waking up and seeing where my day takes me, and she likes taking advice from a deck of cards with pictures on them. I just…” I let out a sigh and shake my head. “If I’m honest, the thing that’s really getting to me is her age. I’m far too old for her being forty-eight to her twenty-nine.”
“Nineteen years. It’s not so bad.”
“It will be in ten years’ time when I’m pushing sixty, and she’s only your age now.”
Dottie sighs. “So that’s your big issue. She makes you feel old?”
Kicking both my boots off and shoving them under the table, I lean back in my chair, and it creaks from my movement. “Old, out of touch, set in my ways. She’s a breath of fresh air and most of the time I smell like an oil pit. And the way she talks about the things she enjoys…” I think back to the way her face lit up as she described how the energy from crystals and the guidance of Tarot led her to making this trip to Whisper Valley. It was at that moment that I decided she was too good for me. Too good for anyone, really. She’s one of those people with a spirit that’s meant to be wild, free and unburdened. The last thing I ever want to do is weigh a woman as pure as Ava down. Despite my attraction to her, I have no right to be part of that young woman’s life. I’ll hurt her spirit, of that, I’m sure. “I’m just not the man for her,” I finish.
Dottie picks up her mug of tea and takes a sip. “Sounds like that date wasn’t so bad if you can look past all that self-deprecation.”
“I’m just being realistic here.”
“I guess that means you won’t be seeing her again?”
“Even if I wanted to, she’s leaving town on Tuesday.”
“You’re not going to stop by and at least see how her face is after getting attacked by a door?”
“I doubt she’d even want to see me. I really wasn’t much of a date. Poor girl had to do all the talkin’ while I just sat there realizing she’s too good for me.”
“From what I’m getting here, you sat and quietly listened to her talk about the things she loves, right?”
“Well, yeah. I didn’t want to bore her with—”
“Then I think you’ll find you were an amazing date,” she says, smiling as she gets up from her chair and places her mug in the sink. “I think you’re letting old wounds guide the voices in your head. You aren’t boring. You aren’t too old, and you have so much good to offer a woman.” I scoff and turn away, but she walks back over to me and places a hand on my shoulder. “I know it’s hard for you to put yourself out there again, but I think you should at least go check if she’s OK. She’s probably embarrassed and feeling incredibly sorry for herself. And really, what do you have to lose?”
“The last shred of self-worth I have when she rejects me for being boring and old.”
