I considered wearing a floral-patterned dress but realized it was too daytime for a romantic date. Too…tame.
This wasn’t what I’d wear if I were going on a first date with Preston, so why would I wear it with Mateo? I pushed that thought—and the floral dress—aside and grabbed a red dress with a plunging neckline. If I was going to give this a real shot, I needed to pull out all the stops. I needed to treat it like a real date, even if my heart wasn’t in it.
I zipped up the dress, then selected a gold necklace that drew the eye down to my cleavage. Finally, a pair of five-inch nude heels completed the look.
Sophia’s eyes were wide as I crossed the room to my dresser. “Wow. You look…fancy.”
I laughed and sprayed on some of my favorite Jo Malone perfume. She hopped off the bed, holding out her wrist as she came over to me.
“Can I have some?”
“Sure.” I smiled and gave her a small spritz. “Come on.” I grabbed my purse off the bed. “Let’s go talk to Preston.”
When we reached the bottom of the stairs, he was already waiting. He stared up at me with a need so powerful, I felt it all the way to my core. I’d never had a man look at me with such longing, and it was a heady feeling.
“Wow.” He swallowed hard, and I was thankful Sophia had already skipped off to the living room. “You look—” His eyes darted from my lips to my breasts to my hips and my heels. But then he seemed to recover himself, straightening as if remembering our roles. “Nice.”
Nice? That’s all?
I’d spent two hours getting ready, and the best he could do was “nice”? Then again, why did I care? He wasn’t the man I was trying to impress. Right?
“Thanks. And thanks again for agreeing to watch Sophia so I could go out tonight.”
“No problem. I’m always happy to hang with my favorite girl, and I know you sometimes have work functions in the evening.”
“Actually…” I brushed my hair away from my face, debating whether to tell him the truth. But then I remembered Lauren’s advice. “It’s not a work dinner. It’s a date.”
A look of pain flashed in his eyes, then it was gone. It happened so fast, I almost believed I’d imagined it. Almost like I’d begun to believe I’d imagined the kiss.
I’d noticed a shift the past few days. Preston seemed more professional than ever lately, and it honestly kind of pissed me off. Yes, I’d pushed him away, but was he really going to give up that easily?
I’d always believed that if you wanted something—truly wanted it—you had to be willing to work for it. Whether it was a sale or a relationship, you had to show up and prove how much you cared. And if you didn’t…well, that was a huge reason Cal and I hadn’t worked out.
“Bye, Soph.” I waved to her from the hallway.
“Bye, Mommy,” she called, but her attention was focused on the TV.
“Have a nice evening,” Preston said as he closed the door behind me.
I stood on the front porch for a few moments, feeling torn. My best friend had set me up on a date with a successful, handsome, and—more importantly—older man. At least on paper, Mateo was perfect for me. Yet…I couldn’t help but feel that if Preston were maybe ten years older and not Sophia’s nanny, I would be going to dinner with him instead.
I took a deep breath. I might be attracted to Preston, but attraction wasn’t the foundation for a lasting relationship. I’d fallen into that trap once before, and I wouldn’t do so again. I didn’t have that luxury now that I was a mom.
No. Mateo was the smart choice. The safe choice.
I might take risks in my professional life, but in my personal life—I preferred to play it safe. So even though my heart told me to cancel the date, to stay home with Preston and Sophia, I knew I couldn’t.
I took a few steps toward the car, telling myself it was the right thing to do.
Chapter Ten
Iglanced at the clock again. Only five minutes had passed since I’d last checked the time. Sophia had been a good distraction, at least until she went to bed. Then, I’d spent the last hour and a half alternating between staring at the clock and watching the door like Alexis would walk through it any moment.
It was after eleven, and she still wasn’t back from her date.
Date.
When she’d told me her plans earlier, it felt like a punch to the gut. Even though I knew it was for the best, the thought of her on a date with someone else nearly killed me. I didn’t want her to go out with another man, especially not looking the way she had.
