“Besides, people meet online all the time and fall in love,” she said.
“Whoa. Whoa.” My eyes shot open. “I was talking about sex, not love.”
“Well, whatever it is, if you’re feeling it, I say go for it.” She grinned.
“Have sex with a stranger.”
“Well, he’s not a stranger, not really. You guys have been talking for months now.”
Months of talking and becoming friends, getting to know each other on a deeper level. I nodded. She made a good point, but still…we’d never met.
“And it’s allowed your relationship to develop without the physical stuff getting in the way.”
I nodded, accepting the eyelash curler from her. She was right. All the hours spent emailing and talking on the phone had established a strong foundation. He was easy to talk to, but would our chemistry translate to an in-person meeting?
I curled my lashes then applied mascara before finally standing. I smoothed my palms over my thighs and checked my reflection once more, evaluating my hair, my outfit, my shoes. My boobs looked good, but when I turned to the side, I worried that my butt looked big in these jeans.
“You look fantastic,” Alyssa said, coming to stand beside me.
She ushered me toward the door. “Ooh!” She flapped her hands around like a weird, confused bird. “This is so exciting!”
I placed a hand to my stomach, which churned with unease. “I think I’m going to be sick.”
I hadn’t stepped foot out of her apartment, and I was already a bundle of nerves. How on earth was I going to make it through meeting Connor? Not to mention hold a conversation.Oh god.
“I think this is a mistake,” I said, the reality of what I was doing suddenly crashing down on me.
“I think—” Alyssa placed her hands on my shoulders, grounding me “—that you’re scared, and that’s okay. But I also know that if you don’t go, you’ll wonder ‘what if’ for the rest of your life.”
“The rest of my life? Geez.” I blew out a breath. “Dramatic much?”
“Come on, Olivia. You can do this. You’re not marrying the guy, just meeting for coffee.” I was positive her smile was meant to be reassuring, but nothing was going to ease my anxiety.
I was meeting someone I’d fantasized about for months. What if he didn’t live up to the image in my head? Worse still, what if I was nothing like he’d expected? What if this was one big letdown—our meeting a complete bust after all the excitement and tension that had built up over the phone?
“I bet he’s just as nervous as you are,” she said.
I barked out a laugh. “I wouldn’t be so sure about that.”
The way he spoke, the confidence in his deep voice, the things he said…all made me believe that he was experienced, especially when it came to women. I knew about Katie. How many others were there like her?
“What if I’m not, you know, what he expected?” I finally voiced my greatest fear aloud.
“What if you’re even better than he hoped? You’ll never know unless you meet him.” She grabbed my arm and pulled me toward the door.
“Yeah, but I’m not…me when I’m with him.”
She furrowed her brow. “Huh?”
“I’m braver, more confident.”
The corner of her mouth tilted into a smile. “Have you ever thought that maybe that’s who you really are?”
I stilled, considering her words. Was it all just an act, or did Connor bring out the best version of me?
“Please just meet him,” she huffed.
“You’re only pushing this because you’re hoping he has some hot friends I can introduce you to,” I teased.
